Considerations of High School Students Pursuing the Creative Arts

by Derek Andrews, Erin Graham, Annie Matta, Kathy Page, The George Washington University

Abstract

Many high school students express interest in pursuing the creative arts. This paper focuses on the features, codes of ethics, career development standards, career assessments, labor market information, career guidance software and resources, and specific activities and resources available for high school students pursing the creative arts in a structured career counseling program. The ultimate goals are to prevent the potential waste of talents and possible future regrets at not pursuing dreams.

Considerations of High School Students Pursuing the Creative Arts

Wikipedia defines the term creative arts as ”the term used to describe multi-disciplinary forms of creative expression”. For this paper we have divided the creative arts into four categories: the performance arts, the visual arts, the musical arts, and creative writing. This paper focuses on the unique features, codes of ethics, career development standards, career assessments, labor market information, career guidance software and resources of each area, and on specific activities and resources we could use with high school students pursing the creative arts in a structured career counseling program. We have chosen this topic because in our experience, high school students are often discouraged from pursuing the creative arts and therefore talents are potentially wasted. We would like to help high school students pursue the creative arts in a realistic and positive manner, so as to prevent this potential waste of talent and any future or regret at not pursuing dreams. Following the National Career Development Association’s Code of Ethics, as school counselors we must keep our students’ best interests in mind when engaging in career counseling, and we must demonstrate respect for their freedom to make their own choices, as well as be equally fair to all students in regards to allocating time and resources. Confidentiality and a safe environment, as well as religious, cultural, and political views of our students should be valued. Both students and counselors have responsibilities when working together in the counseling process; it should be made clear to the student that we are assisting them in a search that will ultimately lead them to make their own informed decision.

The performance arts

Performance art is considered a “nontraditional art form often with political or topical themes that typically features a live presentation drawing on such arts as acting, poetry, music, dance, or painting” (Webster, 2009).Several occupations within this category include dancer, choreographer, actor, producer, director, and comedian. This field does not contain a specific code of ethics, however within particular performance art associations members are required to follow the organizations ethical standards. Due to the wide spectrum of careers under the umbrella of performance art, career development standards and assessments range.

Jobs in the performance art endure periods of unemployment and intense competition. Professional dancers and choreographers held an estimated 40,000 jobs in 2006 (U.S. Bureau of Labor). Training varies with the type of dance and is a continuous part of all dancers’ careers. Employment is expected to grow 6 percent during the 2006-16 decade, slower than the national average for all occupations. In 2006, the median hourly earnings of dancers were $9.55 and the median annual earnings of salaried choreographers were $34,660 (U.S. Bureau of Labor). In 2006, actors, producers, and directors held about 163,000 jobs, primarily in motion picture and video, performing arts, and broadcast industries (U.S. Bureau of Labor). Formal training through a university or acting conservatory is typical. Employment in these occupations is expected to grow at an average rate of 11 percent during the 2006-16 decade. Median hourly earnings of actors were $11.61 in 2006. Median annual earnings of salaried producers and directors were $56,310 in 2006 (U.S. Bureau of Labor). Due to competition, erratic earnings, and periods of unemployment students should be conscientious of additional work opportunities within the performance art field. A school counselor could provide high school students with assignments to explore a multitude of careers in performance arts. The Myers-Briggs personality test provides high school students with a greater understanding of their strengths and how their personality type corresponds with a career. For example, (SP) personality types are considered to have a natural ability to excel in any of the arts. Based on personality type the website suggests specific careers and provides links to educational resources.

The Vocational Information Center website lists numerous jobs related to performing arts and provides job descriptions, information about daily activities, skill requirements, salary and training required. Students could check for jobs, internships, and colleges by using the Career Management Job Surfer website, Kennedy Center website, and A2Z Colleges website. Students could research available resources for artists at the New York foundation for the arts and the National Endowment for the Arts websites. The Actors Resource website provides career advice and helps promising actors to manage resumes. By visiting performance art association’s websites such as APAP and NAPAMA, students can better understand the organization, promotion, advancement, and professional development.

School counselors could provide a creative assignment for students to enhance self awareness by responding to a performance art piece verbally and non-verbally. Students would select a performance art piece renowned throughout history using research tools at the Digital Library website.

