Wikis Archive

Senses of Cinema

By Bethany Baker on April 27, 2011 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Senses of Cinema

ISSN: 1443-4059 (Online)¹

Website: http://www.sensesofcinema.com/

Purpose, objective, or mission: Senses of Cinema describes itself as “an online journal devoted to the serious and eclectic discussion of cinema.” As an Australian-based publication, Senses is also committed to discussing Australian film and film culture.²

Target audience: “People from a wide range of backgrounds, professions, and interests but bound by a single common element: an informed, passionate and serious attitude toward cinema as an art.”³

Publisher: Senses of Cinema, Inc.⁴

Peer reviewed? Articles can be peer reviewed by request.⁵

Type: Civilian publication; film journal.

Medium: Online.⁶

Content: Issues typically contain editorials, articles, film festival reports, book reviews, movie reviews, film director profiles, and English-language translations of articles previously published elsewhere. “We are open to a range of critical approaches (auteurist, formalist, psychoanalytic, humanist…) and encourage contributors to experiment with different forms of writing (personal memoir, academic essay, journalistic report, poetic evocation).”⁷

Frequency of publication: Quarterly.⁸

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.sensesofcinema.com/about/contributors/

Types of contributions accepted: Senses of Cinema accepts article proposals; unsolicited finished articles will not be considered. Their policy is not to republish material freely available online in English. Proposals should not exceed 200 words and should state what your article will be about why it will be of interest to the journal’s readers.⁹

Submission and review process: Submit proposals via email. If they commission an article based on your proposal, publication is not guaranteed until they see the finished article. Deadline and word count will be negotiated during commissioning, but feature articles should not exceed a maximum of 5,000 words. Once your finished article is submitted, it will be edited and returned to you for final approval. Authors may opt to have their article peer reviewed, if desired.¹⁰

Editorial tone: A variety of writing forms are encouraged,¹¹ but tone should be professional and intelligent.

Style guide used: Senses of Cinema uses a house style.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Because it’s not a library and information science publication, Senses of Cinema‘s potential for LIS authors is limited. That said, the publication’s exceedingly liberal definition of its scope and the wide range of article types and writing styles that it accepts make it an intriguing possibility for LIS scholars and practitioners with a professional (media librarians, film studies librarians, etc.) or personal interest in film. Senses is friendly to first-time authors and employs forms similar to those found in LIS publications (reviews, reports, etc.)¹², so it could be a good place for a writer to cut his or her authorial teeth. Senses has a solid reputation in film circles, so it might help the career of a librarian working in a humanities or media setting. Well-written and insightful articles about “librarians in the movies” might be accepted, too.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: 216,000 unique users per issue and 450,000 page views per issue.¹³

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: No specific information about audience location could be determined but writers can assume that Senses of Cinema readers are comfortable with the English language and should also be respectful of the journal’s potential international readers, for whom English may be a second language.

Reader characteristics: Senses of Cinema “attracts readers from across all age groups, with particular emphasis on the 25-34 age bracket,” and the majority of Senses readers are practicing filmmakers or are involved in film culture and have completed an undergraduate degree.¹⁴ According to the journal, the common point linking a diverse readership is “a genuine love of and curiosity about the medium.”¹⁵ LIS authors should remember that LIS subjects are of secondary interest to the readers of this publication.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: LIS authors writing for this publication cannot assume that their readers have any knowledge of LIS topics or terminology.

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

Senses of Cinema has a great deal of potential for LIS authors who wish to write about LIS topics as they relate to film. That said, LIS authors need to remember that LIS subjects will always be of secondary importance to these readers; writers should take care to avoid jargon, provide background for any discussion of LIS subjects, and firmly ground their articles in the world of cinema.

Possible topics for LIS authors to write about for this publication include subjects pertaining to library media centers and/or collections; libraries and/or librarians as represented in film or in specific films; information gathering strategies for filmmakers, film studies scholars, or movie lovers; bibliographies for film and/or film studies topics; reviews of books, films, periodicals, movie soundtracks, or other materials that the LIS author might work with as a librarian.

Last updated: September 13, 2020

References

Show 15 footnotes

San Francisco Chronicle

By Bethany Baker on April 27, 2011 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: San Francisco Chronicle

ISSN: 1932-8672 (Print) ¹

Website: http://www.sfchronicle.com/

Purpose, objective, or mission: The San Francisco Chronicle is, “…committed to coverage of subjects that are uniquely important to our readers: local issues and those topics with national impact such as economy, politics, technology, ecology, as well as breaking news, crime, education, national and foreign news.”²

Target audience: Readers throughout the Bay Area.³

Publisher: Hearst Communications, Inc.⁴

Peer reviewed? No.

