Summer Editing Apprenticeship

(SEA)

Registrations for the Summer Editing Apprenticeship 2025 will open in late 2024, so stay tuned for more information!

Train Part-Time as a Literary Editor
This Summer!

June-July, 2025

The Summer 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!

Course Schedule
Click Here For A Detailed Breakdown of Each Week

Please note that the document linked above shows the schedule from the Summer Editing Apprenticeship 2024.

The exact dates and times for Summer Editing Apprenticeship 2025 are still To Be Announced.

Training: Weeks 1 - 3

Week 1

Approaching Poetry: online content, live lecture and discussion with poetry instructor. Collaborate with other Apprentices on one poetry submission.

Week 2

Approaching Fiction: online content, live lecture and discussion with fiction instructor. Collaborate with other Apprentices on one fiction submission.

Week 3

Approaching Creative Nonfiction: online content, live lecture, and discussion with creative nonfiction instructor. Collaborate with other Apprentices on one creative nonfiction submission.

Work: Weeks 4 - 5

Weeks 4 - 5

Work as Junior Editor, responding to two editorial assignments from active Polyphony Lit submissions per week. Apprentices will receive feedback on every assignment. Conference with mentor to discuss interests, feedback, and areas for focus.

Learning Outcomes

We expect Apprentices will advance their literary skills while doing meaningful work. Specific learning goals include:

Craft & Technique

Method to approach poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction
Understanding of elements of each genre
Practice using literary devices to interpret and analyze submissions and give editorial feedback
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

Embracing multiple standards of quality: diverse aesthetic, authentic voice, style, technique
Awareness of contemporary challenges of creative works in a diverse world
Honing judgment about quality

Process & Challenges in Publishing

Responsibilities and functions of the editorial pipeline
Acceptance and rejection criteria and decision-making
Polyphony Lit's unique mission to encourage and support emerging writers

Program Details

Detailed written feedback on all editing assignments.
Optional opportunity to write a post for our “Voices” blog
Opportunity to meet and learn from other students through collaborative assignments, our online community forum, and in our live online lectures
Phone/Zoom conference with instructor

Cost

Sliding Scale Pricing enables Polyphony Lit to offer discounts to families in need. Applicants may select the registration option most appropriate for them.
Supporter: $549*
Standard: $449
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

Expected commitment: 3-5 hours per week
We expect Apprentices will have other work/study/vacation commitments, so all live lectures will be recorded to avoid schedule conflicts
We welcome international students and will do our best to work around time zone issues
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?

"I can confidently attest that the quality and kindness of the course content, staff, and fellow writing peers still went above and beyond what I expected to experience. The lectures are engaging and provoke self-reflection. Polyphony Lit strives to instill the Golden Rule in its editors while leaving room for constructive criticism. It's a hard balance to strike but I would say SEA manages to do it beautifully. At the end of the program, I have no regrets; only fulfillment and joy that I embarked on this opportunity!"

— 2023 Summer Apprentice

Summer Editing Apprenticeship Page Art by Austin Liu, Tony Fitzpatrick, and Julian Riccobon.