CFP Saving the Day: Advice on Publishing in Popular Culture Research (Roundtable) (9/30/21; NeMLA 3/10-13/2022)

 CFP Saving the Day: Advice on Publishing in Popular Culture Research (Roundtable)

Sponsored by the Association for the Advancement of Scholarship and Teaching of the Medieval in Popular Culture

For the 53rd Annual Convention of the Northeast Modern Language Association

To convene at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront, Baltimore, Maryland, from 10-13 March 2022

Proposals due by 30 September 2021

Finding where to submit our research is an issue for many, especially for those working on popular texts, like anime, comics, games, and genre fiction. Too often, the scholarship “dies”. It remains part of our CV or lesson plan but fails to reach the wider audience it deserves. This roundtable seeks published scholars to present on approaches to finding the right “fit” for work in popular culture and to relate their experiences with the processes of publication all in the hopes of encouraging others to get their work out into the world. 

Call for Papers

Many scholars working with popular culture have had their work feel largely out of place when looking at calls for papers or submitting to journals and edited collections. For example, papers on medievalist games tend to get rejected from strict medieval journals, and staunch comics studies collections focus on the medium and presentation of image rather than the adapted narrative of Frankenstein. Where, then, do we turn to publish our research? And, can anyone help us to do so?

This roundtable seeks published scholars to share their experiences within Popular Culture Studies. How have you achieved success in finding the right “fit” for your work in publications? Can you relate your experiences with the process of acceptance, peer review, revision, and final publication? Our goal is to help new and emerging scholars working with popular culture texts to more easily navigate the various CFPs and submission processes and to learn how and why their work may or may not fit for certain publications or publishers.

We welcome and, indeed, encourage submissions that span the genres of popular culture studies (including anime/manga, fantasy, games, horror, Internet video and memes, medievalisms, and science fiction) and that might highlight perspectives from various specialties (including classics, ecocriticism, feminism, LGBTQ+, romanticism, etc.). The more widespread the discussion, the more we can begin to expand the conversation about approaches to finding publication opportunities and the processes therein, both for new scholars and for those shifting into popular culture from another field. We also hope to begin to create a larger understanding of how and why many popular culturalists remain unpublished or remain relatively unknown outside of a few groups. 

Submissions should be made directly into NeMLA’s conference management program at https://www.cfplist.com/nemla/Home/S/19224. Potential presenters will need to create an account with NeMLA to submit a proposal (including a presentation title, brief abstract of 250 words detailing your experiences with and approaches to publication in popular culture, academic bio, and media needs) and to become members of NeMLA should their proposal be accepted for the session. Notice of acceptance will be made after 1 October 2021. Please go to the website nemla.org for details about session types and presenter guidelines.

Please address any other questions to the session organizers at medievalinpopularculture@gmail.com. We also welcome suggestions for resources (in print or online) that might be of value to the panel and its audience.