Type: Civilian newspaper.

Medium: Print and online.⁵

Content: Local, state and national news, sports, politics, business, travel, entertainment and food. Online version also includes blogs.⁶

Frequency of publication: Daily in print; updated more frequently online.

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/submissions/

Types of contributions accepted: The Chronicle accepts Letters to the Editor and Op-Ed pieces.⁷

Submission and review process: Submission is via an online form on the website and the review process depends on the type of submission. Limit on length of articles is: Op-Ed pieces (700 words), Letters to the editor (200 words).⁸ No information is provided as to acceptance rates or method of acceptance.

Editorial tone: Freewheeling. The newspaper, and especially the online edition, takes a tone of local interest that may mirror its audience. The Bay Area community is thought to be more liberal than other parts of the country.

Style guide used: None specified for the type of contributions accepted.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

This publication’s participation in Chronicle in Education,⁹ which provides teacher lessons and information, suggests an active community involvement and would make the Chronicle a possible publication for an LIS-related article.

Chronicle readers pride themselves on being intelligent and well educated and keeping abreast of current events, especially at the local level. Publication in this newspaper offers a unique opportunity for those in the library field to inform and instruct a huge lay audience about issues facing libraries today. The Sunday edition’s Insight section “aims to provide a forum to shake up conventional wisdom and provoke fresh thinking.”¹⁰ This might be an excellent arena for librarians to bring library-related issues to the forefront of the public’s awareness.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Print version: daily circulation of 176,721; Sunday circulation of 211,774.¹¹. Online version: 3.4 million unique visitors a month and 14.5 million pageviews a month.¹²

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: San Francisco, California, United States; online features are available worldwide. English.

Reader characteristics: 57$ of the readers have a college degree, with a median household income of $127,036. The median age of readers is 50, and 77% do not have children.¹³ It is likely that the interests of the Chronicle’s readers are local issues, and those affecting middle-class families. Considering the industries of San Francisco and the Bay Area, readers are likely to work in technology and computer jobs, the arts, and tourism. San Francisco is famous for being politically, socially, and economically progressive. Overall, its constituents are antiwar, pro-equal rights (including gay marriage), and San Francisco was one of the first cities in the country to give library cards to individuals experiencing homelessness.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: The newspaper does not regularly focus on LIS subject matter, but local library issues and concerns might be raised in an editorial piece.

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

The audience of the San Francisco Chronicle are educators, parents, cab drivers, in the mayor’s office; they are you and me. With this in mind, authors should avoid library jargon (e.g., MARC, CONSER, AACR2) and specialized library science themes. Topics dealing with promoting library services, such as lobbying for the public’s free and open access to information, new reading programs, and issues with banned books, would be appropriate as this newspaper is targeting the general public.

Last updated: September 13, 2020

References

Show 13 footnotes

Sacramento Bee

By Bethany Baker on April 27, 2011 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Sacramento Bee

ISSN: 0890-5738 (Print)¹

Website: http://sacbee.com

Purpose, objective, or mission: “…to produce a newspaper that serves the needs of its community without becoming subservient to the whims of public opinion or the pressures of the powerful.”²

Target audience: “The Bee’s circulation area covers the Northern Sacramento Valley and surrounding areas: south to Stockton, north to Redding, east to Reno and west to the San Francisco Bay Area.”³

Publisher: The McClatchy Company.⁴

Peer reviewed? No.

Type: Civilian newspaper

Medium: Print and online.⁵

Content: Local, state, and national news, politics, community events calendar, sports, and entertainment.

Frequency of publication: Daily.⁶

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/submit-letter/article3351588.html

Types of contributions accepted: The Bee accepts letters to the editor (150 words),⁷ opinion columns and personal viewpoints of roughly 600 words.⁸

Submission and review process: Use the separate online forms for submitting a letter or opinion piece, and read the instructions for each.

Editorial tone: None identified.

