Your Career: Is Your Public Writing Ready for Prime Time?

Beyond eliminating jargon, here's what you need to know about writing for mainstream publications. ADVERTISEMENT [Your Career Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. You can now read The Chronicle on [Flipboard]( and [Google News](. Editor’s Note: Here is today’s Your Career newsletter. Our apologies for an earlier email that was mistakenly sent. Beyond eliminating jargon, here’s what you need to know about writing for mainstream publications. Maybe your goal is to publish a newspaper op-ed on a topic in which you have expertise, or a long-form article about fieldwork you’ve done that has important public implications. Reaching the public is something plenty of scholars say they would like to do, but they have trouble with the execution because it requires learning a different set of writing skills than they possess. When you take off your lab coat or leave the echoing halls of the Modern Language Association conference, the citizens of humanity might not know what you mean by “delimitation,” “sequelae,” and “multi situated.” Besides cutting the academese, here are other factors to consider in writing for mainstream venues: - Study submission guidelines. Publications that accept freelance work will detail what they are looking for under a headline like “writer’s guidelines” (or in The Chronicle’s case: [Write for Us](. On that page, you’ll typically find a breakdown of sections, including word counts and general pointers. Pay attention to the instructions. Do not send in a 3,500-word manuscript for a section that accepts 1,000-word pieces and expect an editor to go mining for gold. - Learn to write a pitch. Some publications accept complete manuscripts, but many others prefer a query letter first. There’s an art to writing these punchy one-pagers. A quick Google search will produce plenty of examples and explanations of what your pitch should accomplish. Most important: Each query must be crafted for a particular publication. Don’t spam every opinion editor in the country with the same pitch. Continue reading: “[7 Tips for Scholars on Writing for Nonacademics]( by Rachel Toor Share your suggestions for the newsletter with Denise Magner, an editor at The Chronicle, at denise.magner@chronicle.com. If you’d like to opt out, you can log in to our website and [manage your newsletter preferences here](. ADVERTISEMENT REGISTER NOW [Join us January 9-27]( for a virtual professional development program on overcoming the challenges of the department chair role and creating a strategic vision for individual and departmental growth. [Reserve your spot today!]( Latest Career Advice, Opinion, and News ADVICE [How to Retain Your Best Staff Members]( By Meredith Davis [STORY IMAGE]( Four tips from a former student-affairs administrator on how to improve work culture on campus. SPONSOR CONTENT | Adobe [Adobe Digital Literacy Resources]( ADVERTISEMENT THE REVIEW | OPINION [Disgraced Presidents Shouldn’t Get Tenure]( By Judith A. Wilde and James H. Finkelstein [STORY IMAGE]( Why enrich someone whose career ended in controversy? DATA IN QUESTION [Stanford Is Investigating Its Own President Over Research-Misconduct Allegations]( By Stephanie M. Lee [STORY IMAGE]( The inquiry stems from claims of manipulated images in papers co-authored by Marc Tessier-Lavigne. LEADERSHIP UPHEAVAL [Ohio State President Leaves Big Plans Unfinished as She Steps Down]( By Eric Kelderman [STORY IMAGE]( Her planned resignation, “a difficult decision,” she said, comes less than three years into a five-year contract. HIGHER ED UNDER FIRE [‘Private Little Hell’]( By Emma Pettit [STORY IMAGE]( A Florida committee once hunted for gay people in its universities. Sixty years later, the effects linger. FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [Building a Faculty That Flourishes]( [Building a Faculty That Flourishes]( Colleges and universities cannot be successful without vibrant and engaged faculties. Now is the time to figure out sustainable ways to recruit, support, and diversify the faculty. [Order your copy today.]( What we’re reading. Here’s more on career issues and trends from around the web. See something we should include? [Let me know](mailto:denise.magner@chronicle.com?subject=Your Career feedback). - A [report]( on “systemic racial disparities” in the awarding of National Science Foundation grants. - Tips in the Harvard Business Review on “[how to write a thank-you email]( following a job interview. - In Science magazine, [a look]( at how “visa bureaucracy makes scientific conferences inaccessible” for some researchers. More Career Resources [Higher Ed’s Digital Future: Research Universities]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: December 6, 2022 | 2 p.m. ET: Hybrid and virtual courses improved accessibility for students, especially nontraditional ones, during the pandemic. In the final installment of this three-part series, a panel of experts will discuss the future of tech in higher ed. With Support From Verizon. [Register here.]( [Managing Higher Ed’s Modern Work Force]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: December 8, 2022 | 2 p.m. ET: In a national survey by The Chronicle, 57 percent of administrators said their colleges lacked policies and systems to govern a contemporary workplace. Join us to discuss what provosts, deans, and department chairs can do to improve employee morale and related issues. With Support From ModernThink. [Register here.]( [The Chronicle’s Strategic-Leadership Program: Department Chairs]( [STORY IMAGE]( Join us on January 9-27 for a professional-development program to help department chairs overcome the challenges of the role and create a strategic vision for individual and departmental growth. [Chronicle Festival: The Ideas Shaping Higher Ed]( [STORY IMAGE]( ON DEMAND: Higher ed faces an unprecedented decline in trust. What can colleges do to revitalize their missions, better promote their value, and reconnect with the public? Chronicle journalists interview leading thinkers. With Support From Workday, Adobe, and Pushkin. [Watch on demand](. JOB OPPORTUNITIES [President]( Howard University [Multiple Positions]( Community College of Baltimore County [Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Psychology]( Pepperdine University [Faculty Job Openings]( Towson University [DEAN, CRUMMER GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS]( Rollins College [Faculty Openings]( Saginaw Valley State University [Cluster Cohort Hire Diversity, Equity and Inclusion]( Western Colorado University [Clinical Associate Professor of Leadership]( The University of Chicago Booth School of Business [Senior Diversity and Inclusion Officer]( Eastern Illinois University [Search other jobs.]( NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK [Please let us know what you thought of today's newsletter in this three-question survey](. This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. 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