Toyon Literary MagazineStaff HandbookToyon Literary Magazine Humboldt State University1 Harpst Street, Arcata CA 95521www.ToyonLiteraryMagazine.org

OverviewHumboldt State University’s Toyon Literary Magazine was first created in 1954 by a group of students that attended the University. This literary magazine was created with the hope that it would give students attending the University a chance to peek inside the publishing world. The creators of Toyon also wanted students of the school to have a place where they could submit and have their work shared with the community.

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GoalsBy the end of the semester, staff members should be able to complete and possess the following (some goals listed borrowed from class syllabus):

1. Obtain skills that will be useful to specific bookmaking and to the publishing industry.

2. Gain a broad awareness of local publishing efforts and to be able to work with fellow editors, writers, publishers, and artists.

3. Efficiently keep up with required tasks-- blog posts, submission reviews, and specific leadership roles

SpecificationsOne of the main purposes why this handbook was put together, was so that future staff members would have a clear idea/understanding, early on in the semester, what to expect from this course. We are running a publication. People are submitting their work to this literary magazine and it is our responsibility to thoroughly pick the best pieces as a team. We cannot do this if we do not have the basic questions answered about where our information is located.

Below is a list of basic necessities that each staff member should know early on in the semester:1. The Staff’s Google Drive LocationEach staff member needs to know where the Google Drive is located. The Google drive is where all the information that we will be accessing is stored. Staff members can access the Google drive directly from the Canvas homepage.Inside of the Google Drive is the following information:

● Individual folders for each staff position. Inside contains information about their roll and a letter from the previous person who held their position.

● There is a folder inside of the drive that will be used by the Internal Communications Manager. This folder is titled “Meeting Agenda and Minutes.” Notes on class decisions and deadlines will be taken by the Internal Comm. manager will be uploaded here. You can reference this folder when a staff member misses class or if they want a refresher on what we discussed that day.

● There are also other folders inside of the drive that staff members can use if they are looking for materials like the Toyon official letterhead, logo, call-for-submissions quarter sheet, etc.

2. Roles for Each Staff Member Below is a list of information for each staff member, including which team they are on and what they are expected of throughout the semester. This information was taken from the Toyon website: www.toyonliterarymagazine.org

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Administrative Team: (for Fall and Spring Semesters)Managing Editor (Requires at least a two semester commitment)

● Provides leadership on all aspects of the publication process and all other teams.

● Moderates and facilitates forums of staff communication, as needed.● Provides leadership in staff meetings and throughout the editorial and

production schedule.● Maintains the accuracy and completeness of the staff handbook.● Maintains the organization of the staff's Google Drive directories. Ensures

that all folders and files in the Google Drive are accessible, navigable, and understandable to current and new staff members.

● Ensures that a feasible timeline is followed by all staff members to accomplish all tasks associated with their roles.

● Meets with the faculty advisor on a weekly basis, to review upcoming meeting agendas.

● Ensures that all emails sent to the Toyon email account receive a timely reply.

● Ensures that all team members have what they need to accomplish their role effectively.

● Provides a final check of the proof before going to print.● Oversees the annual revision of the staff handbook.

Assistant Managing Editor (Requires at least a three semester commitment)

● *Open to first-year students, sophomores, and juniors who plan to return to the staff in future years.

● Provides assistance in all aspects of the managing editor role, as listed above. The assistant managing editor and managing edits are in consultation through all parts of the editorial and production schedule.

Editorial Team (for Fall Semester only)Acquisitions Editor & Copyeditor

● Provides leadership of the editorial and production team. Facilitates this team's breakout group meeting. Checks that delegated marketing tasks have been completed by staff members. Follows up with staff members as needed. Supports the marketing & promotions staff by filling in where needed.

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● Ensures the integrity of the data included in the BePress submission management system.

● In the copyediting process, communicates with contributors about significant changes to the manuscript that need author approval.

● Ensures that all contributor bios are included in the Toyon issue. ● Generates a pdf of each individual piece (one pdf per title) in the finalized

proof and sends these pdfs to the authors for a final review. All contributors must check a proof of their piece and must verify that their work is their own before the issue goes to press.