Style guide used: None mentioned.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

An LIS author who resides in or has personal knowledge of the market served by the publication could write a letter to the editor about a current library funding issue, a longer article on the value of libraries specific to a population within Sacramento, or write in response to a published article in The Bee about the state of library services. There are many possibilities for an LIS author familiar with the market area.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: 92,733 paid daily, 164,041 paid Sunday, average monthly online audience of 27,608,000.⁹

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: “The Bee’s circulation area covers the Northern Sacramento Valley and surrounding areas: south to Stockton, north to Redding, east to Reno and west to the San Francisco Bay Area.”¹⁰ This is an English language publication serving a racially diverse population.

Reader characteristics: Demographic information is not available, but according to the United States Census, Sacramento County is 62.8% white and 23.6% Hispanic or Latino.¹¹ The publication supports community arts and champions environmental causes.¹²

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: The readers of this publication are the general public and would have limited knowledge of LIS matters and terminology.

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

Since the readers of The Bee will not be familiar with LIS jargon or library issues, an author needs to keep writing for this publication general and be certain to provide convincing reasons for the reader to care about the library topic of their article.

Last updated: September 14, 2020

References

Show 12 footnotes

The Recorder

By Bethany Baker on April 27, 2011 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: The Recorder

ISSN: N/A

Website: https://www.law.com/therecorder/

Purpose, objective, or mission: Per their website, “Law.com is the premiere source for trusted and timely legal news and analysis. Subscribers to the site can access stories from across ALM’s national and regional publications, with the opportunity to view news by practice area.” Also, “ALM, an information and intelligence company, provides customers with critical news, data, analysis, marketing solutions and events to successfully manage the business of business.“¹

Target audience: Legal professionals, law librarians, and the general public.²

Publisher: ALM Media Properties, LLC.³

Peer reviewed? No.⁴

Type: Civilian publication for people in the legal industry.

Medium: Online.⁵

Content: “A rich selection of articles curated by ALM’s expert editorial team from across ALM’s national and regional publications, featuring leading voices in the legal field.“⁶

Frequency of publication: Daily.⁷

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.therecorder.com/contact

Types of contributions accepted: Although most articles are written by professional journalists, the publication does accept letters to the editor and story suggestion ideas. Contact the editor to discuss other types of contributions.

Submission and review process: There are no specific guidelines on the website, but letters to the editor should match the tone of other articles in the publication.

Editorial tone: No tone specified, but articles are written as informational news pieces.

Style guide used: None mentioned.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

This publication is vital to a law library as a resource for the legal community and to keep law librarians updated on new laws and procedures. Law librarians may work daily with the legal professionals who read The Recorder.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: As of October 2016, The Recorder is only published online.⁸ Specific publication numbers for The Recorder could not be determined. The publisher, ALM, indicates that across their 20 publications, there are 1.58 million website visitors a month.⁹

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Aimed at attorneys and executives in the United States and written in English.¹⁰

Reader characteristics: Considering that readership is comprised largely of attorneys and executives, most readers are college-educated professionals.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: The majority of the readership are lawyers who will have knowledge of law libraries. Issues involving law libraries might be of interest to them, including articles on new publications in a specific field of law.

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

Due to the level of expertise and understanding, the readers have of the law, LIS authors also need to have a high level of legal knowledge to write for this publication.

Last updated: September 8, 2020

References

Show 10 footnotes

Press-Telegram

By Bethany Baker on April 27, 2011 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Press-Telegram

ISSN: N/A

Website: http://www.presstelegram.com/

Purpose, objective, or mission: The purpose of the Press-Telegram is to provide news and information of interest to local constituents.¹

Target audience: Residents of Long Beach and the surrounding areas.²

Publisher: MediaNews Group, Inc.³

Peer reviewed? No.⁴

Type: Civilian newspaper.⁵

Medium: Print and online.⁶

Content: General information relevant to citizens of the Long Beach and Orange County area. Includes varied content such as: sports, entertainment, business, religion, travel, lifestyles, obituaries, and special sections. This newspaper also includes information at the global, national, state, and local levels.⁷

Frequency of publication: Daily.⁸

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.presstelegram.com/share-your-news

Types of contributions accepted: Letters to the editor are accepted on all issues of public concern. From their Share Your News section: “Letters must include the writer’s home community and a daytime phone number for confirmation. Please limit submissions to 150 words and send via email (without attachments) to speakout [at] presstelegram.com.”⁹ Guest commentaries of no more than 600 words are also considered for publication. “We look for topical commentary on public policy and social issues that are of general interest to our print and digital readership. We give preference to local, regional and California topics and writers.”¹⁰ “Email your submission to opinion [at] langnews.com with the subject line “Op-ed submission.” Include a sentence or two at the end including your position, city or community of residence, and any background relevant to your expertise in the topic.”¹¹

Editorial tone: Not specified.

