Choose an Internet-based publication to submit to. Many websites publish students' work, and they include blogs as well as more organized venues. These sites include KidPub, which also offers the chance to publish a printed book; KidsWWrite, a nonprofit that invites students age 16 and younger to submit stories and poems for possible publication in an online magazine; Fern's Poetry Club, a PBS-run application that accepts children's poetry for possible publication on their website; Writers' Window, a site for students 17 and under that attempts to publish all submitted work and accepts TV, book and movie reviews, as well as more traditional projects; and MidLink Magazine, a publication devoted to publishing the writings of students worldwide. Some of the sites are categorized by students' ages or the topic of the work, while others are based on a comparatively subjective application process.
Help the students prepare their work to submit to a website. Though some sites have looser rules than others, the students' writings may need to be edited for length, content and subject matter. Also double-check the copyright rules on the website and talk with the students about what copyright means for their works. Although most student-writing websites allow students to retain the rights to their work, some will claim the copyright once the works are published.
Help the students fill out all application materials and submit their work.
Sign up for a blog account and have the students help develop the name and design of the blog.
Enter the students' works, paired with illustrations they have drawn or photos that match up with the topic. The blog can be structured as a project in which each student gets a day to publish his works, or it can be more loosely organized by simply publishing works whenever they are completed.
Advertise the blog via the school newsletter or website to drive traffic to the site. Allow comments on the posts so students can get feedback on their writing, but be sure to turn on comment screening so any negative comments are not automatically posted to entries.
Choose periodicals and books to submit to based on the students' age group and interests. Many youth-directed publications often publish writing submitted to them by students. Write Source is a series of publications developed by teachers and writers that accepts student writing for use in educational writing materials. Young Writer is a magazine published three times a year that contains the work of students 18 and under. And Stone Soup magazine publishes stories and poems by students. Also, Scholastic hosts a yearly contest called "Kids are Authors" that allows student authors in kindergarten through 8th grade to submit their own books. Two fiction and two nonfiction books are chosen for publication.
Submit works to the publications, following the rules laid out by each one. Allow the students to fill out all application materials and take charge of preparing their submissions. The students may need to edit their writing for length, content and subject matter. They may also be required to submit illustrations or even portfolios of their writing to be considered.
Wait to hear back from the publishers. Some will send responses regardless, but others will only communicate with the author if they are interested in publishing her writing. Explain to the class that this may be the case.
Have the students write or type out their works, illustrating the writing with drawings or photos if they wish. Younger children may want to design the booklets by hand, while older students can use computer-design software.
Arrange each booklet in order, with the cover on top and a blank sheet of paper on the bottom. Affix a paper clip to each booklet so the pages don't get mixed up.
Take the booklets to an office-supply store or copy center and have the employees bind them. The booklets can either be bound individually or joined in one big book, with a section by each student.
Place the booklets on the bookshelf in the classroom and allow the students to survey their peers' work. If the booklets are bound individually, give them back to the authors at the end of the year as a keepsake.