Division Editor, Poetry● Ensures that the call for submissions is advertised to ENGL316 and all

sections of ENGL205. ● Generates an advertisement tailored specifically to solicit poetry submissions.● Oversees the scoring, selection, and curation of poetry submissions in

consultation with section reviewers. ● Decides on the award recipient for the division. ● Coordinates with the editorial team to ensure that there is an appropriate

balance of content in the issue, that a diverse body of work is represented.

Division Editor, Fiction● Generates an advertisement tailored specifically to solicit fiction (and

playwriting/screenwriting, if appropriate for the issue) submissions.● Ensures that the call for submissions is advertised to ENGL315, to theater

classes, and to film classes. ● Oversees the scoring, selection, and curation of fiction/playwriting

submissions in consultation with section reviewers. ● Decides on the award recipient for the division. ● Coordinates with the editorial team to ensure that there is an appropriate

balance of content in the issue, that a diverse body of work is represented.

Division Editor, Creative Nonfiction● Generates an advertisement tailored specifically to solicit creative nonfiction

submissions.● Advertises the call for submissions to ENGL314, ENGL311, and the Writing

Studio and Learning Commons.● Oversees the scoring, selection, and curation of creative nonfiction

submissions in consultation with section reviewers. ● Decides on the award recipient for the division. ● Coordinates with the editorial team to ensure that there is an appropriate

balance of content in the issue, that a diverse body of work is represented.

Division Editor, Multilingual

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● Generates a bi-/multilingual advertisement tailored specifically to solicit multilingual submissions.

● Fosters partnerships with, and ensures that the call for submissions is advertised to, the Centers for Academic Excellence, International Programs, IELI, and the Department of World Languages and Cultures.

● Oversees the scoring, selection, and curation of multilingual submissions in consultation with section reviewers.

● Decides on the award recipient for the division. ● Coordinates with the editorial team to ensure that there is an appropriate

balance of content in the issue, that a diverse body of work is represented.

Division Editor, Environmental Justice● Ensures that the call for submissions is advertised to all ENST classes and to

CCAT.● Generates an advertisement tailored specifically to solicit submissions that

support environmental justice.● Oversees the scoring, selection, and curation of environmental writing

submissions in consultation with section reviewers. ● Decides on the award recipient for the division. ● Coordinates with the editorial team to ensure that there is an appropriate

balance of content in the issue, that a diverse body of work is represented.

Division Editor, Literary Criticism● Ensures that the call for submissions is advertised to all literature classes.● Generates an advertisement tailored specifically to solicit literary criticism

submissions.● Oversees the scoring, selection, and curation of literary criticism submissions

in consultation with section reviewers. ● Decides on the award recipient for the division. ● Coordinates with the editorial team to ensure that there is an appropriate

balance of content in the issue, that a diverse body of work is represented.

Division Editor, Spoken Word and Audio Texts● Coordinates with local spoken word clubs, event facilitators, and

organizations to solicit submissions.● Participates in local slam events, on and off campus, and advertises Toyon

there.● Distributes submissions to the spoken word/audio reviewers. ● Oversees the scoring, selection, and curation of spoken word/audio

submissions in consultation with section listeners.● Coordinates with the Acquisitions Editor to ensure that audio/video

submissions are presented professionally on BePress. Uploads published submissions to Toyon YouTube channel before Acquisitions Editor publishes the issue online.

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Production TeamProduction Team Lead & Proofreader

● Provides leadership of the production team. Facilitates the production team meetings. Checks that delegated marketing tasks have been completed by staff members. Follows up with staff members as needed. Supports the marketing & promotions staff by filling in where needed.

● Maintains the editorial office in FH205. Wipes down the countertops each week. Waters the plants. Stocks the office with supplies from the department supply closet, as needed. Notifies the faculty advisor if additional supplies are needed.

● Maintains the Google calendar for FH205. All Toyon staff requests for reservations of this room go to the Production Team Lead. The Production Team lead reserves the room for when members of the Production Team need it.

● Makes all changes to the proof suggested by the staff. Completes the proofreading process.

● Checks the final proof for errors.● In consultation with the acquisitions editor, sends typeset proofs to all

contributors before going to press and ensures that all author-changes are entered accurately into the proof.

