Innovation Showcase features innovative community college programs, practices, facilities, and partnerships with community or business and industry. Innovation Showcase is a monthly digital publication, distributed electronically and posted on the League website, that includes one 1,500 to 2,000 word article along with 2 or 3 photographs illustrating the topic of the article. Author and photographer credits are published with the article.
Contact the editor of the series to discuss your idea. Touching base with an editor can save considerable time. Typically, an editor and author work closely together to target submissions to the audience and to ensure that the manuscript meets the format and style guidelines. Although the call for manuscripts is open and ongoing, authors who take the time to make the connection with the editor first will have a better chance for an article to be accepted quickly.
Focus on the audience. Innovation Showcase is targeted to provide meaningful content for community college faculty, staff, and administrators. Keep in mind that this audience is made up of busy people with hectic schedules and much competition for their time. Authors should use straightforward prose and provide useful content. Remember, too, that Innovation Showcase has an international audience.
Organize the article clearly. One of the most common difficulties of submitting authors is the failure to build a clear organizational structure - one that is easy to follow. Again, the audience for the series is made up of individuals with little time to spare. So, here are some basic guidelines regarding organization:
- Provide a brief introduction that places the subject in context and forecasts the central idea. This section is typically one to three paragraphs long. It previews the initiative and provides the history and context of the initiative.
- Provide major sections with meaningful section titles. Two to five sections that outline the steps in a process or delineate the elements of an initiative will help the reader better understand the message and follow the flow of the piece.
- Finish strongly. Include one or two concluding paragraphs that bring the sections together and reinforce the benefits, relevance, utility, or significance of the initiative.
- Use Innovation Showcase style. Manuscripts are generally 1,500 to 2,000 words in length. References or citations, long quotations, and the names of individuals should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. If citations or quotations are necessary, please provide full references and permissions. To avoid inconsistencies and errors, rely on dictionaries and language manuals in lieu of digital spelling and grammar checkers. Finally, please do not use electronic tracking in your manuscript.
Include 4 to 6 digital photographs with your article. With your manuscript, please submit 4 to 6 digital photographs that illustrate the program, event, activity, facility, etc., along with the name of the photographer for each photograph. If the manuscript is selected for publication, the editors will select 2 or 3 photographs to use with the article.
Submit the manuscript and photographs. The manuscript must be submitted as a Word document. Attach the manuscript and the digital photograph files to an email message addressed to Cynthia Wilson at wilson@league.org.
For more information, contact
Cynthia
Wilson,
Editor; Boo Browning,
Managing Editor.