Style guide used: None specified.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

This newspaper lends itself to publishing local LIS-related issues. LIS practitioners and students living in the covered area should consider submitting opinion pieces of local library issues. Topics may include: Long Beach library improvement initiative, Long Beach library special events, or a review of past public programming. Library-themed articles or letters may be published in this newspaper; however, they must be focused on local library issues and be free of library jargon in order to reach the public.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: 15,000 daily; 29,000 Sunday, with 699,000 unique monthly visitors to the website.¹²

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The Press-Telegram market covers the Greater Long Beach Area including the communities of the Artesia, Bell, Bellflower, Carson, Cerritos, Compton, Cypress, Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, Huntington Park, La Mirada, Lakewood, Long Beach, Los Alamitos, Lynwood, Norwalk, Paramount, Pico Rivera, San Pedro, Santa Fe Springs, Seal Beach, Signal Hill, South Gate, and Wilmington.¹³ Although this is a local newspaper, it does tackle state, national, and global issues. However, these issues tend to be related in some fashion to the local audience. Although this newspaper is written in English, part of its audience is the large Hispanic community residing in the marketed cities. In addition, it includes information relevant to the Cambodian community because Long Beach has the largest Cambodian population in the United States.¹⁴

Reader characteristics: Readers are 51% female and 49% male with a median age of 38 years old. 51% of readers are Hispanic and 59% have a college education. The average household income $98,370. ¹⁵ The Press-Telegram readers likely do not have established opinions about library science subjects because they are not library professionals. This publication, much like the city of Long Beach and the Greater Long Beach Area, is much more progressive in nature due to its culturally diverse demographics.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: After reviewing various articles in the Press-Telegram, it is clear that they do not specifically tackle library and information science issues, however, they will publicize events and news relevant to the local Long Beach public library or other libraries in the surrounding cities. It is very likely that the layperson will not understand library jargon, so technical terms are discouraged when attempting to publish in this newspaper.

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

The readers of this publication are culturally diverse and do not share a similar type of job. When writing for this audience it is important to keep in mind that this is a progressive audience who cares about state, national, and global issues.

Last updated: September 14, 2020

References

Show 15 footnotes

Perspectives on History

By Katie Wood on April 25, 2011 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Perspectives on History

ISSN: 1940-8048¹

Website: http://www.historians.org/perspectives/

Purpose, objective, or mission: Perspectives on History is the newsmagazine of the American Historical Association (AHA); it serves as the, “…principal source for news and information about the discipline of history.”²

Publication Tagline: “Perspectives cultivates the community of historians and promotes our work.” ³

“We strive to be a place for historians across the discipline’s broad spectrum to share their ideas and enthusiasm.” ⁴

Target audience: Members of the AHA; College and university professors, and K–12 teachers of history; historical administrators; editors; museum professionals; publishers; librarians; and students of history. ⁵

Publisher: American Historical Association.⁶

Peer reviewed? No.

Type: Civilian. While some members of the AHA might also be information professionals (and many other members will have a strong understanding of the library profession), most members will not be intimately familiar with the LIS profession.

Medium: Print. Online content is also published under Perspectives Daily.

Content: “We offer articles and commentary on research and archives, teaching, digital projects, new books of note, history in the media, public history and museum exhibitions, and more.” ⁷

Frequency of publication: “Our print edition is published monthly and online during the academic year, with online-only articles in Perspectives Daily updated regularly all year round. A print subscription is available only with AHA membership.” ⁸

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: https://www.historians.org/perspectives/submit

Types of contributions accepted: “We do consider full manuscripts, but we prefer to receive pitches to give us a better understanding of the topic and your viewpoint as an author. Potential writers should familiarize themselves with the sort of articles we publish and the sections in which they fit. If a story is immediately relevant to discussions about current events, please flag it as a possible contribution to Perspectives Daily if you envision it being published quickly.” ⁹

Perspectives on History and Perspectives Daily welcome articles by historians from all kinds of institutions (including but not limited to colleges and universities, K–12 schools, museums, and archives), at all degree levels, and of all professional ranks. They also accept Letters to the editor, In Memoriam essays, and ‘Everything Has a History’ essays. ¹⁰

