General Information
Editorial Policy
The NEA Newsletter relies entirely on submissions made by NEA members and occasionally by others. We appreciate the time and thought you put into your writing, and thank you for adding your voice. The editors offer the following suggestions to make your work, and ours, easier.
Anything submitted to the newsletter, with the exception of Letters to the Editor, will be subject to editing for grammar, style (we use the Chicago Manual of Style), and clarity of writing. Editing of long articles, such as "Archival Insight," "Open Forum" and "Around and About," is a cooperative effort between one or more editors and the author. If we have questions or wish to make substantive changes, we will contact you. We will not, however, discuss grammatical, style, or small corrections with you. If you feel strongly that a particular portion of your piece not be changed, please write a note to that effect and attach it to the printed copy of your article.
Keep in mind that short pieces as well as longer articles will benefit from the careful writing required in an essay; please make your points clearly and concisely. Such craftsmanship should not result in boring or pedantic style! Before you submit your work, you might try reading it out loud to make sure each sentence makes sense, that each sentence logically follows into another, and that each paragraph has a discernable main point. Articles that engage the reader with crisp snappy prose or even irreverent comments are welcome!
Submission format
Include your name, as you would like it to appear, at the beginning of the article, after the title. If the article is about an institution (e.g. "News and Notes" or "Around and About"), include its name, location, hours, and a phone number at the end of the piece. If the article is for "Archival Insight," "Open Forum," "Around and About," or "Reviews," include the name of the institution where you work at the very end of the article.
Double space your submission. If you are able, also send us a single-spaced copy on a computer disk, including the type of computer (IBM or Mac) and the word processor and its version number on the disk label. If your name is on the disk label, we will do our best to return it. Submissions are also accepted via e-mail; contact your specific editor for details.
Deadlines
In general, deadlines are Nov. 15 for Jan. issue; Feb. 10 for April issue; May 15 for July issue; Aug. 15 for Oct. issue. The deadline for "Archival Insight," "Open Forum," and "Around and About" articles and for session reports is several weeks before the general deadline.
Newsletter Regulars
The four editors take turns as main editor for each issue. The main editor gets to write a short From the Editors.
Feature articles
- Archival Insight: discussions of historical, theoretical, technological, or political issues.
- Open Forum: diverse opinions on current events and issues.
- Around and About: detailed information about one New England repository.
Other sections
- Internet Tidbits: highlights new website and online databases.
- Inside NEA: updates on the official business of NEA.
- News and Notes: brief items from each of the New England states and a few highlights from elsewhere.
- Reviews: critiques and announcements of recent publications, with a special focus on publications from the region or of special interest to New England archivists.
- People: the latest on your colleagues.
- Calendar: notices of upcoming events.
Length
- Archival Insight 1500-2000 words
- Around & About 1500-2000 words
- Open Forum 1500-2000 words
- Reports for Inside NEA 250 words maximum
- From the President 250–300 words
- News and Notes 150 words maximum
- Calendar 25 words maximum
- Job announcements 170 words maximum
- Meeting Announcements 150-300 words
For other columns, check with one of the editors.
Additional Information for Reviewers
Guidelines
Book reviews should range between 250 and 500 words. Reviews should critique the work and provide readers with information that will help them to decide whether or not to purchase the title.
Begin the review with the author, title, place and publisher, date of publication and price of the book. Include when possible the ISBN no. or LC no. if ISBN is not available.
If you compare the work to other titles, include the author and title of the work compared. When using quotations, make sure they are accurate and provide author, title and page number.
Include your name and place of employment at the end of the review.
Keep the book you review.
In all manners of style, reviews should conform to Chicago Manual of Style. Reviews submitted to the Newsletter are subject to editing for grammar, style, and clarity of writing (see the editorial policy, above). Any substantive changes, however, will be discussed with you in advance.
Format
Reviews may be submitted either on disk or electronically. Submissions on disk must be accompanied by a double spaced paper copy.
Disk copy: label the disk with your name, the title of the file, and the name of the word processing program (including version number) used to create the file. If you would like the disk returned to you, please include your name and address on the disk.
Electronic submissions may be e-mailed directly to me. It is probably a good idea to send a paper copy (double spaced) to me by U.S. mail as well.
Deadlines
Six weeks from the receipt of the book unless otherwise noted.
Send reviews to:
Additional Guidelines for Writing Session Reports
Reports describing sessions at Spring and Fall meetings of the New England Archivists are included in the July and January issues of the NEA Newsletter, respectively. It is the responsibility of session chairs to appoint someone in the audience to write a report to appear in the newsletter.
- An exact deadline will be assigned by the editor in charge of the session reports. Reports should be submitted approximately one week before the final deadline for each issue. Those deadlines are mid-November for the January issue and mid-May for the July issue.
- Reports for "regular" sessions should range between 300 and 500 words. They must not exceed 500 words. Reports for "short" sessions should be between 150 and 250 words.
- Session reports should briefly report on and summarize the session.
- The following information should be included: full session title, name(s) of participants, name of person writing the report.
- Reports will be edited for length and sense in conjunction with the editorial policy.
- Reports should be submitted double-spaced. If possible, please also send a single-spaced copy on computer disk, including information on the type of computer, word processor and version number on the disk label.
- Session reports should be sent to Lacy Schutz, the newsletter editor responsible for session reports. Please don't hesitate to contact her with any questions.
Thank you for your cooperation.
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