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English
357: Literary Editing and Publishing
Instructor:
Bryan Fry
Office:
Avery 371
Office
Hours: MWF
12:00-1:00 p.m.
Procedure for Handling Submissions Assignment
Assignment:
Every
journal has a
procedure that
helps editors keep track of submissions as well as establish positive
and
professional communication with their writers. Your goal in this
assignment is
to create a procedure for handling submissions in a timely manner.
Format: There is no format
for this
assignment, but you should choose a style that works best for your
editorial
group. You might create a checklist or an outline.
Group
Effort:
Typically one person
keeps track
of all submissions; however, the individual handling tasks are often
split up
among the group. As you create your handling procedure, you should also
consider who will complete each task.
Due Date: You
should include
your submission procedure somewhere in your long report, due on
December 12. You can also add materials (acceptance, rejection letters,
etc.) to your final presentation, if you wish.
Steps to include
in your procedure:
Limiting
the Flow: You
can limit the
amount of
submissions you read by using your submission guidelines to set up a
simple
editorial policy. You should consider genre, format, and space
limitations when
setting up your policy.
Keeping
Records and
Statistics: It
is always helpful to keep track
of submissions in a spreadsheet as well as record the number of
submissions you
receive within a given period. This will help prevent the editorial sin
of
losing a submission. You can also use your records as a marketing tool.
If you
only publish 2% of the submissions you receive, let your readers
know!!
Acknowledgement:
You
most likely
don’t have time
for this step, but some journals have a letter that acknowledges the
receipt of
a manuscript. This helps relieve the author’s mind and it could
prevent him or
her from “harassing” you. These letters are typically
short. Editors
acknowledge receipt of manuscript, ensure the writer that they will
read and
respond the submissions as soon as possible, and ask for patience as
submissions are typically read and discussed by several members of the
editorial
staff.
Assignment
and
Distribution: You should set a
standard policy
for each submission. I suggest that you distribute submissions in
batches of 3-5 and think about how many readers you want to
require per
batch.
Most
journals design a distribution form to accompany submissions. These
forms
contain simple categories (Yes, No, and Maybe) and include a place for
comments (example).
Editorial
meetings:
You should meet
regularly to
discuss submissions. At least consider how a submission might make it
up the
ranks.
Rejection
Letter: You
should create a
rejection
letter that is simple yet thoughtful (example).
Transmittal
of
Acceptance, pending
revision: You
may
wish to create a simple template for submissions you would accept with
simple
revision (example).
Acceptance
Letter:
Congratulate the
author; ask if
work is still available; request that the document be sent in a
particular
format; request a bio, a statement, and/or an answer to a standard
question
(example).
Copy
Edit with a
Style Sheet:
At some point you will want to
edit your submissions for style and correctness. It is best to have
several
editors “proof” submissions. Create a style sheet to
standardize format and
help correct common errors (style sheet: example 1; example 2).
Writer
Proofs:
Before publication,
you should
send a copy of the manuscript to the writer asking them to review the
final
draft.
Follow-up
(contributer email): Once your issue is
published you
should inform the writer. Mention that copies are limited but s/he will
receive
a copy in the spring of 2010. WSU students can pick up their copies in
Avery
371. All other students can pick up their copies from their creative
writing
professor (example of a contributer
"follow-up" email).
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