How to write successfully for IATEFL Conference Selections Tania Pattison Conference Selections Editor IATEFL, Liverpool 2013

What is Conference Selections? IATEFL publication containing papers based on conference presentations: plenaries, signature events, individual talks. Refereed by Editorial Committee (3 members). Print publication, sent to 4000+ IATEFL members in 100+ countries.

From presentation to publication April 2013: IATEFL Conference. June 21, 2013: submission deadline. Summer 2013: papers sent ‘blind’ to Editorial Committee. Autumn 2013: decisions made and authors informed (usually November); minor queries to authors; editorial/design process. January 2014: Selections printed and shipped.

Writer or editor? Your role as writer: Change your information from bullet points (your slides) to coherent text (an article). Create an effective organisational structure; think about sections, subheadings, use of lists, etc. Stay within the word limit (750 words for individual reports). Check grammar, spelling, etc. (esp. names). Make sure your references are accurate (dates, page numbers, publication details). Submit on time.

Cont. … My role as editor: Send your paper to Ed. Comm. for review, stripped of all identifying details. Decide (with the input of the Ed. Comm.) on suitability. Group thematically; organise into a chapter. Correct minor errors in grammar, spelling, etc. Standardise: ten or 10? per cent or %? Rewrite occasional awkward sentences. Follow up with you on minor queries (e.g. a page number missing for a quotation).

What are we looking for? Papers that describe in <750 words what your talk was about. The annotated paper on your handout was submitted for publication in Selections 2012 (Glasgow); highly rated by all reviewers and published. Thanks to Sharon Ahlquist for permission to use this paper.

Why was this paper successful? The writer presents a technique that may not be well known in L2 teaching. She makes her own context very clear, but she shows how her ideas are applicable elsewhere. She combines theory and practice quite nicely. She shows what her students did; she also shows the broader implications. Readers can take something away; they may be encouraged to try this themselves.

Cont. … She shows where readers can find more information about storytelling with YL. The writing is clear and easy to follow. Subheadings are used effectively. The paper is more than a series of lists. Nothing is obscure; readers who did not attend this talk can grasp what happened. She follows the guidelines (word count, references, etc.).

On the other hand ... Your paper will not be accepted if any of the following apply: Your paper promotes a particular book, product, organisation, etc. Your paper is excessively long. A few extra words can be edited down; 500 extra words cannot. Your paper has already been published elsewhere. Your paper is submitted late without checking in advance.

Other potential problems Your paper is simply a summary of well-known information. You tried to cover too much ground for the word limit; some presentations are best written as longer articles for other journals. Your paper relies on visual material not available to Selections readers. Your paper is inaccessible to readers who did not attend your talk (e.g. obscure terminology). Your paper is little more than a copy-and-paste version of your slides (too many bullet points).

Two things that make NO difference This is your first submission. Selections always contains papers by first-time writers/presenters, as well as by well-known writers. First-time authors are very welcome! You got the font slightly wrong, or the margins were too wide, etc. This won’t disqualify you!

To improve your chances ... Read Selections 2012 to get a sense of what we’re looking for. Start with a strong, clear intro. Make sure you explain your context and any context-specific terminology. Have someone read your paper who has not seen your talk. Can your reader follow it? Check the guidelines, especially the word limit and the deadline. Make sure references are full and accurate. Submit on time.

If your paper is turned down ... In many cases, there were simply too many papers submitted (and too many on the same topic). Maybe your article is best suited to a more specialised publication. Consider a SIG publication, IATEFL Voices, or another journal. Don’t be put off next year!

FAQs Can I publish the same paper in Selections and in another publication? No; you can publish on the same topic, but the papers should be different. I couldn’t make it to the conference; can I still submit? No; only those papers actually presented can be published.

Cont. … I presented my paper alone, but I would like my colleague / thesis supervisor / friend to write up the paper with me. Is that acceptable? Unfortunately, only speakers at the conference can be included as authors.

Thank you! Tania I am looking forward to receiving your paper. Good luck with your writing! Feel free to email me if you have any questions. Tania cseditor@iatefl.org