Next, they would explore inspirations for their particular choice and describe how this performance could relate to their career in the field. This response could be in writing and in the students preferred modality of art, poetry, song, or movement.

The visual arts

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Visual Arts can be separated into four general categories; art directors, craft artists, fine artists, and multi-media artists. Formal training is not necessarily required, but it is very difficult to make a living without it. Many colleges and universities offer art degree programs that include core subjects such as English, mathematics, and the social and natural sciences. For example, a person who is interested in illustrating medical books and journals would be well prepared by taking pre-med classes, and a curator will be prepared by studying art history, sociology and/or anthropology. Artists who plan to operate their own business or freelance need business skills as well as talent. Business plans, bids, contracts, financial records, knowledge of licensing, copyrighting and pricing are among the skills needed to be successful. Bureau of Labor statistics project a 23% increase in curator positions, craft artist jobs 8%, fine arts 10%, and multi-media art positions at a 26% increase from 2006 to 2016. Fashion designers and photographers face a very competitive workforce and most are self-employed.

The career counselor can direct the student to a number of web-related assessment tools such as, O*Net Ability Profiler, Super’s Work Values Inventory, as well as administer Holland’s Self-Directed Search, Form R, and the Myer-Briggs Type Indicator. Other web sites that may be helpful are About.com Art History, National Gallery of Art – Internships, ArtSchools.com, FabJob.com, Art in Public Places, Percent for the Arts, and Get Photography Jobs. These sites list skills and requirements needed for particular jobs while some also offer critical advice on portfolio presentation and interview skills. The National Gallery of Art offers internship positions in studio workshops, participation in ongoing projects, as well as outreach programs in the DC public schools. The Corcoran Gallery of art offers academic year as well as summer internships, which include public relations, marketing, finance and administration. Students should be encouraged to volunteer at various art galleries and become active in their community arts center. Teaching art in summer camps and volunteering, as guides in local museums will enhance their opportunities and establish connections within the art world. Shadowing artists at work may help a student decide if their interests in this area are sincere.

The above resources and activities are only a few of what exist, but it can be a start in the right direction for a student who has little knowledge of the complexities of finding the right fit.

The musical arts

When you visit the website of The Berklee College of Music, two things are apparent – their mission and their philosophy. The mission of Berklee College of Music is to educate, train, and develop students to excel in music as a career. The philosophy at Berklee is to give students the practical and professional skills for successful, sustainable music careers. Through their mission and philosophy Berklee has been able to become the world’s singular learning lab for the music of today - and tomorrow. Ethical values are taken seriously in the musical arts. Everyone from music teachers, composer to performers are expected to exhibit high standards of professionalism and integrity. For the musical arts portion of this project, my aim is to show how a high school counselor could help students who were interested in careers in the musical arts to achieve their goals.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics website provides valuable insights into how a college degree can positively impact a musician’s ability to earn a living. A college degree allows a musician to teach a music classes while working on other aspects of the musical arts profession, like performing. Musicians typically perform at night or on weekends, so flexibility is crucial.

Salaries for musicians in 2006 varied in hourly wages from $7.33 to $58.46.

The American Federation of Musicians website points out many wonderful suggestions that if implemented creatively would lead most aspiring musicians towards a sustainable music career. Suggestions like moving to a bigger town or working on a cruise ship are some necessary things most musicians will have to consider in order to jump start their careers.

High school counselors can point out all of these recommended steps to students who aspire to become musicians. Counselors can assist students with devising a game plan that may include everything from joining the school band to interning with the nearest symphony hall while in high school. Then they can strategize about ways to get private lessons, attend elite music summer camps (Interlochen) and apply to prestigious colleges with great music programs (Berklee, Oberlin). Counselors can also provide students with activities that will help to illuminate the path ahead to a successful musical arts career. For example, a counselor could lead a group of students who all aspire to become musicians in activities that help them to plan all of the necessary steps towards becoming professional musicians. A planning activity would task each student to write a plan listing all of the things that they have to participate in while in high school. The plan would include such things as playing in the school band, taking music classes for preferred instruments and seeking out internships from local musicians or music programs. Then the counselor would have them do a college planning activity where the students researched colleges with exceptional musical arts programs. The counselor would also discuss alternate plans with each student, everything from what minor they would choose to compliment their music major. Also, the counselor would also discuss some fall back careers in case their dreams of becoming professional musicians don’t pan out. This would be a great opportunity for the counselor to suggest related occupations that the students might not have considered. The counselor would point out professions like musical instrument repairer, music director, composer, producer or music teacher.

