| Overview |
|
Most articles published in TD&T
are written by scholars and experts who work in the performing arts and
entertainment industry. Some authors are experienced writers, many are not.
Unsolicited article proposals are welcomed and should consist of 1) a short
paragraph describing the topic of the article, 2) an outline showing how
the article will develop its ideas, and 3) a representation of the illustrative
materials to be included in the article (photos, drawings, renderings, etc.). Manuscripts
should be sent as a computer file and as a hard copy. Just about any DOS,
Windows or MacOS file is acceptable; preferred file formats include MSWord
(Mac) for text, TIF files for bitmapped graphics, and EPS files for vector
graphics. Files may be sent as attachments to e-mail messages or on CD or
"Zip" disks. See below for requirements for photos and illustrations. |
| Style |
|
An easy, conversational writing
style generally works best. Even the most complex technical concepts can
be explained in clear, simple sentences. Be sure to define terms not widely
understood. The editors use Chicago Manual of Style as their guide to consistency,
clarity, literacy, good sense, and good usage. |
| Length |
|
Feature articles are generally between
three and ten thousand words. Book and product reviews are a few hundred
words. |
| Photos and Illustrations |
|
Visuals (photographs, renderings,
diagrams, drafting, technical illustrations) are just as important as the
text. Authors should plan well in advance to acquire or create the visuals
to accompany their article. Original color transparencies, slides or negatives
are preferred. Reflective art (glossy photographs, drafting, renderings,
illustrations) can be used as long as it is no larger than 8-1/2 by 14 inches.Authors
are responsible for obtaining permission from photographers, illustrators,
designers and artists to publish their work. Each piece of art submitted
should be accompanied by appropriate credit information. In addition, captions
should be provided clearly identifying all important information for each
photo or illustration. For example, production photos should include play
title, author, director, designers, theatre, and date. Full names of people
appearing in photos must also be provided. |
| Rights and Permissions |
|
When TD&T accepts an article
for publication, a publishing agreement is sent to the author. Basically
this agreement asks for two things: the right to be the first periodical
to publish the article (first serial rights), and the right to reprint the
article either as a stand-alone piece, or in an anthology (reprint rights).
Reprint rights extend to publication on USITT's Web site. Authors retain
all other rights, including the right to publish the article elsewhere after
publication in TD&T. At the present time, TD&T doesn't compensate
authors. However, three authors are selected each year to receive a substantial
honorarium. |
| Publication |
|
Articles are scheduled for publication
only after an acceptable manuscript and all illustrative materials are in
hand. Publication schedules are made well in advance, so it may be several
months following completion before an article is published. |
| Juried Section |
|
A Juried Section of TD&T is
available for our academic members who wish to have their articles judged
by a jury of academic peers according to the rigorous standards of scholarly
publications. A copy of the submission guidelines for juried articles is
available from the USITT office. |
Home Page