Getting Published in The Torch!
The Torch seeks your articles! We are looking for a wide variety of articles by nursing students for possible publication.
We are also seeking submissions for The Torch columns including:
For manuscript guidelines and criteria for accepted articles, please refer to the Guidelines for Authors below.
We are also seeking submissions for The Torch columns including:
- "Reflections", which highlights memorable or emotional experiences with patients;
- "Happenings", which highlights state and school chapter activities; please send us photos of your activities as well.
- "Up Close" nominations of an outstanding nursing student (and NSNA//VNSA member) to be profiled in an upcoming issue.
- "Write On", the "letters to the editor" section of The Torch. Love something in The Torch? Hate it? Tell us about it and why. Or tell us about a nursing related issue.
For manuscript guidelines and criteria for accepted articles, please refer to the Guidelines for Authors below.
Guidelines for Authors
Criteria used in accepting articles
1. Length and word count are within guidelines
2. The article is accurate, properly documented and conforms to Imprint's Guidelines for Authors.
3. Subject matter is relevant to Imprint readers
Other Considerations
Ideal manuscripts: fit the focus/theme of an upcoming issue; and cover topics not published in The Torch within the last 12 months (unless the topic is of an upcoming focus/theme).
2. The article is accurate, properly documented and conforms to Imprint's Guidelines for Authors.
3. Subject matter is relevant to Imprint readers
Other Considerations
Ideal manuscripts: fit the focus/theme of an upcoming issue; and cover topics not published in The Torch within the last 12 months (unless the topic is of an upcoming focus/theme).
columns open for submission
Imprint does not accept academic or clinical school papers, or graduation speeches.
We are also seeking submissions for The Torch columns including:
Write On - Letters to the Editor
Letters to the editor responding to articles in The Torch or nursing issues.
(Suggested length: between 200-400 words)
Happenings
Local chapters report on projects and activities in which they are participating to promote member recognition and networking.
Up Close
Highlights outstanding VNSA members.
Reflections
Human interest stories about emotional or life-changing experiences with patients or other nursing school experiences.
We are also seeking submissions for The Torch columns including:
Write On - Letters to the Editor
Letters to the editor responding to articles in The Torch or nursing issues.
(Suggested length: between 200-400 words)
Happenings
Local chapters report on projects and activities in which they are participating to promote member recognition and networking.
Up Close
Highlights outstanding VNSA members.
Reflections
Human interest stories about emotional or life-changing experiences with patients or other nursing school experiences.
Query email
We encourage authors to discuss potential manuscript ideas with the editors in order to best tailor them to our readers and to make sure a manuscript on the same topic hasn't been accepted recently.
Query Email should include a paragraph describing the proposed manuscript, its projected length, how the topic will be treated or approached, an outline, and a short biographical sketch indicating the author's credentials and qualifications for writing the manuscript. We do consider completed manuscripts without a prior query. Manuscripts published elsewhere or submitted simultaneously to another journal will not be reviewed.
Submit your query email to [email protected]
Query Email should include a paragraph describing the proposed manuscript, its projected length, how the topic will be treated or approached, an outline, and a short biographical sketch indicating the author's credentials and qualifications for writing the manuscript. We do consider completed manuscripts without a prior query. Manuscripts published elsewhere or submitted simultaneously to another journal will not be reviewed.
Submit your query email to [email protected]
Word Count
The length for features or general articles is 1200-1500 words. The length for columns is 800-1000 words, except for the “Write On” (letters).
Style and editing
We encourage a writing style that is inviting, useful, informative, and lively, with use of headings and subheadings throughout the manuscript. Refer to yourself as "I," rather than "the author" and the reader as "you." The Torch has an informal, easy-to-read style that is conversational in tone, rather than academic. All copies must conform to our editorial style, and this typically involves editing, rewriting, and condensing. We make every effort to retain content, and we send all authors edited copy prior to publication for their review. As time permits, we integrate author’s corrections into the final copy, but this is at the editor’s discretion.
References
Authors are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of their references and for correct text citation. All statistics and factual information must be referenced. All direct quotes, including those from government sources, online publications, and publications that are in the public domain, must be presented as such with quotations and appropriate citations. Treating direct quotes otherwise will be considered plagiarism. Plagiarized manuscripts will be rejected.
The Torch uses the American Psychological Association (APA) style for references. (See http://www.apastyle.org/ for general references, and http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html for online references.) With this format, references must be listed alphabetically by author's last name and include all elements of formal citation. The reference format for APA style is described in the 6th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, a large reference book that contains hundreds of guidelines on how to format references, statistics, tables, punctuation, and grammar. It also contains writing tips and instructions about how to format manuscripts. You may also find a copy of the Publication Manual in your school library, at a local bookstore, or online.
In the text, the author's name(s) and date of publication are in parentheses immediately following the reference.
Examples of APA Style:
Journal article:
Fine, M. A., & Kurdek, L. A. (1993). Reflections on determining authorship credit and authorship order on faculty-student collaborations. American Psychologist, 48, 1141-1147.
Book:
Nicol, A. A. M., & Pexman, P. M. (1999). Presenting your findings: A practical guide for creating tables. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Book chapter:
O'Neil, J. M., & Egan, J. (1992). Men's and women's gender role journeys: Metaphor for healing, transition, and transformation. In B. R. Wainrib (Ed.),Gender issues across the life cycle (pp. 107-123). New York: Springer.