Submission and review process: “Articles for Perspectives on History should normally be about 1,500 words in length. Perspectives Daily articles are about 800–1,000 words, letters to the editor should be no more than 500 words, In Memoriam essays about 650 words, and Everything Has a History essays about 500 words. ¹¹

“While Perspectives on History does commission articles, it also accepts both completed submissions and proposals. Articles and letters are reviewed by the editorial board, and, in the case of article submissions, the board may make suggestions for revisions.” ¹²

“To ensure that no errors are inadvertently introduced into the text in the copyediting process, the copyedited version of articles accepted for publication may be sent to authors for final approval (when major revisions are suggested). Since both Perspectives on History and Perspectives Daily run on a tight schedule, the editors typically will ask authors to respond within 24 to 48 hours.” ¹³

Editorial tone: The submission guidelines state a preference for a journalistic or conversational style. In general, the articles in Perspectives on History are written with a semi-formal tone. Additionally, authors are asked to limit the number of citations in their articles.¹⁴

Style guide used: “We encourage authors of articles to supply a working title for the essay, although the final determination of headlines, captions, pull quotes, and other forms of “display type” are made by the editors. A brief autobiographical description (25-30 words) should be appended at the end of the article, indicating the author’s institutional affiliation (if any), recent major publications, interests, and so on. Spelling—especially of proper names used in drafts—and all factual information (dates, place names, statistical data, and so on) provided should be verified by the author(s) before submission.” ¹⁵

The Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.). For copy-editing, the editors also use Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (11th ed.) and the most recent edition of Merriam–Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. In general, the editors attempt to make an author’s prose as effective as possible, both in the author’s interest and that of our publications. The editors seek to remove redundancies and errors—if any—in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Perspectives on History and Perspectives Daily support the use of gender-neutral language in their articles, except when a change in pronoun would lead to a historical inaccuracy.” ¹⁶

Letters to the editor should be guided by the AHA’s Statement on Standards of Professional Conduct. ¹⁷

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

The organization and preservation of information are central to the tasks of both the historian and the LIS professional, and so it is not uncommon for their interests to intersect. Many developments in the Information field would be of interest to historians, especially if those developments were presented specifically for that audience. Such a presentation could generate a significant amount of name recognition if received favorably.

While Perspectives on History is not, strictly speaking, a scholarly publication, it does possess enough prestige that an article printed in it would add weight to a tenure or promotion cause. However, this is not a venue for early-career publishing.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Population circulation: Nearly 15,000.¹⁸

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: AHA members are generally based in the United States, and the magazine is published in English.¹⁹ AHA members will be familiar with many of the same research terminologies that librarians use, but they will be completely unfamiliar with much of the jargon of information science. Similarly, historians have their own jargon, and an author writing for a history publication would do well to familiarize themselves with it.

Reader characteristics: “… AHA brings together historians specializing in every period, geographic region, and topic of history. Through its scholarly and professional activities, the AHA represents the broad diversity of the historical enterprise today. More than 60 percent of the Association’s members are professors of history, with the remaining 40 percent consisting of students, teachers, administrators, and publishers in the field.” ²⁰

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: As historians, the members of the AHA will generally have a strong understanding of research and research tools. However, they will not be familiar with aspects of LIS subjects outside those that apply to their discipline.

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

The historians who comprise the membership of the AHA are, like most faculty, very busy people. It is essential, when writing for them, to show them — in their own terms — how you can save time or make their research easier. Perspectives on History is primarily a newsletter, even though it does publish some research-based articles. A librarian writing for this publication would do well to simplify the presentation of their research, and focus primarily on the practical application of their results.

Last updated: October 19, 2020

References

Show 20 footnotes

The New Yorker

By Bethany Baker on April 25, 2011 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: The New Yorker

ISSN: 0028-792X (Print) and 2163-3827 (Online)¹

Purpose, objective, or mission: “The New Yorker is considered by many to be the most influential magazine in the world, renowned for its in-depth reporting, political and cultural commentary, fiction, poetry, and humor.”²

Website: http://www.newyorker.com/

Target audience: General public.

Publisher: Conde Nast Publications.³

Peer reviewed? No.

Type: Civilian magazine.

Medium: Print and online.⁴

Content: The New Yorker features articles about various subjects concerning popular culture, world politics, and social issues, not necessarily in that order. Each issue also includes a short story, poetry, literary reviews, cartoons, and short news reports.

