ALAN Online

ALAN is seeking a new editor of The ALAN Review. The present coeditors, Lori Atkins Goodson and James Blasingame, will be resigning from the position after the Summer 2009 issue. To apply, interested persons should submit the following: a letter of application detailing qualifications for the position and the applicant’s vision for the journal, a current vita, one sample of published writing, and a letter of general support from appropriate administrators at the applicant’s institution. Classroom teachers are eligible and encouraged to apply. Applications should be sent via electronic mail, using the subject line, ALAN Editor, to Dr. Pamela Sissi Carroll, Chair, ALAN Review Search Committee, at pcarroll@fsu.edu. Please send files as Word attachments. Applications must be received no later than October 1, 2008. Finalist interviews will be conducted at NCTE in San Antonio.
Additional information about the duties and responsibilities associated with this editorship are posted at http://www.alan-ya.org. Inquiries about the position may be addressed to any of the following: Current coeditors Lori Atkins Goodson, at lag8669@ksu.edu and James Blasingame, at James.Blasingame@asu.edu; ALAN president David Gill at gilld@unc.edu; Executive Secretary Gary Salvner at gsalvner@ ysu.edu; or The ALAN Review Search Committee Chair Pamela Sissi Carroll at pcarroll@fsu.edu.

The ALAN Review: Editor’s or Coeditors’ Duties

The editor or coeditors of The ALAN Review are responsible for maintaining contact with the following:

YA Authors and Publishers– for features (to get copyrights to print authors’ photos and book jacket photos, as well as any quoting from a novel, etc. if the quoted amount exceeds 200 words…but the good news is that the publishers like to have those included, so they tend to grant the copyrights quickly at no cost).

Experts Who Submit Articles—professors, teachers, media specialists—most often, manuscripts come in unsolicited, but on occasion, you may choose to arrange for a set of articles for a special “feature” on a timely topic.

Occasionally people who submit manuscripts want to hear our decision RIGHT AWAY—so there are emails to send in that regard, but so long as you send an acknowledgement of receipt and an anticipated response date, then keep to your own schedule fairly well, most folks understand that they need to be patient.

Regular Columnists–the editor asks specific people to fill the roles as column editor, and might propose new/different columns for the journal as he/she conceives it. The editor may also want to develop and share with columnists a definite schedule.

Editorial Review Board—again, as the new editor, you will probably want to select those whom you ask to serve in this vital role (a role that allows us to be distinguished as a nationally refereed journal). The editor may choose to examine the current editorial review board and adapt it, perhaps asking additional good folks from ALAN and other YAL groups to serve on this board. It is a good idea to balance professors, teachers, & media specialists on the list. It is also a good idea to avoid asking the same people over and over to read and review articles.

Carol Schanche/NCTE—Ms. Schanche is the liaison between the editor of The ALAN Review and NCTE. She is the captain of production and crucial to the publication of our journal. Weekly and sometimes daily (during the heat of a production cycle) contact with Ms. Schanche through email and phone contact is necessary as the journal runs through the various stages of production. Ms. Schanche interacts with the typesetter/graphic designer and printing/mailing company and the editor is saved from this.

Regular duties of the editor include:

Managing manuscripts as they come in. A receipt letter is sent to the writer, the manuscript is sent to reviewers, the editor makes decisions on accepting, rejecting or working with the writer on revision of the article, and a letter indicating this is sent to the writer.

Editing manuscripts and working with writers. Manuscripts often need editing for accuracy, format, and fluency. At times reviewers may find a manuscript compelling but in need of some revision, in which case the editor may choose to interact with the writer about the revision.

Engaging column editors. A schedule of columns for each issue can be established and column editors consulted as they develop ideas and manuscripts for their columns.

Selecting themes for issues.

Creating the cover art. With each new editor, the cover art has changed. This is the province of the editor.

Preparing the issue manuscript.

Working with Carol Schanche/NCTE on page proofs after typesetting both to work out problems of composition and to edit for errors in conventions. A professional copyeditor may be included as one of the steps in production.

Creating a mailing list of contributors for each issue. These are the names and mailing addresses of the writers who contributed to each issue, as well as authors who are featured so that two complimentary copies may be mailed to them.