We can’t forget students who may have a learning or emotional disability. Opportunities are also available for these students in the musical arts. We have to provide adequate counseling and resources to acquire the appropriate accommodations for these students so that they are able to take advantage of these opportunities.

Creative writing

Webster’s New Millennium™ Dictionary of English defines creative writing as “the exercise of creating imaginative drama, fiction, or poetry, esp. as a course of study”. Job titles include poet, novelist, short story writer, playwright, and TV/film script writer. There is no specific code of ethics for creative writers, perhaps due to freedom of speech and expression rights. Both career development standards and assessments appear to vary widely from school to school and from publisher to publisher; this is likely due to the subjective nature of the work. The U.S. Bureau of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics website informs that writers need a related college degree as well as web or multimedia experience. As writing is a competitive field, local newspapers, magazines, radio, and television stations all are good places to gain writing experience. In 2006, over 33% of the c. 135,000 salaried writers in the U.S. worked in the information sector. Over 33% of writers were self-employed. Employment is expected to grow at the average rate through to 2016, with salaried positions increasing with the demand for web-based publications. In 2006, median annual earnings for salaried writers were $48,640.

The America’s Career InfoNet website lists the training, knowledge, skills, and abilities required to become a successful writer, as well as typical tasks and work activities. High schools can provide budding creative writers with the Kuder Career Planning System to help create career plans, starting from current course selection to college planning and beyond, based on self-assessment. The Strong Interest Inventory® by CCP can also be used to help these students to assess how these interests and personal work styles might manifest themselves across a wide variety of related career options utilizing creative writing.

As high school counselors we might task students interested in creative writing to gain experience writing for the school newspaper and/or literary magazine. If students live in the metropolitan DC area, we might also guide them to the workshops listed on the Writers’ Center website. Another useful exercise would be for students to interview both potential employers and successful creative writers regarding creating the best resumes and writing portfolios, standing out, and in which locations, sectors, and establishments jobs are most prevalent. In these interviews, students can offer their services as interns, apprentices, and volunteers. We might suggest that students go online and look up resources and opportunities offered by various specialist writing associations and networks such as the National Association of Science Writers, the American Screenwriters Association, the Scriptwriters Network, the Writers-Network, the Poetry Foundation, and the many others. For further writing experience, we might suggest students look up and enter some of the seemingly endless number of writing competitions listed on the internet, as well as attend one or more of the numerous summer creative writing enrichment programs offered around the metropolitan DC area.

For college selection purposes, students can be encouraged to browse the creative writing major web page of the College Board website to help identify appropriate colleges, as well as courses to take while still in high school.Students can also identify suitable scholarships based on creative writing through the FastWeb website.

With these resources and activities we can begin to help high school students to achieve their dreams of becoming successful creative writers.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we have identified career-specific and/or career-encompassing resources and information on the features, codes of ethics, career development standards, career assessments, labor market information, career guidance software and resources, and specific activities and resources we could use with high school students pursing the creative arts in a structured career counseling program. Our hopes are that by helping high school students to realistically pursue creative careers, we are making sure that talents are not wasted and that they will never regret not having pursued their dreams.

Resource Guide/References

A2Zcolleges.com (2009). Retrieved online February 28, 2009 fromhttp://www.a2zcolleges.com/arts/Drama/An internet resource designed to provide the highest quality services to students and campus communities globally. This website contains comprehensive information, listings, links, and rankings of educational institutions all over the world. This link includes colleges with theater, stage, arts/drama, acting, performance arts programs.

About.com Art History. (2009). Retrieved online February 27, 2009 from http://arthistory.about.com/od/jobs_events_networking/l/bl_ahjintern.htm This page contains career opportunities that come to the site via employer email, job search sites, bulletin boards and subscription lists. Job openings, Fellowships and internships, stipends and grant competitions are updated each weekend. The most recent entries are at the top of the page.

