Frequently Asked Questions about Lit Mag

What exactly is the Literary Magazine?

Our award-winning publication is one of three at NCHS – in addition to the newspaper and the yearbook.  We are a collection of the year’s best student and staff writing and artwork; we publish poems, short stories, essays, plays, photos, drawings, paintings and mixed media/digital art.  The full-color 40+ page magazine is one we develop and design throughout the fall and spring and publish in May.

What is my commitment as a student on staff?

Lit Mag staff will meet maybe twice per month in the fall to judge contest entries and conduct idea sessions with other staff.  In the second semester, we meet more often to judge the incoming submissions and design the layout of the actual magazine.  March and April are our busiest months.  Because I (Mr. Hayward, the advisor) am in the library, I can be available anytime if you have a question or cannot attend a full gathering.  You agree to give supportive input and stay in communication with others throughout the process – thanks!

What skills are necessary?

Willing participation is the only skill we ask for; the rest can be trained.  However, a critical eye for evaluating quality, appealing artwork or an editor’s detail to grammatically correct and engaging quality in a piece of writing are most welcome.  The second-semester time commitment is an important factor to consider.  Building a magazine does take time and effort, yet the results are amazing.

May I submit my own work to be published?

YES!  Staff are encouraged, yet not required, to submit their own pieces for consideration.  Because we conduct the selection process anonymously, no one will know whose work is whose until the final copy.

Anything else I should know?

    -We have our own e-mail: nchslitmag@stu.naperville203.org 

    - Students can subscribe to the Lit Mag for $9 in the main office

    - “The Icarian” has been our identity since the 1960s with subtitles now and then depending on the theme we see in a given year’s submissions.

-          We are open to new ideas all the time – get involved!