Visual Art Editor● Ensures that the call for submissions is advertised to all HSU art classes and

local community art organizations and studios.● Generates an advertisement tailored specifically to solicit visual art

submissions.● Decides on the award recipient for the visual art division. ● Ensures that there is an appropriate balance of content in the issue, that a

diverse body of work is represented.● Designs the front and back covers and spine of the journal. Submits at least

three options for cover design to the staff for review.● Makes decisions about binding, paper quality, use of color schemes, etc., for

the print issue, in acknowledgement of Toyon's fixed budget and in consultation with Marcom, the production editor, the acquisitions editor, and the faculty advisor.

● (Optional) Uses the visual art submissions to generate new promotional materials—such as bookmarks, buttons, etc. Designs letterhead, bookmarks, buttons, and other promotional items for Toyon, as resources allow.

Typesetter● Updates the layout template for the journal before the submission deadline. ● Designs the front and back matter of the journal, using the existing template. ● Develops a style guide for the journal.

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● Develops a guide to using InDesign that is specifically tailored for the Toyon staff, using the Toyon layout template.

● Typesets the copyedited manuscripts (received by the Acquisitions Editor) and generates the first proof. Ensures that all content is included and is well-formatted. Checks margins. Sets drop caps, etc.

Outreach Team: (for Fall and Spring Semesters)Marketing & Promotions Manager

● Provides leadership of the marketing and promotions team. Facilitates the team's break out meetings. Checks that delegated marketing tasks have been completed by staff members. Follows up with staff members as needed. Supports the marketing & promotions staff by filling in where needed.

● Oversees tabling efforts. ● Posts calls for submissions on general bulletin boards across campus (see

guidelines) and in the Residence Halls and Dining Services locations.● Maintains a full database of contact information for all groups, offices, sites,

etc. that should receive calls for submissions and advertisements about the journal’s release.

● Drafts "Impact Statements" that explain Toyon's importance and value. ● Writes a report on marketing and promotions best practices for literary

journals.

Literary Translator● Works with the multilingual division editor to generate a bi-/multilingual

advertisement tailored specifically to solicit multilingual submissions.● Works with the multilingual division editor to foster partnerships with, and

ensure that the call for submissions is advertised to, the Centers for Academic Excellence, International Programs, IELI, and the Department of World Languages and Cultures.

● Translates into Spanish and/or additional languages all communications sent out by the Toyon, including the website.

● (Optional) Translates select texts for multilingual publication, in consultation with their authors and division editor for the multilingual section.

Development & Fundraising Manager● Generates ideas for fundraising to present to the staff. ● In consultation with the faculty advisor, MarComm, the English department

and the alumni office, oversees the generation of a possible ongoing mailing list of sustaining supporters.

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● Maintains a growing database of the contact information for past and present donors and contributors to Toyon. This database can be developed in consultation with the archive editor.

● Composes a letter to advertise this year’s issue of the Toyon magazine and ask for support.

Archive Editor● In consultation with the HSU Special Collections Librarian (Carly Marino) in

the Humboldt Room, scans and indexes content from previous years’ issues of the Toyon. In consultation with the Development and Fundraising Manager, solicits contributor permissions to publish back issue content online. Digitizes authored content from Toyon that has necessary permissions.

● Designs online public exhibitions for the Literary Humboldt website of literary histories associated with HSU or the North Coast, with critical attention toward the ethics of representation. Examples of primary source collections to include: the Jodi Stutz collection, the Genzoli collection, the Morris Herman collection, authors and organizations profiled in the pamphlets collection, local authors' books (with "P" call numbers).

● Adds a "History" page to the "About" section of the Toyon website and profiles the histories of Toyon awards on this site as well.

● Keeps a research log in Google Drive for future archives editors.

Circulation Manager● Maintains a list of contact information for all local booksellers and libraries,

available to the Toyon staff.● Subscribes Toyon to local literary community members' newsletters,

including mailing lists for bookstores, etc. ● Gains permission to post advertisements at local bookstores and local

libraries about Toyon (calls for submissions, announcements of the new issue).

● Communicates with local bookstores and local branches of the public library to ask about including the Toyon in their inventories.

