Prêmio Claudia Ann Seaman
Winter Editing Apprenticeship (WEA)
Register Now For Our Winter Session: December 27 2025 - January 16, 2026
Sliding Scale Pricing enables Polyphony Lit to offer discounts to families in need
Please select the registration option most appropriate for you
Register Now
*Purchasing this product at the "supporter" rate will allow us to subsidize a deserving student who cannot afford the full cost
Train Part-Time as a Literary Editor
This Winter!
December 27 2025 - January 16, 2026
The Winter Editing Apprenticeship is a part-time online program for rising 9th - 12th-grade high school students. Over the five weeks of the apprenticeship students will gain advanced knowledge of the craft and art of literary editing and be prepared for senior editing roles at Polyphony Lit or their high school literary magazine.
Through this course, students will connect with a global community of peer writers and readers. We believe that editing offers students an opportunity to develop and celebrate their unique voices in a way that is both fun and rewarding!
The program combines asynchronous training modules, live lectures, collaborative group discussions, and weekly assignmehttps://www.polyphonylit.org/summer-workshopsspond to actual author submissions to Polyphony Lit.
Space is limited. Register early to guarantee your spot!
Week 1 (December 27th 2025 - January 2nd 2026)
Students will study poetry readings, fiction readings, CNF readings, and sample editorial commentary. There will be three live classes per the schedule above at 7pm ET. (One class will center around poetry, one class will center around fiction, and one class will center around CNF.) Each class will run for about 90 minutes.
Week 2 (January 3rd 2026 - January 9th 2026)
Students will begin commenting on live submissions in Submittable and will receive direct feedback from the teaching assistants. There will be one live Q&A on Monday, January 5th 2026 at 7pm ET. This Q&A class will feature an editor from outside Polyphony Lit and will run for about 60-90 minutes.
Week 3 (January 10th 2026 - January 16th 2026)
Students will continue commenting on live submissions, while the teaching assistants provide feedback. There will be no live classes during Week 3, but students will have the opportunity to schedule a 30-minute one-on-one mentoring session with a poet to share their writing and receive feedback or discuss their aspirations as an editor / creative writer.
Learning Outcomes
We expect Apprentices will advance their literary skills while doing meaningful work. Specific learning goals include:
Craft & Technique
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Method to approach poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction
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Understanding of elements of each genre
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Practice using literary devices to interpret and analyze submissions and give editorial feedback
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Consideration for how the overall effect of structure, devices, and themes contribute to the effect of the piece
The Responsibility of Criticism (Judging Quality)
& The Writer/Editor Relationship
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Embracing multiple standards of quality: diverse aesthetic, authentic voice, style, technique
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Awareness of contemporary challenges of creative works in a diverse world
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Honing judgment about quality
Process & Challenges in Publishing
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Responsibilities and functions of the editorial pipeline
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Acceptance and rejection criteria and decision-making
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Polyphony Lit's unique mission to encourage and support emerging writers
Program Details
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Detailed written feedback on all editing assignments.
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Optional opportunity to write a post for our “Voices” blog
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Opportunity to meet and learn from other students through collaborative assignments, our online community forum, and in our live online lectures
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Phone/Zoom conference with instructor
Cost
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Sliding Scale Pricing enables Polyphony Lit to offer discounts to families in need. Applicants may select the registration option most appropriate for them.
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Supporter: $549*
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Standard: $449
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Discount: $349
* Purchasing this product at the "supporter" rate will allow us to subsidize a deserving student who cannot afford the full cost.
Participant Expectations
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Expected commitment: 3-5 hours per week
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We expect Apprentices will have other work/study/vacation commitments, so all live lectures will be recorded to avoid schedule conflicts
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We welcome international students and will do our best to work around time zone issues
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We hope that Apprentices will continue working on staff with Polyphony Lit after concluding the program. Instructors will give you personal feedback about your path to promotion, but enrollment as an Apprentice is not a guarantee of promotion. Historically, about 10% of our Junior Editors earn promotion to Genre Editor and Executive Editor
What Are People
Saying?
"Eu amei literatura toda a minha vida e estava começando a pensar em edição como uma carreira quando me deparei com o programa Polyphony Lit Summer Scholars e fiquei emocionado. Aprendi muito sobre as nuances da edição, conheci algumas pessoas brilhantes e gostei cada tarefa que me foi dada."
— Aprendiz de verão 2021
Summer Editing Apprenticeship Page Art by Austin Liu, Tony Fitzpatrick, and Julian Riccobon.