Over the course of freshman year at Millikin University, students are required to take a Critical Writing, Reading and Research (CWRR) class, in order to help students learn how to master writing a paper, as well as how to make a clear argument, while additionally learning how to cite sources.

From all the different papers that have been written over the course of freshman year, some faculty and English majors decided that, because of all the work that the freshman have done to complete their papers, they should receive some sort of recognition. Therefore, Millikin’s Premier Writers was created; a small, campus published book that contains essays written by freshman for their CWRR classes.

However, although the papers have been finished when they are submitted to be published, it does not mean that there is no work to be done on the paper, for both the writer and the editor.

In an interview with sophomore Ryan Wood, who had sent an essay last year to Millikin’s Premier Writers and was accepted, he described the amount of work that needs to be completed in order to have a paper submitted to the campus publication.

After hearing about the publication in his CWRR class, Wood submitted his essay, and, much to his surprise and pleasure, he was accepted into the program. However, there was still work that need to be done on the paper, which required Wood to have to meet with his editor multiple times.

“My editor and I emailed back and forth a few times about making adjustments to my essay,” Wood said. “We got together two or three times to talk about certain parts in order to make them stronger for publication. She was very helpful in changing the components of the essay that needed fixing. Overall, she was great to work with.”

Although there was a lot of editing that needed to be done for his paper, Wood views his experience with working with Millikin’s Premier Writers as a positive experience.

“It was very interesting for me to see the fine details in my essay that I overlooked while writing it. My editor found great ways to make my essay a lot more interesting that I never would have thought to change. I feel as though after this experience I am more critical of my writing, which will help a ton in my future,” said Wood.

Although there was a lot work done on Wood’s part, the editors themselves also have a lot of work to deal with.

During an interview with senior Matthew Gremo, an editor for Millikin’s Premier Writers, he spoke about the tasks need to be done in order to help the authors.

When asked about how he became involved with Millikin’s Premier Writers, Gremo said “I actually took over for another editor last semester who found themselves too overwhelmed with other responsibilities. I had already been working as a consultant for Millikin’s Writing Center and was excited for the opportunity of working more closely with a single essay.”

Gremo soon discovered that the job was very occupying, as he was required to work one on one with the authors, while creating a very strict editing schedule.

Meeting and working with the author is extremely import, as Gremo discussed how “timelines are dependent on the individual paper and the schedules of both the editor and the author.  We are given approximately two months to complete the editing process and prepare the paper for publication.  While most of the edits can be done digitally and correspondence can be maintained via email, it is important to develop a personal relationship with the author.  I try to meet with the author I am working with at least on a bi-weekly basis.”

Although the editing process is a considerably long one, it is an experience that both Wood and Gremo have cherished.

If you are in CWRR this semester, keep your ears open for the submission period for Millikin’s Premier Writers for a chance to win a 50 dollar prize along with having your work published in an anthology. If you have any questions, you can contact lead editor Caitlin Husted at [email protected], or faculty advisor Carmella Braniger at [email protected].