Actor’s Resource: Backstage. (2008). Retrieved online February 28, 2009 from http://www.backstage.com/bso/index.jsp This website connects actors to job openings, career advice, news, reviews and a community of actors. Tools are available that manage resumes, headshots, and reels.

America’s Career InfoNet. (2009). Retrieved online February 22, 2009 from http://www.acinet.org/acinet/ Provides information on specific careers including on salaries, education, effective ways to search for jobs, what to put on a resume, how to conduct successful job interviews, employment resources, employment trends, and state labor market information. Includes interactive tools such as locators for career-specific educational and training institutions, scholarships and financial aid, and employers. Offers occupational profiles by state, comparing state wage and trend statistics to national statistics.

American Federation of Musicians (2009). Retrieved online February 23, 2009 from http://www.afm.org/ The largest organization in the world representing the interests of professional musicians. Whether negotiating fair agreements, protecting ownership of recorded music, securing benefits such as health care and pension, or lobbying our legislators, the AFM is committed to raising industry standards and placing the professional musician in the foreground of the cultural landscape.

American Screenwriters Association. (2009). Retrieved online February 22, 2009 from http://www.goasa.com/ Connects film, new media, and television screenwriters with the skills, services, information, and people they need to develop their craft and sell their work. Resources include script critiques, online workshops, screenwriting seminars, recommended college programs including scholarship information, information on how to become a screenwriter, job postings, and details of writing groups across the nation.

Art Schools.com – Preparing Your Portfolio for College Admissions. (2009). Retrieved online February 26, 2009 from http://www.artschools.com/article/portfolio/ An article detailing step-by-step creation of portfolios, this explains that portfolio expectations differ from school to school, employer to employer. Certain schools accept only slides, while others want actual artwork. They advise timelines and presentation strategies.

Association of Performing Arts Presenters. (2009). Retrieved online February 28, 2009 from http://www.artspresenters.org/ The APAP is a membership organization, dedicated to bringing performing artists and audiences together in every place and way imaginable. The Association achieves its goal by providing visionary thinking, professional development, resource sharing, and advocacy, in support of its members and all those who create and disseminate the performing arts.

Berklee College of Music. (2009) Retrieved online February 23, 2009 from http://www.berklee.edu/ Berklee College of Music was founded on the revolutionary principle that the best way to prepare students for careers in music is through the study and practice of contemporary music. For more than half a century, the college has evolved to reflect the state of the art of music and the music business. With more than a dozen performance and nonperformance majors, a diverse and talented student body representing more than 70 countries, and a music industry "who's who" of alumni, Berklee is the world's premier learning lab for the music of today—and tomorrow.

Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Handbook, 2008-2009 Edition. Retrieved online February27, 2009 from http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos092.htm Describes the nature of work for artists and related workers. Work environments, training and other qualifications as well as job outlook, projection data and earnings are listed. This site also provides links to accredited art schools, college level programs and workshops.

Career Management’s Job Surfer. (2009). Retrieved online February 28, 2009 from http://www.cmi-lmi.com/jobsurfer/aejobsurfer.html This website provides a list of career finder websites in the arts, entertainment, media, and design.

CCP’s The Strong Interest Inventory®. (2009). Retrieved online February 22, 2009 from http://www.cpp.com/products/strong/index.asp Provides interest assessment and personal preferred work style assessment tools for high school–age students to adults, with the goal of identifying and expanding career options. Comprehensive coverage of current trends and changes in the worlds of work and education. Highly reputable, backed-by- research, and utilized globally.

College Board’s Major: Creative writing web page. (2009). Retrieved online on February 22, 2009 from http://www.collegeboard.com/csearch/majors_careers/profiles/majors/23.0501.html Provides a checklist a high school student might use to select the most suitable creative writing programs offered at different colleges. Outlines typical course titles, assignments and requirements for students majoring in creative writing. Provides links to pages with related majors and careers. Recommends specific high school courses high school students may find helpful when applying to college for a creative writing major. Provides a realistic viewpoint of how to make money as a creative writer and articulates necessary skill-sets.

