Thank you for your interest in writing for The ATA Chronicle.
The following editorial guidelines will help you prepare your submissions.
Submission Format
Send to:
Email your submission as an MS Word attachment to jeff@atanet.org.
Length:
- Articles: Typical length is 1,500 words (2,500 maximum)
- Columns: 800-1,200 words
Abstract:
Abstracts should be brief (100 words maximum) and emphasize the most salient points of your article. The abstract will be included in the table of contents. For example:
- Learn the strategies to effective project management. Remember, it’s a team effort!
Title:
The title should briefly identify the subject and indicate the purpose of the article. For example:
- Project Management: Don’t Go It Alone
Byline:
After the article title, list your name without any designations (e.g., PhD, MD,
or job title). Any credentials can be included in the author biography.
Author Biography:
Include a brief biography (150 words maximum) with your article. The bio should include:
- Job title
- Specializations
- ATA certification (if applicable)
- Education
Sample Bio:
Jan Doe is the managing director of Company XYZ, a Chicago-based translation company specialized in translation, localization, interpretation, and voice-overs in all languages. She teaches courses in translation at ABC University on weekends. She is an ATA-certified (English>Spanish) translator. Contact: jand@companyxyz.com.
Author Bio Photo:
Please provide a high-resolution JPEG. A professional quality headshot is preferred.
Photos/Graphics:
- Submit all graphics (photos, charts, diagrams, etc.) as separate high-resolution JPEG files.
- Non-European Characters: Please provide a PDF file of the document if it contains non-European characters (i.e., Japanese and Arabic).
General Writing Tips
- Avoid long blocks of text. Break down the main points of the article into sections with subheads.
- Do not attempt to cover everything about a particular topic in one article. Narrow the focus of discussion to a few main areas.
- Text must not be “advertorial,” promotional, or “marketing” in nature. Avoid self-promotion and make sure the text is not biased toward your products and services. With this in mind, you can demonstrate how the product can be used and highlight your level of expertise through the use of specific examples that are easy to follow.
General Style Guidelines
All articles are subject to editing for grammar, style, punctuation, and space limitations. The ATA Chronicle follows The Chicago Manual of Style. There are also certain style practices that are specific to ATA (see below). Where appropriate, the relevant section in The Chicago Manual of Style is noted below, for example (Chicago, 5.25). Here are some general rules to keep in mind during the writing process.
ATA-Specific Terminology:
- Uppercase “Association” when referring to ATA
- The ATA Chronicle (in italics) or The Chronicle (in italics)
- Uppercase ATA Annual Conference
- Uppercase ATA Board of Directors, the ATA Board, or the Board (when referring to ATA’s Board)
- Uppercase Committee, Division, or Chapter only when it is part of an official title (e.g., ATA Executive Committee, but not “the Committee is working”).
- Uppercase official titles of ATA officers, directors, committee chairs, and division administrators only when they precede a name. Otherwise use:
- ATA president-elect
- ATA president
- ATA executive director
- assistant administrator of XXX
- administrator of the XXX
Abbreviations/Acronyms/Intialisms:
- Spell out the full name of a term the first time it is used, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. Use the abbreviation for all subsequent appearances.
information technology (IT)
health care resource utilization (HRU)
- When you refer to an association, corporation, or business for the first time, use its full name, followed by its initials in parentheses. If possible, include the city and state or country where the organization is headquartered. If applicable, please include a website for more information. In subsequent references, either use the abbreviation or say “the association,” “the organization,” or “the society.”
The National Association of Widget Manufacturers (NAWM) of Washington, DC (www.widget.com) is…
- When the abbreviation is used in subsequent text, it should not be preceded by “the.”
Members of the American Translators Association (ATA) gathered in Seattle for a networking session. ATA members can learn a lot from attending such events.
Capitalization:
Academic Degrees: Do not capitalize academic degrees.
Job Titles: Capitalize titles when they precede a person’s name (Executive Director John Smith says…), but lowercase them when they follow the name (John Smith, executive director of…).
Organizations, committees, and conferences: Capitalize complete official names. Lowercase them when they become general (Chicago 7.50-7.62).
National Capital Area Chapter of ATA / the chapter
German Language Division / the division
Comma (Serial):
Place a comma before the conjunction joining the last two items in a series. (e.g., red, white, and blue) (Chicago, 6.19-20).
Contractions:
Contractions are allowed
Italics:
- Publication titles
- Blogs
- Foreign words (except proper names)
- Titles of movies (or films) and movie series and of television, radio, and podcast programs and series
Preferred Spelling:
Use American English spellings, the exception being proper names (Localisation Forum).
- database, not data base
- email, not e-mail
- federal, not Federal (unless part of a title such as Federal Communications Commission)
- health care (unless “healthcare” appears as part of an official title)
- internet, not Internet
- online
- résumé
- term base
- toward, not towards
- web
- website
- webmaster
- web page
Format for References:
Use endnotes, not in-text citations. Insert the reference number at the end of the sentence (Chicago, 16.15). The number will correspond to the complete reference note at the end of the article. Please put the page number and website (if applicable) at the end.
Books (one author):
Goody, John. Translating the Source Text (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000), 24-25.
Books (two authors):
Albin, Verónica S., and María T. Coggins. Bilingual Glossary for Medical Translators: Hematology, Oncology, Radiotherapy (PCM Translation Resources, 1994), 100.
Books (more than three authors):
Locke, Christopher, Rick Levine, Doc Searls, and David Weinberger. The Cluetrain Manifesto (Perseus Books Group, 2000), 35.
Edited Volume:
Niske, Heldge. “Introduction to Terminology and Terminological Tools,” in Community Interpreting and Translating: New Needs for New Realities. Edited by Garcés C. Valero and Barés G. Mancho (Universidad de Alcalá: Servicio de Publicaciones, 2002), 38.
Newspaper:
Dibble, Sandra. “University of San Diego to Help Prepare Mexico for Oral Trials,” The San Diego Union-Tribune (November 4, 2014), http://bit.ly/USD-oral-trials.
Barbassa, Juliana, and Manuel Valdes. “2010 Census Counts Indigenous Immigrants,” The Huffington Post (March 2010), http://bit.ly/Census-count.
Periodicals (one author):
Cengel, Katya. “The Other Mexicans,” National Geographic (June 25, 2013), http://bit.ly/NG-Mexicans.
Periodicals (two authors):
Mason, George, and Abigal Baldwin. “Cultural Variations in Arabic,” Reflections (June 2000), 5.
Periodicals (more than three authors):
Adams, John, George Stanley, Doc Searls, and David Weinberger. “The Attack on Academic Theory,” Education Quarterly, Volume 2 (September 1998), 44.
Government Report:
International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, Volume 2 (Washington: Department of State, Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, March 1, 2006), 107-111.
Press Release:
“DEA Administrator Karen Tandy Visits Panama” (Embassy of the United States, Panama, June 21, 2005).
Conference Proceedings:
Martin, Lorena, and John Roth. “Financial Crimes,” Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (May 2005), 6.
Court Case:
U.S. v. Zambrana, 841 F.2d 1320 (7th Cir. Ind. 1988).