If you'd like to write for MultiMedia Schools, please contact me to discuss an idea. I'd also be happy to review an outline or draft proposal. Author guidelines are provided here.

David Hoffman
Editor, MultiMedia Schools
10000 NE 7th Ave., Suite 100
Vancouver, WA 98685
360/882-0988
hoffmand@infotoday.com

Magazine Focus

MultiMedia Schools is a magazine written for and by library media specialists and other school professionals who use electronic resources everyday with their students. Spanning the entire spectrum of K-12 education, articles, columns and reviews are all geared toward the exchange of practical information.  We're looking for stories that emphasize Internet, multimedia, and other electronic resources, plus technology-based tools, and how to integrate them into the library media center and the entire school curriculum. We particularly want stories that demonstrate how these resources and tools are improving student learning. Product tests, how-to advice on effective, efficient use of resources, as well as broader issues of information literacy in schools will be covered.

Editorial Practices

Each feature in MultiMedia Schools addresses The Four Questions:

1.  What did students learn? (We seek specific, practical models of how learning has been enhanced through technology)
2.  How do you (and they) know that it was learned? (What's the evidence? How did you gather and share it?)
3.  What was required for this learning to happen? (Not just hardware/software, but also experience, time, preparation by you and students... a portrait of your learning environment)
4.  How can our readers get these benefits to happen for their students? (Not just "buy this product" or "visit this website" but what you've learned are the essential conditions for success)

All this gets answered in 1500 words, with any graphical representations (diagrams, charts, photos) that help tell your story. Graphics must be 300 dpi TIFF format in order to be usable in print.

• We assume you are using a word processor; please also use a spelling checker.
• Write in simple, straightforward English
• Begin the article with a paragraph or two to attract the reader's interest. Boring background introductions are not appropriate.
• Write tersely in Reader's Digest style, not in wordy, academic prose.
• Short, pithy, fact-filled articles are much better than long wordy pieces.
• Stress "dos and don'ts" and "tips and techniques" that can be applied to readers' situations.
• Use examples to enhance the text; gather comments from colleagues or patrons when appropriate and include them.
• Provide photos whenever possible, also diagrams and graphs.
• Use subheads frequently to break up text (make them descriptive -not just a single word).
• Keep cited references to a minimum, and follow our preferred style.
• Identify references in the text [e.g., "Sally Smith, writing in the Nov. 1996 ONLINE, noted that..." then add a [1], [2], etc. for the full reference (Note: Use square brackets.)
• We stress original work (as opposed to a synthesis or overview based on previously published work).
• The byline should include the author's full name, title, and affiliation.
• The article should conclude with "Communications to the author should be addressed to. . .Name, Title, Affiliation, Mailin g Address, Phone, and Electronic Mail Addresses" (a photo and biographical sketch are optional). Type your phone number as 888/888-1234 using slash instead of parens.
• Keep printouts to a minimum and annotate the major points in printouts
• Some preferred terms are as follows: online, microcomputer, database, offline, printout, update, logoff, logon disk, e-mail , hardcopy, host, end-user, CD-ROM, MS-DOS, PC-DOS ,user-friendly, in- house, U.S., menu-driven ,free text, MB (4MB), KB (24KB), multimedia. Use databank or online service ("vendor" is not acceptable)

• All parts of an article must be submitted in electronic format, either on disk or via e-mail. This includes sidebars, biographical material, tables, charts, printouts, etc. Exceptions may be made for laserprinted illustrations after consultation with the Editor.
• Length should be from 12K to 30K characters, according to your discussions with the Editor. Check the file length on disk, but disregard padded character counts for word processor formatting.
• Use as little formatting as possible in the manuscript since often it must be removed and revised to suit our style.
• Use carriage returns only at end of paragraphs, not after every line.
• Do not indent at beginning of paragraphs, instead use a double linefeed between paragraphs.
• The typeset manuscript will be sent to the author for proofing if time allows. (Revisions or rewriting after the manuscript is edited are strongly discouraged and will be permitted only at the discretion of the production staff, and in consultation with the Editor. Only necessary misprints or corrections should be made at the galley stage.)

• Submit graphs, charts, and other illustrations on disk if possible or in laser printed format.
• Charts and tables should have tabs, not spaces delineating the columns. Set the appropriate tabs on your word processor, using one tab per column.
• Keep the length of printouts to a minimum, using vertical ellipses where possible to eliminate repetitious parts.
• If you include search printouts or search examples, format them as separate figures
• Each printout and figure must be numbered (i.e., FIGURE 1), and must have a descriptive title, and a line or two of explanation since it is possible it will appear elsewhere than near the part of the article where it is mentioned.
• Submit good copies of original printouts and search statements for proofreading of spacing , etc.
• Screen dumps must be laserprinted/camera-ready copy. (To get a good printout of a screen, with lines instead of funny characters, set your printer to the IBM character set.)
• Good photographs are welcome; send color or black & white.

• Journal citations: Refer to a "Journal Watch" column in either ONLINE or DATABASE magazine for the correct style. Cite the volume, the number, and the complete date of the journal article. All three elements are essential.
• Book citations: Example--Glossbrenner, Alfred, and Anis, Nick. Glossbrenner's Complete Hard Disk Handbook Berkeley, CA: Dvorak Osborne/McGraw-Hill, 1990. 814 pp.

Manuscript deadlines are set by the production requirements. Missing the scheduled deadline for your article may jeopardize publication of your article since timeliness is often of critical importance. There is a significant lead time for articles due to the rigorous editing, proofing, and production efforts expended on each manuscript. If a manuscript needs fact checking or review by outside experts, editorial board members, database/CD-ROM producers, or online services, additional time is required to complete the editorial process.

Publication Agreement And Payment

Authors are asked to sign a Publication Agreement at the time of manuscript submission. Furthermore, each issue will be copyrighted to protect the entire issue as an entity. Payment for a manuscript varies according to the article's complexity and original research. All authors are paid except those employed by online, multimedia and/or CD-ROM suppliers (and consultants to suppliers) who are writing about their employers' products and services. In some cases authors reviewing software or CD-ROMs that we supply may keep it as their payment. Payment is made upon publication; a check, tear sheets, and a complimentary copy of the issue are sent to the author on publication.

Send manuscripts intended for MultiMedia Schools to:

Unacceptable manuscripts will not be returned unless accompanied by such a request in writing plus a stamped self-addressed envelope. The publisher is not responsible for lost manuscripts or photographs.