Corcoran. Internships. Get Your Feet Wet (2009). Retrieved online February 26, 2009 from http://www.corcoran.org/education/internship.htm The Corcoran Gallery of Art offers internships for graduate and undergraduate students. Based on a program of supervised learning, Corcoran internships provide students with an opportunity to learn about museum operations and to pursue academic and professional goals.

Creative arts. (n.d.) Wikipedia.org. (2005). Retrieved February 22 2009 from http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Creative+Arts Provides a definition of creative arts.

Creative writing. (n.d.). Webster's New Millennium™ Dictionary of English, Preview Edition (v 0.9.7) . Retrieved February 21, 2009, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/creativewriting Provides a definition of creative writing.

Digital Librarian. (2009). Retrieved online February 28, 2009 from http://www.digital-librarian.com/performing.html This website is maintained by a librarian that includes links to information about the performance arts including: performances, industries, associations, collections, theaters, companies, and festivals throughout history.

FabJob.com. Become an Art Curator. (2009). Retrieved online February 26, 2009 from http://www.fabjob.com/ArtCurator1.asp This site offers information about what is involved in an art curator position. A book is recommended for purchase and focuses on rewarding jobs working at home through the internet.

FastWeb.(2009). Retrieved online February 22, 2009 from http://www.fastweb.com/ A highly utilized, internet-based scholarship search service for college-bound students. Generates a personalized list of information on suitable scholarships, colleges, internships, and jobs, based on answers from detailed personal questionnaires.

HumanMetrics. (2008). Retrieved online February 28, 2009 from http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes1.htm Provides a test based on Carl Jung and Isabel Myers-Briggs typological approach to personality. The results describe personality type and preferences. There is a list of occupations and educational institutions to get relevant education or training most suitable for personality type.

Interlochen Center for the Arts (2009). Retrieved online February 24, 2009 from http://www.interlochen.org/ Arts lovers, lifelong learners and the world's most talented and motivated young people are drawn to Interlochen from all over the country and all over the world to celebrate and create excellence in creative writing, dance, motion picture arts, music, theatre, visual arts and academics.

John F. Kennedy Center for the performing arts (2009). Retrieved online February 28, 2009 http://www.kennedy-center.org/jobs/ This webpage lists employment and internship opportunities.

Keirsey. (2009). Retrieved online February 28, 2009 from http://keirsey.com/handler.aspx?s=keirsey&f=fourtemps&tab=3&c=champion Based on Myers-Briggs personality types, Dr. David Keirsey divided personality into four basic temperaments: the artisan, the guardian, the rational, and the idealist. Temperament is a configuration of observable personality traits, such as habits of communication, patterns of action, and sets of characteristic attitudes, values, and talents. It also encompasses personal needs, the kinds of contributions that individuals make in the workplace, and the roles they play in society.

Kuder, Inc. (2009). Retrieved online February 22, 2009 from http://www.kuder.com/ Provides a number of Internet-based tools and resources for students and adults aimed towards assisting them with achieving educational and career planning goals. The Kuder Career Planning System is a customizable, global, and Internet-based tool created to help individuals to identify interests, explore options, and plan for career success.

Levine School of Music (2009). Retrieved online February 24, 2009 from http://www.levineschool.org/ Levine School of Music serves as a vital community resource by embracing two principles that are central to its mission: excellence and accessibility. One of the nation’s largest nonprofit community music schools, it offers music education to students of every age, ability and background. To maintain the School’s commitment to accessibility, Levine offers an extensive scholarship and outreach program that this year will provide more than 700 children with free music instruction at a cost to the School of $700,000.

Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts. (2009). Retrieved online February 28, 2009 from http://www.lipa.ac.uk/standard/index.htm LIPA is dedicated to providing the best teaching and learning for people who want to pursue a lasting career in the arts and entertainment economy. LIPA provides education and training through a variety of styles of courses aimed at different age groups.

National Association of Science Writers. (2009). Retrieved online February 22, 2009 from http://www.nasw.org/

National Career Development Association’s Code of Ethics. (2007). Retrieved online March 1, 2009 from http://associationdatabase.com/aws/NCDA/asset_manager/get_file/3395/code_of_ethicsmay-2007.pdf career software. (PDF 53KB) Lists general standards of practice as well as those around counseling relationships, measurement and evaluation, research, publication, consulting, and private practice. Also includes procedures for processing ethical complaints.