Online reference
Article in an Internet-only journal:
Fredrickson, B. L. (2000, March 7). Cultivating positive emotions to
optimize health and well-being. Prevention & Treatment, 3, Article 0001a. Retrieved November 20, 2000, from http://journals.apa.org/prevention/volume3/pre0030001a.html
Please note that there are several reference styles for online references, depending on whether the source in an online journal only, on online article based on a print source, or a stand-alone document with no indicated author or date. Refer to http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html for formatting information.
APA style calls for a list of References at the end of the article instead of a Bibliography. All references cited in the article must be listed alphabetically by author's last name in the list of References. All manuscripts accepted for publication are checked for factual accuracy of content and references. Authors must submit copies of source materials for fact checking during the editing phase. If the article is submitted electronically, the background source material can be sent in hard copy to the attention of the managing editor with a cover note explaining the article it accompanies.
The Torch uses the American Psychological Association (APA) style for references. (See http://www.apastyle.org/ for general references, and http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html for online references.) With this format, references must be listed alphabetically by author's last name and include all elements of formal citation. The reference format for APA style is described in the 6th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, a large reference book that contains hundreds of guidelines on how to format references, statistics, tables, punctuation, and grammar. It also contains writing tips and instructions about how to format manuscripts. You may also find a copy of the Publication Manual in your school library, at a local bookstore, or online.
In the text, the author's name(s) and date of publication are in parentheses immediately following the reference.
Examples of APA Style:
Journal article:
Fine, M. A., & Kurdek, L. A. (1993). Reflections on determining authorship credit and authorship order on faculty-student collaborations. American Psychologist, 48, 1141-1147.
Book:
Nicol, A. A. M., & Pexman, P. M. (1999). Presenting your findings: A practical guide for creating tables. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Book chapter:
O'Neil, J. M., & Egan, J. (1992). Men's and women's gender role journeys: Metaphor for healing, transition, and transformation. In B. R. Wainrib (Ed.),Gender issues across the life cycle (pp. 107-123). New York: Springer.
Online reference
Article in an Internet-only journal:
Fredrickson, B. L. (2000, March 7). Cultivating positive emotions to
optimize health and well-being. Prevention & Treatment, 3, Article 0001a. Retrieved November 20, 2000, from http://journals.apa.org/prevention/volume3/pre0030001a.html
Please note that there are several reference styles for online references, depending on whether the source in an online journal only, on online article based on a print source, or a stand-alone document with no indicated author or date. Refer to http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html for formatting information.
APA style calls for a list of References at the end of the article instead of a Bibliography. All references cited in the article must be listed alphabetically by author's last name in the list of References. All manuscripts accepted for publication are checked for factual accuracy of content and references. Authors must submit copies of source materials for fact checking during the editing phase. If the article is submitted electronically, the background source material can be sent in hard copy to the attention of the managing editor with a cover note explaining the article it accompanies.
Manuscript preparation and submission
Manuscripts must be submitted in Word (.doc, .docx). All manuscript can be sent to [email protected]
Photos
Photos may be submitted with the manuscript (send to [email protected])
Requirements:
Acceptable file types: jpg (jpeg), gif, png
Resolution: a minimum of 300 dpi is required
Be sure to submit captions for each photo.
Images copied from websites, or images that are 300 dpi or lower, are not acceptable quality and will not be considered. Generally, a high-resolution image will be over 500K as a file size. Please do not send photos embedded in Word or other word processor documents.
Photo Release:
VNSA requires a photo release form before publishing any photos of identifiable individuals, as well as a photographer’s release if the photos are not by the author. If photo is accepted, the Editor will send you a photo release form to sign and return.
Requirements:
Acceptable file types: jpg (jpeg), gif, png
Resolution: a minimum of 300 dpi is required
Be sure to submit captions for each photo.
Images copied from websites, or images that are 300 dpi or lower, are not acceptable quality and will not be considered. Generally, a high-resolution image will be over 500K as a file size. Please do not send photos embedded in Word or other word processor documents.
Photo Release:
VNSA requires a photo release form before publishing any photos of identifiable individuals, as well as a photographer’s release if the photos are not by the author. If photo is accepted, the Editor will send you a photo release form to sign and return.
submission deadlines
The deadline will be determined after the Query email is submitted and responded to.
review process
All materials are subject to review by the editors. Initial review usually takes 2-3 weeks, although expedited reviews are provided for manuscripts with time-sensitive data. Authors who believe their manuscripts are time-sensitive should contact the Editor before submitting the manuscript. The Torch staff will inform the author of the manuscript's status as soon as possible. A manuscript may be accepted or rejected, or we may ask the author to make revisions before a final decision can be made. Authors who do not receive notice of the decision on a manuscript eight weeks after submission may contact the Editor for an update on the manuscript's status.
All authors of accepted manuscripts are asked to sign and return to the Editor a copyright release form insuring that: they are the sole author(s) of the manuscript; they are releasing the copyright of the manuscript to VNSA/The Torch; the manuscript has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere; the manuscript is original.
All authors of accepted manuscripts are asked to sign and return to the Editor a copyright release form insuring that: they are the sole author(s) of the manuscript; they are releasing the copyright of the manuscript to VNSA/The Torch; the manuscript has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere; the manuscript is original.