● Distributes copies of the Toyon to local bookstores and local libraries in the spring semester.

● Writes a report on best practices for building relationships with bookstores and subscribers. The report may include ideas for circulating back issues and a review of subscription management systems and book distributors.

Writers' & Artists' Communities Liaison● Updates the Toyon advertisement on Duotrope, Poets & Writers, and all other

literary journal databases.

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● Creates a list of awards for which Toyon is eligible, such as the AWP Director's Prize, including links to submission guidelines and contact information.

● Advertises the Toyon submission guidelines to online communities and writing forums.

● Acts as a liaison between the Toyon staff and the Clubs & Activities office. Acts as a liaison between the Toyon staff and the English Club, Humboldt County Writers, and other writers' groups on campus and in the local community, as well as zines and other publishing efforts on campus.

● Adds to the "Get Involved" sections of Toyon's companion website Literary Humboldt. Posts / updates on the Toyon website an index of local writing & artist groups/communities, with links to contact information and ways to get involved.

● Writes a report that identifies ways Toyon can partner with other literary journals to share resources or cross-promote. (For example: Establishing sample copy / current issue exchanges with other undergraduate literary journals to build up the library that is in FH205.)

Media Liaison● Posts PSAs to all local print news outlets in Humboldt County. ● Arranges for spots on local radio and TV. ● Maintains a list of contact information for arranging advertisement in local

print, radio, and television outlets. ● Generates stories for, and acts as liaison to Osprey, The Lumberjack, and El

Leñador. Maintains regular communication with these on-campus media outlets.

● Writes a report on best practices in writing public service announcements and press releases for media outlets.

Social Media Manager● Sends a quarterly email blast and keep the Friends of Toyon

subscription list updated.● Posts weekly updates to all social media platforms. In these posts,

highlight aspects of the Toyon website, advertise upcoming events, invite submissions to the next issue, update readers about the production schedule process, offer a bio of each staff member, etc.

● Provide suggestions about www.toyonliterarymagazine.org or www.literaryhumboldt.org website content. Checks that all links on the website are working. Develop new content for the website and promotes that content through social media.

● Serves as the Toyon photographer. Takes photos that document our work. Posts photos to the designated shared folder in Google Drive.

Events Coordinator

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● Inventories other literary events taking place in Humboldt County during the academic year; maintains an online literary calendar of local events.

● Circulates the submission guidelines on the College of the Redwoods campus and among College of the Redwoods faculty members.

● Creates a checklist, timeline, master plan, and emcee script for the release party. These documents identify tasks that need to be accomplished for the event and roles of each staff member, including who is bringing what to the event, who is speaking at the event, etc.

● Makes the room reservation for the party by December, coinciding with the ENGL461 class time. Designs the room set-up and ensures that A/V and accessibility considerations are accounted for.

● Identifies all aspects of planning for the release party event (e.g., budgeting, securing refreshments, creating the program, delegating set-up and take-down tasks, marketing and promoting the event, securing staff involvement, etc.).

● Designs the ad, poster, PSA, press release, and formal invitations for the release party event. These communications include information about time, place, date, location, accessibility, who can be reached about disability accommodations, and planned offerings at the event.

● Creates decorations, slideshows, playlists, programs, and other materials for the event.

● Develops alternative means of showcasing the contributors’ work (e.g., poster presentations, slideshows, campus showcase displays, etc.) at the event or around campus.

● Composes an inviting “guide to performing your work” and "what to expect at the release party" handout to give to contributors in advance of the party event.

3. Staff Member Blogs (Optional)One of the main skills this can be taken away from this class is learning how to manage and maintain your own personal website. Each staff member is to create their own blog at the start of the semester. Staff members can create their blogs using either of the following websites: Weebly, WordPress, Wix, or any additional website builder. Blog posts are due before each class and will be written according to the prompt that is in our syllabus. These blog posts also function as a professional portfolio that staff members can show future employers. It is very important to keep up with the posts. The blogs are worth 25% of the grade. This is where staff members will document their progress on their job descriptions. If staff members do not keep up with their posts, they may not pass the class. If members do not blog, it can be assumed that they are not keeping up with their responsibilities. Incomplete blogs can also reflect how future employers my view you. Complete blogs show that one can keep up with deadlines and stay dedicated to a project for a long period of time.

