JD's ideas for cuts

Hi guys--

Lydia and Chloe are out at a birthday for a few hours, so I thought I'd take a whack at identifying some possible cuts. We have to get rid of 9 pages!

In my notes here, I am referencing the draft I forwarded from Danielle Aquiline yesterday ("DyehouseEtAl.Dec07. . . ").

p1: fix Shamoon bio formatting--it looks like it isn't adjusted to the current margins. Savings: 1 line

pp1-2: cut the first paragraph of our article, which merely repeats our abstract. I suppose that we would have to cut the first heading, too. Savings: .5 page

p10: cut the big block quote from Starr. This would mean revising the second half of this paragraph to eliminate its reliance on that quote. Savings: .5 page

pp12-13: cut the paragraph describing WRT 106 and community service writing. (I know: we added this for the reviewers. But as I read the ms., I am not seeing how this particular paragraph adds anything.) Savings: .5 page

p14: "Last semester"--ha ha! No real savings here, but we do have to change it.

pp16-17: cut the paragraph detailing the "roles and identities" focus of the course's 3rd iteration. I like this paragraph, but I think we can do without it. Savings: .5 page.

pp19-20: cut the first paragraph of the "Teaching Writing Environments" section. Savings: .5 page

pp22-24: cut figure 1 and the paragraph that explains it. If we do this, we'll have to quickly summarize the ideas that students are working with in the paragraph beginning "In class, the discussion begins with the emphases diagram. . . " Or perhaps we'll have to rework this whole little section. Still, it may be worth it. . . Savings: 1.5 pages.

p26: cut the Yancey invocation paragraph. Savings: .25 page

p29: rewrite our acknowledgments as a first endnote. Savings: .75 page

pp31-32: cut endnotes 9, 10, and 11 (on existing collaboration stations, on figure 1's "risks," and on the B.A.'s required courses). Savings: .75 page

pp33-38: cut citations no longer needed and "archival" citations of course documents (plus updating our MLA citation style to eliminate URLs) Savings: .5 page

p39: cut redundant biography paragraphs (in Danielle's ms., they appear on the manuscript's first page) Savings: 1 page

If I've estimated the savings correctly, these cuts would rid us of 7.25 pages. What do you think?

Thanks for considering--

J

Danielle's message (from Deborah Holdstein)

Dear Professor Dyehouse:

I write regarding your accepted _CCC_ manuscript. As you most likely know, my term as editor ends in December, 2009, and I am trying to publish all accepted manuscripts in one of my remaining issues. While Danielle Aquiline (my editorial assistant) and I first indicated to you that we would be passing along your manuscript to the incoming editor, we have other, very exciting news to report, and we ask that you read this memorandum with care.

Recently, a decision has been made to publish all of these manuscripts in two blockbuster issues: September, 2009 and December, 2009. These issues will each feature a good number of articles published in what we’ve called “hybrid” fashion—that is, having print and online components, as I have explained in several “From the Editor” essays.

As you may know, anything published in print or hybrid form in _CCC_ has undergone the same, full level of review as every other article we publish, and, of course, it has been accepted for publication. In this hybrid format, two pages of your article will appear in the print journal—and the title of your manuscript is listed in the full Table of Contents in the print journal—with clear direction to view the entire piece online in “The Extended CCC,” which replicates the print journal on screen with consecutive pagination.

Owing to budgetary constraints that make online publishing only slightly less costly than print, the majority of the articles will be featured in this hybrid/online “Extended _CCC_” (on the very permanent NCTE website).

We hope you understand that for your manuscript to appear in an upcoming 2009 issue of _CCC_, it is necessary for us to publish it in this part print-fully online form. Articles appearing in this manner are eligible for the Braddock Award and are searchable for scholarly work. As you may have seen, again, “The Extended _CCC_” appears on the secure and carefully monitored NCTE website. I have scheduled your article to appear in the December, 2009 issue.

Further, as we may have already indicated to you regarding your particular manuscript, we must ask that you cut your manuscript to a maximum of 30 pages. (If your manuscript is currently thirty double-spaced pages or fewer, then you can disregard this warning.) This, too, is to keep within our allotted costs. These pages must include your bibliography, brief bio, and abstract. So that we can meet our deadline and have the issues in production according to NCTE’s schedule, you must make these cuts and return your manuscript to us by Thursday, May 14. (And in doing so, please re-title the electronic file with your name, partial title of the ms, and the date of the current revision.) Keep in mind that after we receive and review your final version, it will have to be fact-checked and go through several layers of copyediting; there also needs to be time to respond to queries from one of the copyeditors. Then, you will see page proofs, and we will need a quick response at that time, as well.

As always, Danielle and I will be happy to assist you in any way possible as you do this important work.

We are very pleased to be able to publish all the manuscripts accepted during this editorship; we acknowledge that “hybrid” publication (part in print, all online) might not be what you had anticipated. If you do not wish for your work to be published in this way or if you are unable to make the required cuts, you may be released from your consent to publish so that you can submit your manuscript elsewhere. Of course, we hope you will choose to publish with us in the flagship journal in rhetoric and composition. Should you have a chair, tenure or promotion committee, or other contact person or evaluation committee that will want further affirmation of the review process and the reasons for these forms of publication, I am happy to write such letters, and I have already agreed to do so for several authors.

Please feel free to look at a recent issue—December, 2008 or February, 2009—and check online for “The Extended _CCC_” (www.ncte.org/cccc/ccc) to see more specifically the way your article will appear.

We greatly appreciate your willingness to work with me and with Danielle during this exciting and transitional time. Please let us know immediately (writing to me and copying Danielle) that you have received this e-mail and intend to send us a revised manuscript if yours currently exceeds thirty pages. And if you need Danielle to send to you the most recent version in our files to expedite your work and to make sure we’re operating from the same version, she will be glad to do so.

Please let either of us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Best,
Deborah Holdstein