Submission Guidelines

• Except in special cases, authors should be NCTE members. The NCTE blog may occasionally publish “guest posts” on current topics from nonmembers, but as a rule these will be invited by the editors for specific purposes. Nonmembers may submit proposals for guest posts, but prompt consideration cannot be guaranteed, and queries and submissions from NCTE members will be given precedence over queries and submissions from nonmembers.
• Pieces should be between 500–800 words.
• Tone should be conversational but professional.
• Avoid promotion of particular products, programs, publications, or services.
• In line with the less formal blog genre, it’s preferred that submissions not include Works Cited lists. Instead, research sources should be hyperlinked using the following format:

“My students read Frederick Douglass over the summer…

• If there is a reference list included, it should follow Chicago-Style.
• Preference will be given to authors who have not previously published posts on the NCTE blog.
• Preference will be given to blogs that directly relate to the work of the Council, its affiliates, and its members.

Submission Process

If you are interested in writing a piece for the Literacy & NCTE blog, we suggest submitting a pitch outlining your topic and angle (50–150 words) via email. We can then can provide feedback and direction prior to a full-post submission. Please note that writers may be encouraged to submit on proposed topics, but we are not able to guarantee publication until a post has been submitted and reviewed.

Full-post submissions should be sent as attached Word documents, and should include:

• a title;
• photo of 2 MB or less of the author, preferably in a setting (such as in a classroom, library, office or outside) or of content related to the blog (please note that any images of students must be accompanied by permission forms signed by guardians);
  • Permission form in English and Spanish (thanks to Rocio Rivas for the work on translation!)
• a 1–2 sentence biography of the author(s);
• author(s) Twitter/X handle(s), if on Twitter/X;
• author(s) Instagram handle(s), if on IG;
• notation if on LinkedIn

Editorial Process

NCTE staff review all blog posts submitted for consideration, and will try when possible to let authors know within a month whether or not a post has been accepted for publication.

All pieces chosen for publication will be copyedited; occasionally a post may be returned to the author for clarification or revision.

Literacy & NCTE editors reserve the right to make editorial changes in any blog post accepted for publication to enhance clarity, conciseness, or style. The editors’ decisions are final.

Blog posts are selected for publication on the basis of a variety of criteria, including currency, clarity, and relevance to the mission and work of the Council. Sometimes, to accommodate the blog schedule, a post may be accepted but scheduled for publication later in the year. We’ll do our best to keep authors informed as to status of submissions, but authors are always welcome to email for an update on a submission.

It is the policy of NCTE in its journals, blogs, and other publications to provide a forum for the open discussion of ideas concerning the content and the teaching of English and the language arts. Publicity accorded to any particular point of view does not imply endorsement by the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors, or the membership at large, except in announcements of policy, where such endorsement is clearly specified. Unless otherwise stated, all content on this blog is owned and copyrighted by NCTE. NCTE reserves the right to remove any comments from the site.