4. Production Schedule

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Throughout the semester, we will be working in a number of stages. Listed below is a short outline of our production schedule, along with topics that we will be covering during that specific period.

August-September: Submission Call● Advertising

○ Tabling/Chalking in the HSU quad○ Stamped Toyon Flyers posted on bulletin board locations

on campus○ Spreading word to clubs/classes○ Toyon Flyers located throughout

Arcata/Eureka/MCV/Fortuna○ Advertising on Social Media pages: Instagram, Facebook,

Twitter October: Evaluating Submissions and Copyediting

● Criteria for Evaluating Submissions○ Considerations for the Selection Process○ Evaluating Art submissions○ Discussing Copyright and Copyediting○ Submission review and Evaluations- All members of

Toyon serve as a reader for at least one genre of work.■ Submission Evaluations due October 19th■ Finalized Table of Contents due October 31st

November: Typesetting and Proofing● Begin Proof● Reviewing Proof● Begin discussion of Printing and Production● Sending Proofs to Contributors ● Finalizing Proof- November 30th

December: Printing● Research Project Presentations ● Finalizing individual Portfolios ● Sending Finalized Toyon issue to Marcom for Printing● Notification Letters for all submission go out- December 12th

5. Research ProjectAt the end of the semester, it is recommended that each staff member present a research project. Research projects are to be focused on a particular aspect of literary publishing. The goal of these projects is to contribute additional information about publishing to current and future staff members of Toyon. Suggested research projects for individual leadership roles can be found from the list below. Staff members can present their findings is any format. Members of the staff can create a PowerPoint, Prezi, a page on the Toyon website, or a report that is saved in our Google Drive. Research projects should be thoroughly researched, thoughtful, and presented in a way that is useful/helpful to your audience.

Suggested Research Projects:

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Managing Editor-RESEARCH PROJECT: Writes and presents for the Toyon staff a report on ways that Toyon can grow or develop in new directions. (Or another topic of interest that is relevant to the role.)

Assistant Managing Editor-RESEARCH PROJECT: Writes and presents for the Toyon staff a report on how other literary journals manage special theme issues. (Or another topic of interest that is relevant to the role.)

Marketing & Promotions Manager-

RESEARCH PROJECT: Writes and presents for the Toyon staff a report on marketing and promotions best practices for Toyon. (Or another topic of interest that is relevant to the role.)

Literary Translator-

RESEARCH PROJECT: Writes and presents for the Toyon staff a guide to the art of literary translation (or another topic relevant to the role).

Development & Fundraising Manager-

RESEARCH PROJECT: Writes and presents for the Toyon staff a report on examples of other literary journals’ and local publications’ fundraising models. (Or another topic of interest that is relevant to the role.)

Archive Editor-

RESEARCH PROJECT: Writes and presents for the Toyon staff a report on how other literary journals circulate their back issues and/or how other literary journals narrate their histories. (Or another topic of interest that is relevant to the role.)

Circulation Manager-

RESEARCH PROJECT: Writes and presents for the Toyon staff a report on best practices for building relationships with bookstores and subscribers. The report may include ideas for circulating back issues and a review of subscription management systems and book distributors. (Or another topic of interest that is relevant to the role.)

Writers' & Artists' Communities Liaison-

RESEARCH PROJECT: Writes and presents for the Toyon staff an internal report that identifies ways Toyon can partner with other literary journals to share resources or cross-promote. (Or another topic of interest that is relevant to the role.)

Print and Media Liasion-

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RESEARCH PROJECT: Writes and presents for the Toyon staff a report on best practices in writing public service announcements and press releases for media outlets. (Or another topic of interest that is relevant to the role.)

Social Media Manager-

RESEARCH PROJECT: Writes and presents for the Toyon staff a report on other literary journals’ uses of social media. (Or another topic of interest that is relevant to the role.)

Events Coordinators-

RESEARCH PROJECT: Composes an inviting “guide to performing your work” for contributors who may wish to present their work at the release party. (Or another topic of interest that is relevant to the role.)