Frequency of publication: The New Yorker is published 47 times per year (number of issues per month varies.)⁵

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.newyorker.com/contact/contactus

Types of contributions accepted: Poetry, news-breaks, short stories, and letters to the editor, cartoons, and satirical pieces.⁶

Submission and review process: Send submissions via email as a pdf attachment.⁷

Editorial tone: Can range from silly to erudite, depending on the piece.

Style guide used: None specified.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

At first glance at the magazine’s submission guidelines, it would seem that there isn’t really any opportunity for LIS authors to contribute to The New Yorker, since they don’t accept nonfiction articles due to the large volume of manuscripts they would probably receive. However, this publication does accept short news reports and commentaries so there is an opportunity for everyone, LIS professionals and students included, to submit short articles that deal with interesting occurrences or developments in their own communities.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: “…more than a million subscribers to the weekly magazine and nearly twenty-one million readers every month on newyorker.com.”⁸

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Although it might seem that The New Yorker primarily serves residents of New York City, its scope is diverse and wide enough for it to have become one of the best-selling magazines nationwide. The New Yorker is an English publication and primarily serves residents of the United States but it covers issues from both a national and global perspective, making it accessible to the diverse population of the U.S. that come from a variety of different backgrounds and cultures.

Reader characteristics: The readers of The New Yorker are 45% male and 55% female. The average household income is $129,631. From the demographic statistics of its subscribers, we can assume that subscribers of this publication are typically educated middle to upper-class adults.⁹ This publication is considered politically left-leaning, and a review of the recent issues supports this assumption.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: It is safe to assume that the majority of subscribers are probably not LIS professionals and have little or no knowledge of LIS topics and issues. The magazine obviously has a diverse audience and LIS professionals only make up a small percentage of this group. The New Yorker sometimes prints articles about libraries or librarians and the important issues of the profession, but with an absence of, or, at least minimal, LIS jargon for the benefit of all its readers.

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

Statistics show that the average reader of The New Yorker is financially well off, with age ranges across the spectrum. That said, being a popular magazine across the nation, its readers are still a diverse group of people with different backgrounds and interests. Since the magazine is only soliciting poetry, fiction, news breaks, commentaries, and letters to the editor, potential authors do not have to write scholarly pieces; the tone is informal but writing should exhibit intelligence and a sophisticated mastery of language.

Although it is not a LIS-oriented magazine, LIS authors are still welcome to submit interesting commentaries or activities in their own communities and institutions.

Last updated: September 6, 2020

References

Show 9 footnotes

Wired Magazine

By Bethany Baker on April 25, 2011 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Wired Magazine

ISSN: 1059-1028 (Print)¹

Website: http://www.wired.com/magazine/

Purpose, objective, or mission: Per the website, “Wired is the ultimate authority on the people and ideas changing our world.”² The magazine examines technology and its effect on all aspects of culture, from social and recreational to business and politics.

Target audience: Readers who have an interest in technology and its effect on cultures worldwide.

Publisher: Conde Nast Publications Inc. and Wired Ventures Ltd.³

Peer reviewed? No.

Type: Civilian publication.

Medium: Print and online.

Content: Articles on the intersection of technology and business, culture, politics, science, etc.

Frequency of publication: Monthly.⁴

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: https://www.wired.com/2016/08/how-to-submit-to-wired-opinion/

Types of contributions accepted: Op-eds which are no longer than 1,000 words, and argue a certain point of view.⁵

Submission and review process: Pitches and/or completed pieces should be sent to opinion [at] wired.com. If sending a pitch, clearly state your thesis and why you specifically are writing about it. Include your biographical information; they want to know who you are and why you’re writing. Mark the subject of your email as “Op-Ed Pitch: Sentence Describing Your Opinion.”⁶

Editorial tone: Informal but polished.

Style guide used: None noted.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Wired is for the writer with fresh, definitive ideas about how the various cultures of our world will respond, influence, and share the future of technology and science. LIS authors who are passionate about innovations in the information field and how these ideas affect people will enjoy writing for this publication. Wired allows LIS authors to release themselves from the rigid boundaries of academic styles and create anecdotes rich with cultural, moral, or institutional conflict within digital technologies. Publishing for this popular magazine will also create contacts beyond the LIS field and expand the breadth of publication opportunities for the LIS writer.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Print circulation of over 870,000, with a digital monthly reach of 20 million.⁷

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The magazine is based in San Francisco, CA, but international subscriptions are available. Although the magazine is in English, international subscriptions are available.⁸ Audience demographic information doesn’t include geographic location.