National Endowment for the Arts. (2009). Retrieved online February 28, 2009 from http://www.arts.gov/index.html The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Endowment is the nation's largest annual funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases.

National Gallery of Art Internships: Eleven Month Internships 2009-2010 (2009). Retrieved online February 26, 2009 from http://www.nga.gov/education/interned.shtm This National Gallery page describes projects under the headings of Curatorial, Education, Film Programs, and Publications. Considerations for eligibility are covered and terms are given. Application timelines and procedures are listed.

New York Foundation for the Arts. (2009). Retrieved online February 28, 2009 from http://www.nyfa.org/login.asp?id=8 NYFA's mission is to empower artists at critical stages in their creative lives. NYFA is the largest provider of grants, services, and information to artists working in all disciplines in the United States.

North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents. (2009). Retrieved online February 28, 2009 from http://www.napama.org/about.php?m=about NAPAMA is a “not-for-profit association dedicated to promoting the professionalism of its members and the vitality of the performing arts. NAPAMA promotes the mutual advancement and the best interests of performing arts managers and agents; promotes open discourse among members and with the larger field; gives active consideration and expression of opinion on questions affecting the industry; disseminates and exchanges information through forums, meetings, publications, workshops, electronic media and new technologies; develops and encourages ethical and sound business practices. In all ways, NAPAMA acts as a resource for its members and creates an environment of regional, national and international alliances on behalf of the vitality of the performing arts”.

O*NET Online. Skills Search (2009) Retrieved February 26, 2009 from http://online.onetcenter.org/skills/ A checklist of basic skills meant to narrow areas down before more details are searched

Poetry Foundation. (2009). Retrieved online February 22, 2009 from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/ A non-profit, independent literary organization. Aspires “to raise poetry to a more visible and influential position in American culture”. Attempts to develop new audiences for poetry. Publisher of Poetry magazine. Provides information on current poets and posts their work, links to sites that publish poetry, links to other related literary organizations, submission information for Poetry, and details on events.

Scriptwriters Network. (2009). Retrieved online February 22, 2009 from http://www.scriptwritersnetwork.org/swn/ A non-profit organization created by writers for writers, provides information regarding the realities of the scriptwriting business, as well as providing access to the best contacts and opportunities. Members range from successful scriptwriters hoping to help others achieve success to students interested in pursuing scriptwriting. Resources include scriptwriting tips and templates, details on a Scriptwriters Network sponsored fellowship award for high school students, details on a professional competition, contact details of national writers groups, and details of events.

U.S. Bureau of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2009). Retrieved online February 21, 2009 http://www.bls.gov/ Provides facts, analyses, and statistics in the field of labor economics in the U.S to the public. Includes accurate, unbiased, and up-to-date information relevant to current social and economic issues. Reports include statistics on prices, employment (and unemployment) statistics, statistics on compensation and working conditions, and productivity statistics. Publications include: Occupational Outlook Handbook , Monthly Labor Review, Compensation and Working Conditions, Occupational Outlook Quarterly, Career Guide to Industries, Issues in Labor Statistics, and various news releases about the economy.

Vocational Information Center. (2009). Retrieved online February 28, 2009 from http://www.khake.com/page48.html This website explores careers in performing arts providing job descriptions and information about daily activities, skill requirements, salary and training required.

VSA. (2009). Retrieved online February 28, 2009 from http://www.vsarts.org/x11.xml VSA stands for a vision of an inclusive community, strength through shared resources, and artistic expression that unites all arts. VSA is an international, nonprofit organization founded in 1974 by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith to create a society where all people with disabilities learn through, participate in and enjoy the arts.

Writer’s Center. (2009). Retrieved online February 22, 2009 from https://www.writer.org/index.asp A non-profit organization offering a 100s of writing workshops annually throughout the greater metropolitan DC area. Workshops are all taught by published authors. Created for members to serve as a support network in writing, marketing, and publishing creative work. Also hosts literary events, readings and conferences, and sells books and literary magazines.

Writers-Network. (2009). Retrieved online February 22, 2009 from http://writers-network.com/ An online writing site for writers and poets of all levels to place their work, get critiqued, and read and critique the work of others. Resources include details of writing contests and challenges.