Call for Submissions

We invite submissions of scholarly essays, creative work, and book reviews for CLA Journal!

Established in 1957, CLA Journal is a multilingual, international publication that fosters socially engaged, innovative, and groundbreaking scholarship in language, literature, linguistics, and pedagogy cultivated by the diverse international membership of CLA. 

In an effort to fully feature the scope and breadth of the membership’s intellectual productions, CLA Journal now welcomes creative work from emerging and established poets and fiction writers along with articles.

In keeping with its desire to develop the study of the languages and literatures of Africa and its global diaspora as an important area of scholarship, CLA Journal is committed to offering critical perspectives and new developments in the analysis of language, literature, and cultural studies representative of the diverse scholarly interests of its members while privileging the African diaspora and transcultural black identities. 

Guidelines

CLA Journal does not consider previously published material nor manuscripts submitted elsewhere. Note that membership with the College Language Association is required in order to complete the submission. The submission process includes the following documents, which must be uploaded via the Submission Portal. 

Journal Articles

The CLA Journal has adopted a double-blind review process for submissions. This means that the identities of both reviewers and authors will be concealed from each other throughout the review. To facilitate this, authors must ensure that their manuscripts are prepared in such a way that they do not reveal their identities to reviewers, either directly or indirectly. For more information on the double-blind review process, visit: https://www.elsevier.com/reviewers/what-is-peer-review/peer-review-guidelines.

Essay Document

• Manuscripts must be Microsoft Word documents, double spaced, with one-inch margins and Times New Roman 12 pt. font.
• Manuscripts should be approximately 20-24 pages (7000-8000 words), which excludes footnotes and works cited.
• Formatting and citations should conform to The MLA Handbook (8th Edition, 2016).
• CLA Journal requires reference notes in the form of footnotes.
• An abstract of the essay that does not exceed 250 words formatted as a single-spaced page with the essay title and author’s name.

Supplemental Documents

• Manuscripts should also be accompanied by a separate additional file that contains a cover letter with the author’s name, address, Email address, telephone number, and professional affiliation.
• Include a biographical sketch of the author, of approximately 100 words. If the work is collaborative, a separate biographical sketch is required for each author.

Creative Work (Poetry and Short Prose/Fiction)

The review process for creative submissions is also anonymized. This means that the identities of both reviewers and authors will be concealed from each other throughout the review. To facilitate this, authors must ensure that their manuscripts are prepared in such a way that they do not reveal their identities to reviewers, either directly or indirectly. For more information on how to anonymize your file, please visit: https://www.elsevier.com/reviewers/what-is-peer-review/peer-review-guidelines.

Creative  Document

• Poetry submissions are limited to 3 poems and must be submitted in the same document via the CLA Journal submission portal. 
• Fiction submissions should be Microsoft Word documents, double spaced, with one-inch margins in Times New Roman 12 pt. Font. Manuscripts should not exceed 5000 words.

Supplemental Documents

• Manuscripts should also be accompanied by a separate additional file that contains a cover letter with the author’s name, address, Email address, telephone number, and professional affiliation if applicable.
• Include a biographical sketch of the author, of approximately 100 words. If the work is collaborative, a separate biographical sketch is required for each author.

Book Reviews

CLA Journal considers unsolicited book reviews for publication and dispatches books to qualified members for solicited reviews.

Book Review

• Include a brief summary of the book’s central argument.
• Offer an assessment of the book’s contribution to the existing literature in its field.
• Provide a frank evaluation of the book’s strengths and weaknesses.
• Maintain a collegial and constructive tone.
• Adhere to MLA style guidelines.
• The book review must be 500-2000 words in length.

Supplemental Documents

• Manuscripts should also be accompanied by a separate additional file that contains a cover letter with the author’s name, address, Email address, telephone number, and professional affiliation.
• Include a biographical sketch of the author, of approximately 100 words. If the work is collaborative, a separate biographical sketch is required for each author.