Reader characteristics: Readership is roughly 70% male, 30% female. Most have graduated from college and are fairly affluent.⁹ Readers are described as “globally-minded thought leaders, innovators, bloggers, and connectors” who are “constantly seeking new ideas.”¹⁰

The assumption that this audience works mainly in tech industries should not be made, as this publication covers a diverse range of subjects that are affected by technology, such as culture, cars, politics, and entertainment.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Library terminology or other discipline-specific language will need to be defined for this more general audience. This popular, civilian publication may have many LIS readers who are interested in gaining a new perspective on technology from a civilian viewpoint. However, this would not be an appropriate venue to discuss LIS subject matter in detail. The majority of readers will not be familiar with LIS issues.

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

This group of readers may be very interested to learn how technology is affecting their possibly preconceived ideas of what the library offers and represents. An interest in librarian issues may be cultivated through the technology issues. Readers might be interested in technological innovations within libraries as well as other issues such as privacy concerns.

Last updated: August 30, 2020

References

Show 10 footnotes

McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern

By Katie Wood on April 22, 2011 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern

ISSN: 2325-2588¹

Purpose, objective, or mission: “McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern began in 1998 as a literary journal that published only works rejected by other magazines. That rule was soon abandoned, and since then the Quarterly Concern has attracted work from some of the finest writers in the country. At the same time, the journal continues to be a major home for new and unpublished writers; we’re committed to publishing exciting fiction regardless of pedigree.”² They are committed to finding new voices, publishing work of gifted but under-appreciated writers, and pushing the literary form forward at all times.³

Website: https://www.mcsweeneys.net/books

Target audience: Smart, open-minded readers.⁴

Publisher: McSweeney’s Publishing.⁵

Peer reviewed? No.⁶

Type: Civilian publication, literary journal.

Medium: Print journal.⁷

Content: Literary and experimental fiction and nonfiction, with the format and editorial focus changing for each issue.⁸ Fiction pieces include short stories and screenplays, while nonfiction works include essays and journalistic pieces. The journal has won multiple literary awards, including two National Magazine Awards for fiction⁹, so it’s safe to say that anything published in McSweeney’s will be of high literary quality.

Frequency of publication: Quarterly.¹⁰

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: https://www.mcsweeneys.net/pages/guidelines-for-quarterly-submissions

Types of contributions accepted: Fiction and nonfiction. Memoirs, poetry, book reviews, and previously published work will not be accepted.¹¹

Submission and review process: **Note: as of October 2020, submissions are temporarily closed**

Submission guidelines to McSweeney’s are highly informal. There are no rules or length restrictions, although they recommend reading the magazine to get a sense of what kinds of work they’re interested in.¹². Submit via the website. According to the website, “We gladly consider unsolicited works, but because we are a very small organization with an even smaller editorial department, it often takes us a long time to respond to our submitters.”¹³

Editorial tone: Offbeat, eccentric, and inventive.

Style guide used: None indicated. “It’s better if you don’t use colors or Fun Fonts or strange formatting. We discourage submissions of art or submissions containing art.”¹⁴

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

LIS authors may have as good a chance as anyone for getting a submission accepted in McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern. Their whole publication process seems to be highly informal, but the quality is certainly on par with journals that have higher subscription/circulation rates. An exploration of McSweeney’s multiple related websites is a must to see if your writing project is a match for their style. LIS authors might contribute a fiction or nonfiction piece inspired by their experience as library professionals, keeping in mind that the purpose of such pieces should ultimately be to entertain the reader, rather than function as straightforward articles on an LIS-related issue.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: The print journal has 8,000 subscribers, while the website receives one million unique visitors per month.¹⁵

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Published in San Francisco, California¹⁶, and in English.

Reader characteristics: While no information regarding reader demographics is provided, a review of publication suggests readers are intelligent, open minded, literary, and comfortable thinking outside of the box.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Limited, the same as the general public.

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

Eclectic and open to new and creative thought is one way to describe the readers of McSweeney’s. The journal’s readers are literary and well-read, and it’s safe to assume that they generally support and appreciate libraries. A visit to the multiple McSweeney’s websites will give any writer interested in submitting work a better sense of whether or not their work will be a match.

