Submissions

Stylus: A Journal of First-Year Writing

Stylus: A Journal of First-Year Writing seeks submissions of work produced in first-year writing courses (ENC 1101 or ENC 1102) at the University of Central Florida. Currently enrolled students or those who were enrolled the previous semester are welcome to submit. Multiple submissions and resubmissions are also welcome.

The editors of Stylus value work that demonstrates an inquiring mind, compelling prose, and original thought. All work submitted to Stylus should represent the final, revised copy. Submissions can be sent as Microsoft Office 365 file types, PDFs, or URLs. If the work exists in a physical form or lends itself to another other file type, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Editor Megan Lambert at Megan.Lambert@ucf.edu to discuss alternative submission possibilities.

Submitting Work to Stylus

Students

Please ask your composition instructor to submit your work to the journal. Send the final draft to your instructor as an attachment. Include your name and email address in the body of your message to your instructor. Your instructor will read over your paper, and if approved, it will be forwarded to the Stylus editors for consideration. All submissions must be submitted through an instructor email. Any submissions made directly by a student will be returned.

Instructors

After reviewing your student’s submission, simply forward the message (with the document attached) on to Stylus@ucf.edu from your official UCF email address. If you wish to add comments in the body of this email, we will happily take these into consideration; however, do not feel obligated to add a message. We will assume that your forwarded email signifies your approval of this work as exemplary.

Review Procedures for Publication in Stylus

Review Guidelines

The editors of Stylus value work that demonstrates an inquiring mind, compelling prose, and original thought. The following guidelines highlight some of the things we consider during the review and selection process:

  • A stated or implied purpose that’s worthwhile for its intended audience, and fulfills that purpose
  • Inventive approaches to applications of writing concepts/theory, subject matter, modes, presentation
  • Sharing or creation of new knowledge
  • Passion for the project, demonstration of learning, genuine curiosity
  • Diversity in linguistic or rhetorical variations
  • Intentionality where audience is concerned
  • Creative risk-taking approach that is fulfilling or enjoyable to read
  • Labor in scope of the project
  • Useful model for ENC 1101 or ENC 1102
As per UCF’s IRB Manager, Gillian Bernal, Stylus requires the following from all submissions involving research on human subjects, including social media:
  1. Proof of completed CITI Training (“human subjects protection training”).
  2. All names, including usernames or handles on digital platforms, must be anonymized or blacked out to ensure participant privacy.
  3. The project entailed very minimal risk to participants.
We encourage all instructors to work closely with students who are conducting primary research and may submit their work to Stylus. Doing so will help ensure research questions and presentations follow best practices. Along these lines, the following projects will not be accepted for publication in Stylus: projects that could negatively impacting a subject’s employability, insurability, or reputation; projects involving vulnerable populations (e.g., children under 18, those in prison, those with a history of poor mental health, etc.) or illegal activities (e.g. underage drinking or illegal drug use, including tobacco); and those projects asking any questions deemed potentially harmful to participants (e.g., questions about any kind of abuse, depression, self-harm, or the use of racial, sexual, or other kinds of slurs).

Accepted submissions will then go through a copyediting and formatting process to prepare the work for publication. This process serves to enhance clarity for the reader while prioritizing the author’s voice and vision for their piece.

Review Timeline

The deadline for submissions for our next issue is Friday, August 23, 2024. From there, the submissions will go through a two-level review process consisting of the Student Editorial Board and the Faculty Advisory Board. Students can expect to hear back about the status of their submission(s) near the end of the Fall 2024 semester.

Any questions or concerns about the submission or review process should be forwarded to Megan Lambert, Stylus editor, at Megan.Lambert@ucf.edu.