Call for Proposals and Submissions

     
            Welcome to the "Call" page of CollegeWriting.info.  This site is new to the Web in this form and at this URL.  I already have had several excellent instructors of writing show interest in writing or co-writing chapters for this Web site, and I would like to encourage many more: for a variety of reasons, this site can and should be written collaboratively.   

            If you are interested, either you may write instructional chapters or sections for students, or you may write something for other instructors.  You do not have to know html or a Web authoring tool.  You may write and send your piece in MS Word, and if accepted, it will be integrated into the Web site.  Proposals are welcome from a wide spectrum of people: seasoned and beginning instructors and teaching assistants with really great ideas that have worked with students, instructors in non-English disciplines who teach communications skills, advanced/AP high school teachers of communication, professional writers, and undergraduate students who have taken (or are taking) a college composition course or its equivalent.  There is no pay, but your submission will be accessible to everyone on the Web, you will retain full copyright in case you ever want to publish it elsewhere, and you can point to it on your resume.  

            The best way to get started is to read the rest of this page and then explore the Web site.  You may explore using either the "Home Page" or the "Table of Contents."  Chapters marked "Open to Proposals" offer especially good opportunities for publishing your material.  In addition, if you have an essay for instructors that closely relates to one of the major sections, you can propose it as an addition to a section's "Theory and Pedagogy for Instructors" page (see the "Teaching" section for a complete list of essays on or linked to this Web, or see each individual section home page's "Theory" link).  You also may propose new additions--new ideas--to existing sections, or even additions or extensions of existing chapters (which, if accepted, would give you a coauthoring credit).  Additional sets of links also are helpful, as well as suggestions to link to your own related Web sites.  Sites that are listed as "under construction" usually are sites for which I already have some materials, but I am always open to coauthoring some of these sites.  Just email me and let me know your idea and the section(s) or chapter(s) to which you think it might apply.

            Here are additional details for submitting ideas and proposals.  The following types are especially encouraged: 

• NEW CHAPTERS: Suggest a new chapter that is similar in pattern to others in this Web site.  You may write the contents of the "Basics," "Advanced," and "Samples" sections (or offer Web links to "Samples"), and the rest will be done for you.  

• ESSAYS/ARTICLES ON THEORY:  Suggest something that ties in with a chapter or a major section and that instructors in their first several years of teaching may find interesting.  If you are an instructor, your essay should be grounded in some kind of theory or theoretical framework, but offer practical insights.  You do not need to reference a large number of sources; however, at least one or two are appropriate, and more are welcome.  See the "Theory Home" page for examples.  If you are a student, you may write solely from your own student experience; however, at least part of your essay should offer positive suggestions/recommendations.  

• NEW SAMPLES: In most cases, samples should be by students.  However, both instructors and students may submit samples.  If you think you have a sample that could be added to one of the "Samples" pages, please send it.  Each samples section needs at least one short, first-draft sample, at least one finished sample that is also a research paper, and at least two more of varying types and/or lengths.  Many chapters do not yet have four samples, and others could use better or more recent papers.  (An author of a sample may request that his or her name be given as "Anonymous," and such a request will be accepted.  However, she--or her instructor--will need to provide an email address and, if her sample is accepted, she also must sign and mail a sign stating she is the author and her sample is an original work ofhers.

• NEW PAGES: Suggest a new page, such as a "Links" page to a chapter or section, a new type of page to be attached to each section or to a group of chapters, et al.

• NEW PARTS OF CHAPTERS AND PAGES: Suggest new or added material to any chapter, page, or subsection of a page: e.g., additional exercises that work well for you; additional, important information for an "Advanced Methods" page, etc.  You will receive credit for your part of the page, either by separate note or, if your contribution is substantial, by naming you a coauthor of the page.

• NEW LINKS OR ACTIVITIES: Even if you have only one or two, suggest a link or activity (or other item) that can be added to the site.  You will receive credit as a contributor at the bottom of the page on which it appears.

PROPOSAL/SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Invited Manuscripts:

If your proposal/submission is an invited one--i.e., if I have invited you to submit a complete manuscript and we have talked about it--then you may simply submit the manuscript.  I may ask for some changes, usually minor, and after these changes have been made, I'll simply place your manuscript on this site with a copyright notice in your name attached.

All Other Ideas and Proposals:

1. You can simply start, if you wish, by suggesting your idea.  Write a brief paragraph describing what it is and where you see it fitting in.  

2. If you would like to make a more formal proposal (or if your suggestion is initially accepted and I ask for a formal proposal), start by suggesting a title and a one-sentence description.

3. Then suggest the place(s) on the site (exact locations and page, chapter, or section) where you think it would fit.

4. Then give me an estimated word count for the final submission.  

5. If you think it helpful, you may also provide a brief explanation of how/why your submission would complement that part of the site.

6. Then describe your idea briefly (50-500 words).

7. Send your proposal by email (preferably in the text of the email, not as an attachment) or by surface mail to Richard@Jewell.net, (612) 870-7024, 410 Groveland Ave., #401, Minneapolis, MN 55403.    

Sending an Entire Manuscript

8. SUBMISSION OF FULL PIECE: If your proposal is accepted, there is a good likelihood that your completed submission will be accepted, too.  You should submit the entire piece by email attachment (or by sending it on a disk or CD).  You may submit it by MSWord attachment, or by FrontPage or other html attachment.  (If your submission is very short--e.g.--a link suggestion--or is something you've already written, you may submit it as an attachment or in the text of an email without first submitting a proposal.)  As is typical with most academic submissions, you may be asked to revise your submission once or twice before final publication.  A request to revise in no way indicates poor quality: it is a common request in academic publishing, and even the most well respected authors in the field often are asked to revise in some way.  

9. COPYRIGHT: Once your submission is published to the Web site, you will retain all copyright and ownership, and a legal copyright notice (a copyright symbol, the year of publication, and your name) will be attached to your submission.  In addition, you may withdraw your published submission at any time you wish (e.g., for publication elsewhere in a copyrighted academic journal or essay collection).  If you do submit your work to an additional publisher, usually you are ethically obligated to inform him or her that your submission currently resides on this Web site.  Legally, you also will want to inform her that you retain full copyrighted ownership, and your submission can be withdrawn from this Web site at any time, if necessary.

QUESTIONS?  If you have any questions at all or wish to further discuss an idea you might have before making a proposal, please let me know.  I'm available at the addresses and phone number above, in "3." 

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Contents and Page Design © 2002-2004 by Richard Jewell.  Nonprofit copying for education is allowed. Images courtesy of Barry's Clip Art, Clip Art Warehouse, The Clip Art Universe, Clipart Collection, Microsoft Clip Art Gallery and Design Gallery Live, School Discovery, and Web Clip Art Most recent update: 1-8-04 Home page:  http://collegewriting.info   Contact the main editor by going to www.Richard.Jewell.net.  I welcome questions, suggestions, and notes about links.

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