Last updated: October 2, 2020

References

Show 16 footnotes

Information and Learning Science

By Lisa Lowdermilk on April 18, 2011 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Information and Learning Science (previously published as Library World and then New Library World and incorporating Asian Libraries)¹

ISSN: 2398-5348 (Print) and 1758-6909 (Online)²

Website: http://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/products/journals/journals.htm?id=ils

Purpose, objective, or mission: “Information and Learning Science advances inter-disciplinary research that explores scholarly intersections shared within 2 key fields: information science and the learning sciences / education sciences. The journal provides a publication venue for work that strengthens our scholarly understanding of human inquiry and learning phenomena, especially as they relate to design and uses of information and e-learning systems innovations.”³

Target audience: The target audience is international in scope, including academics, information professionals, and librarians, along with researchers and teachers involved in the library and information community.

Publisher: Emerald Publishing.

Peer reviewed? Yes, double-blind peer review.⁴

Type: LIS scholarly journal.

Medium: Print and Online.

Content: “We invite research that builds upon and advances theories, methods, results, innovation designs, evidence bases and frameworks for action present across both information science, and the learning/education sciences scholarly domains. We especially welcome the submission of papers that directly address, explicate and discuss the inter-disciplinary boundaries and intersections present across these two fields, and that offer new conceptual, empirical and technological syntheses. Such investigations may include but are not limited to:

E-learning perspectives on searching, information-seeking, and information uses and practices engaged by a full diversity of youth, adults, elders and specialized populations, in varied contexts including leisure time activities; e-learning at work, in libraries, at school, home, during playtime, in health/wellness settings, etc.
Design and use of systems such as MOOCs, social media, learning management systems, search systems, information systems, and other technology design innovations that contribute to human inquiry, formal and informal learning, searching, information-seeking, information uses, knowledge building and sharing, and instruction;
HCI, socio-technical systems research, and materiality research perspectives on information and learning systems design; social learning ecologies; and creation and use of physical objects and settings that elicit human inquiry and learning;
Ethnographic; emancipatory; social justice-based; feminist; critical race theory; and post-structuralist research involving information, learning, equity, design;
Information, communication, and technology (ICT) considerations in computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) contexts;
Innovations and e-learning solutions that address digital / information / media / data literacy and/or address the digital divide;
Innovations involving problem-, project-, and inquiry-based learning contexts and goods;
Learning analytics and/or data science perspectives on measurement and analysis of learning in information / search / e-learning systems;
Social and ethical issues in e-learning contexts such as design, measurement, and evaluation — such as privacy and security concerns around student confidentiality, data ownership and ethical data uses by researchers, teachers, institutions, etc.”⁵

Frequency of publication: Bimonthly (six times a year).

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: Author Guidelines.

Types of contributions accepted: Information and Learning Science accepts articles in the following categories: research paper, viewpoint, technical paper, conceptual paper, case study, literature review, and general review (between 2,500 and 6,000 words). Structured abstracts must be submitted with all articles. The journal also publishes conference reports and book reviews.⁶

Submission and review process: Authors submit and track manuscripts on ScholarOne Manuscripts. The editor reviews submissions and sends appropriate manuscripts to two referees for double-blind review. Conference reports and book reviews are not peer reviewed.⁷

Editorial tone: The editorial tone is scholarly and academic.

Style guide used: Information and Learning Science uses Harvard Style and provides examples of references and citations.⁸

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Information and Learning Science is multidisciplinary and international in scope. It publishes many different types of high-quality articles on a broad range of LIS topics. Further, the journal takes account of “social, cultural, economic, ergonomic, ethical and sectoral issues,” which appeals to LIS authors worldwide.⁹

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Not available.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Information and Learning Science is published in English in the United Kingdom; however, its audience is international. Editorial Advisory Board members are from all over the world, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Nigeria, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Hungary, Greece, and the United Arab Emirates.¹⁰

Reader characteristics: Due to the journal’s international reach, Information and Learning Science attracts readers from the LIS professional spectrum, including teachers, librarians, researchers, and students, from a variety of library types and information settings, who are interested in understanding LIS practices from around the world.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: The average reader of Information and Learning Science has a broad understanding of LIS subject matters and issues and an understanding of library jargon.

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

Because the readership is international, published articles should have a broad level of interest and be applicable to LIS professionals and academics from all over the world. Information and Learning Science is a scholarly journal with a large number of academics in its audience; the articles they would be most interested in would be those based on original and novel scholarship and research.

Last updated: April 14, 2018

References

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