Acquisitions Editor & Copyeditor-

RESEARCH PROJECT: Writes and presents for the Toyon staff a guide to the copyediting and/or proofreading process, tailored for staff members or contributors. (Or another topic of interest that is relevant to the role.)

Division Editor, Poetry-

RESEARCH PROJECT: Writes and presents for the Toyon staff an annotated bibliography of readings in poetry. (Or another topic of interest that is relevant to the role.)

Division Editor, Fiction-RESEARCH PROJECT: Writes and presents for the Toyon staff an annotated bibliography of readings in fiction and playwriting/screenwriting. (Or another topic of interest that is relevant to the role.)

Division Editor, Creative Nonfiction-

RESEARCH PROJECT: Writes and presents for the Toyon staff an annotated bibliography of readings in creative nonfiction. (Or another topic of interest that is relevant to the role.)

Division Editor, Multilingual-

RESEARCH PROJECT: Writes and presents for the Toyon staff an inventory of multilingual publications and translation publications. (Or another topic of interest that is relevant to the role.)

Division Editor, Environmental Justice-RESEARCH PROJECT: Writes and presents for the Toyon staff a report on how other publications support place-based and environmental writing. (Or another topic of interest that is relevant to the role.)

Division Editor, Literary Criticism-

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RESEARCH PROJECT: Writes and presents for the Toyon staff a report on how other literary journals incorporate literary criticism and book reviews into their online and print content. (Or another topic of interest that is relevant to the role.)

Division Editor, Spoken Word and Audio Texts-

RESEARCH PROJECT: Writes and presents for the Toyon staff a report on how other literary journals manage audio and video content. (Or another topic of interest that is relevant to the role.)

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Handbook Written by Kelley Ellion, Managing Editor, 2017-18

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The Importance of Staff Handbooks and What I Have Learned:

When we first discussed the idea of a research project and that its aim was to be a piece of work that would be used to help educate current and future staff members of Toyon, I knew I want to create a document that would be useful to future staff members. When I first talked to Janelle about the project, she mentioned the idea of a staff handbook and when she explained to me what the document could be, I wanted to make this idea come to life. When I first began to plan how I would put this handbook together, I knew I needed to do some research on staff handbooks. I needed to know what was inside of a staff handbook and what it was used for. I began my research by simply doing a Google search. In result, I got a simple definition stating that staff handbooks (also known as employee handbooks), were a booklet given to employees by an employer that typically had information regarding company policies and procedures. Toyon is not a company, it is a class and a publication. I knew that our staff handbook would not be the same compared to what companies used, but I still observed what they had within their books to help me gather ideas for what I could include inside what I was creating. I discovered a great quote from inc.com where there was a quote stated from Paul Rowson: “The value [of a staff handbook] is that employees can understand what is expected of them and what they can expect from the company” (inc.com). This is the first quote that helped me understand that having a staff handbook for Toyon would be useful to help staff members realize early on in the semester what our process will be like in the semester, and what will be expected from them. The article I discovered on inc.com helped me gather an idea of how I wanted the handbook to be structured. Firstly, I wanted a brief history of our magazine (Company history). Secondly, I wanted to include the goals for staff members to take away from our class, which they could use in future employee opportunities (benefits). Thirdly, I wanted to include specifications that could be accessed to find certain information: summary of job roles, staff role descriptions, and summary of work expected outside of class (blogs and final research projects) (job policies). Due to the fact that Toyon is a class and not a paying job, I could not include sections that covered pay and time off. Taking time off from class would put our work behind schedule and is not favored in our particular situation.I am really happy with how this handbook turned out. I have learned how to put this kind of document together and that I can use this as a tool to make documents similar to this one together in the future. This handbook took a lot of time to put together. I went through a lot of thought process and elimination to come up with this final product. I can now be confident that I can complete long-term projects. I know that this document will be useful to future members of Toyon. I hope it will be put to good use.

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Bibliography: "Employee Handbook." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2016. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employee_handbook>.Staff, Inc. "What to Include In an Employee Handbook." Inc.com. N.p., 28 June 2010. Web. 28 Nov. 2016. <http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/06/what-to-include-in-employee-handbook.html>.www.toyonliterarymagazine.org