Tuesday, October 23, 2007

One baby step closer

This morning I had an email from the assistant editor of the journal I submitted my ALA poster session article to for publication regarding copyright information for submitters and release form/permission form needing a necessary signature (mine!) prior to publication. Actually, this is the article they contacted me and asked me to write (VI still can't get over that). I have been reminding myself for the last six weeks that invitation to submit does not mean acceptance, especially in a peer-reviewed journal, and that the last article I had published took over six months to go from acceptance to publication. Ugh.

Not to mention the six to eight months it has been since I had two articles potentially accepted for publication in a book (so much for not mentioning, hmmm?). I last heard from the editor of this particular project was in May 07 notifying contributors that the project had been shipped and her publishers "guidelines say most books are published within 9-15 months from the time the manuscript is received." That means I have until February of 2008 before I begin obsessing about it's time table. But, once again, I digress.

As the time to submit my second article, the more in-depth offering about my blogging poster session, draws closer, I admit to curiosity regarding the status of the first article. It was a relief to be asked today to complete and sign the necessary forms, scan them, and forward them via email or fax ... especially when the email began "With regard to publishing your conference report." I am now cautiously optimistic the article has been accepted. I am also probably disproportionately excited because it is an international journal. When I finish with the second blogging article, there may be interest in the professional blogs I am currently involved with writing (both alone and in collaboration).

Who says presenting at ALA is the last thing you will ever do with an accepted poster session? I never dreamed to have this chance. Now, I am wracking my brain to come up with a topic for ALA in San Diego this summer. Maybe the library web page re-design and/or the faculty learning community I am involved with will fit the bill. I am still finding it a bit difficult to find my niche as an academic librarian who is not actively involved with bibliographic instruction (reference) and/or technical services.

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