Product Proposal
The Product Proposal is a description of the product that I hoped to create. In as much detail as possible, it outlines my purpose, materials, the steps taken and the results I anticipate.
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I proposed that for my final product I would compile together a group of creative writing pieces that I would then submit to the Frisco High School Anthology, which is a collection of writing from FHS students put together by the Creative Literature Club.
Introduction and Statement of Purpose
Trying to decide what I would choose to pursue for my final product this year brought me to a crossroads. I had two ideas for the project I could pursue, and both with their own set of positives and negatives. My first idea, and the one I had planned on doing from the beginning of the school year, was to illustrate and publish the children’s book I’ve been working on. This would mean I would be focusing my work in ISM on drawing and publishing rather than writing, since I finished the manuscript last semester. The second idea is to create an anthology composed of creative writing from the students of Frisco High School that would be published on Amazon by the end of the year. This idea stemmed from my Creative Literature Club here at FHS, and is something I have already been working on with the help of my trusty club officers. With this option, the focus would be more on creative writing and giving back to the school. I would still publish my children’s book by the end of the school year if I chose this option, however, I would outsource the illustration and allow myself more time to promote the book into the summer months.
Both of these options were great, but after much deliberation, I decided to go with the anthology. I want my final product to reflect the hard work I have put into my years in ISM, but above all else, I want it to reflect creativity and a love for writing. Going with the anthology allows me to do what I am most passionate about- writing. If all I do is draw and do paperwork, I won’t be doing what I love. The anthology gives me creative freedom. Don’t fret; my research from the past semester isn’t lost- I’ll be using my knowledge of self-publishing to publish the anthology, as well as my marketing plan to set a calendar for my children’s book. Everything I do towards the anthology I have been prepared for thanks to my studies in ISM.
In summary: My final product this year in ISM will be to plan, promote, contribute to, and format a collection of creative writing pieces from students in Frisco High School to be published on Amazon and shown off in the FHS library.
Review of Skills and Research
There are many research topics and skills that have been instrumental to the creation of my product that I will need to dive deeper into in order to produce my best work. Publishing is one of these topics, and my original work proves truly how much research I have done on it. My specific research topic of self-publishing on Amazon will prove to be very beneficial to the publishing process of the anthology, and I have a large majority of the information I need to know about that topic. Revising and editing is a topic and skill that I have done a good amount of research on, and I am confident that I will be able to accomplish much with the knowledge I have on that topic; however, I feel like I need to be diligent in this subject and remind myself that there is never too much research I can do to improve my writing through revising and editing. Formatting will not take long, and the research I am going to do on that will mostly be primary, save the requirements on the Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing Site. Finally, I will need to utilize my writing skills along with all the research I’ve done (both primary and secondary) regarding the writing process and how to best translate the stories in my head onto paper.
Methodology
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Participants:
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Frisco High School Students
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Frisco High School Creative Literature Club
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Mentor
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Librarian
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Frisco Public Library
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Materials
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Google Docs
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Word
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Canva
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Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
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Description of Process and Procedures:
The Creative Literature Club at Frisco High School has already done the majority of planning for the anthology and discussed the timeline for promotion and submission. For this reason, I will be leaving out these sections of the process because it was a group effort. I don’t want to discredit the work done by the amazing club officers or plagiarize work that isn’t mine . The steps I am going to record on this proposal will include the tasks I will be doing on my own, so if it feels like I am picking up in the middle of the process, that’s why.
Write Contribution to the Anthology
As President of the Creative Literature Club, I set the expectation with my officers that each of us would write at least one short story, poem, or comic for the anthology. However, most of us will be submitting more than one piece, myself included. I plan to write two short stories, one poem, and a comic that takes up one page. I am also going to create an author page for myself, a bio for the Creative Literature Club, and a dedication page. This will not only expand the anthology, but add to my portfolio as well. If I finish these pieces with time to spare, I will most likely go through old writing I’ve done and edit it accordingly so that I can add it into the anthology. I need to have these done by the end of March.
Promote Anthology
I will be promoting the anthology through the Creative Literature Club social media, which I run, as well as by presenting the information about the anthology to my fellow classmates. To do this, I am going to ask my teachers ahead of time if I can have five minutes of class time to introduce my classmates to the anthology, and I will also be putting up posters about it in their classrooms if they allow me to. I am going to be doing this while writing my contribution to the anthology.
Accept Submissions
When the deadline has passed for submissions, I am going to look over all the submissions received and make sure that the grammar is correct and that it is school appropriate. I will be dividing some of these tasks to my officers, but I want to read every submission multiple times so that I know for sure I am not releasing a sub-par anthology as my legacy to the school.
Format
After editing the submissions, I’ll make sure that the book is formatted in the way that Amazon KDP requires. My Vice President, Ashley Yau, is an excellent graphic designer, so it is likely that I will delegate the task of making the book look professional to her.
Publish to Amazon KDP
I will then send the book to Amazon KDP to be published as both a physical book and an e-book. I’ll order a single copy at first to make sure that the book is formatted in the way it needs to be, and if there are no problems, I’ll promote it through social media, the school announcements, and in my classes.
Put in Frisco High School Library
In order to get a book approved for a spot in any Frisco ISD public school library, it needs to be positively reviewed by two publishing companies. Thankfully, my networking in ISM has prepared me to get these reviews, and I am confident that the book will be approved by FISD. Once it's in the library, the legacy of all the students who contributed will be crystalized for future FHS students to see!
Utilization of Higher-Level Thinking Skills
The higher-level thinking skills I’m going to be utilizing in the creation of this product include designing, constructing, and synthesizing. I will be designing a book that contributes to Frisco High School whilst growing the writing skills of various students as well as myself. I am going to be using various forms of writing, including short stories, poetry, and comics, to express my creativity. I will be constructing this anthology both literally and figuratively in the sense of formatting the book itself as well as the idea. Finally, I will be synthesizing the information I have learned so far this year in my primary and secondary research relating to publishing, social media, and writing. All of these research topics will combine to help me put this anthology out at the same time as the children’s book I plan to publish by the end of the year.
Conclusion
I anticipate that this product will shed light on the creativity of myself and others at Frisco High School while simultaneously giving kids who love to write a platform to showcase that love. This book will be an art gallery of sorts, but in place of paintings and sculptures, there will be stories. I want my product to benefit someone other than myself. With the anthology, I am able to benefit my peers by giving them a place in a published book and piece of FHS they can hold in their hands. It can go on their resumes and college applications to strengthen their chances of getting admitted into their dream school. It will strengthen their bond with fellow students when they read the writing of others in the school. Most importantly, it gives them a chance to do what they love. It even gives me the opportunity to take some time to go back to my roots and simply write. On top of that, I want to make sure that when I leave this school, there is a record of my contributions and time here. This anthology will give me and many others a physical copy of our legacy at school.