Writing for Scholarly Publication: Behind the Scenes in Language Education

This collection of first-person essays by established authors provides a wealth of support and insights for new and experienced academic writers in language education and multicultural studies. Although writing for publication is becoming increasingly important as these fields become both more professional and more competitive, few scholars talk candidly about their experiences negotiating a piece of writing into print. These essays will help researchers, practitioners, and graduate students expand their understanding of what it means--professionally and personally--to write for publication.

Carefully crafted, focused, and provocative, the chapters in this volume document authors' experiences with a range of practical, political, and personal issues in writing for publication. Many portray the hardship and struggle that are not obvious in a finished piece of writing. Readers are encouraged to resonate with the events and issues portrayed, and to connect the narratives to their own lives. Practical information, such as contact information for journal and book publishers, manuscript guidelines, and useful books are included in appendices.

Although organized thematically, the essays in Writing for Scholarly Publication: Behind the Scenes in Language Education overlap in many ways as each author considers multiple issues:
*In the Introduction, the editors discuss key aspects of writing for scholarly publication, such as writing as situated practice, issues faced by newcomers, the construction of personal identity through writing, writing and transparency, facets of the interactive nature of scholarly writing, and intertwined political issues.
*Part I focuses on issues and concerns faced by "Newcomers."
*In Part II, "Negotiating and Interacting," the essays closely examine the interactions among authors, editors, manuscript reviewers, and collaborators; these interactions tend to be the least often discussed and these essays therefore offer readers fascinating insights into the sensitive social, political, and personal relationships among the many players in the scholarly writing game.
*"Identity Construction" is addressed in Part III, where authors share their experiences with and reflections on the ways that professional writing helps them construct their identities as writers and scholars.
*The essays in Part IV, "From the Periphery," help redefine what the notion of "periphery" might mean, from a concept with a negative connotation of "outsider" to a positive connotation of active and unconventional participant.