Two members of the creative writing faculty, Susan McCarty and Allison Powell, are hosting a Publishing Round Table for creative writing majors to learn about the how to enter the publishing scene on Thursday, Feb. 28 from 12-1:30 p.m. in the Lake Erie Room of the Oakland Center. The professors said during the event they will be giving a general overview of the publishing world and the experience they have gained from getting their own works published.

According to both professors, the students who attend will gain valuable knowledge from the event. The skills they will learn include, but are not limited to,  how to research about publications and publishers, the ins and outs of revising one’s work and contemplating the big questions such as who their works are aimed toward.

This event is also helpful for students to learn about how to make the first steps when it comes to publishing. McCarty said some students may be afraid of jumping into publishing a work, but she wants to let students know this is fine.

“This is OK—good even!” McCarty said, “I didn’t publish my first story until after I had finished my MFA. I don’t think there’s any rush at all.”

Not only do the students enjoy and learn, but the professors do as well. McCarty and Powell love to hang out with creative writing majors and immerse themselves in the subject. Powell, in particular, loves to see how people share their work with each other and readers.

The event will have food, and Powell said there might be a special side note about the Publishing and Editing class offered at OU, CW 3800, where students put together the “Oakland Arts Review” each winter semester.

Both professors said their personal favorite part of the event is providing students with information and help making publishing a reality.

“I like breaking it down into a series of actions and goals that make publishing work achievable for our students,” McCarty said.

McCarty said she wanted to remind everyone the world of publishing is big, and to check outside your local Barnes and Noble for authors and their works.

“Whether or not they want to publish in them right now, students should be aware of the larger world of contemporary literature,” McCarty said. “There are journals and authors and independent presses everyone should be reading that aren’t necessarily mainstream or best-sellers, but whose voices are shaping the literary conversation in really interesting and essential ways.”

Powell is a poet and her work has been published in many publications and journals since 2014. McCarty has also had her works published including several essays and one book. Both are assistant professors in creative writing courses. More can be found out about them on their pages on the OU website.

The Publishing Round Table is catered toward creative writing majors, but anyone interested in delving into the world of publishing is invited to partake in this event.