The Public Manager is a unique, independent, and nonpartisan quarterly journal about federal government leadership that works. Produced in print and electronic format with related podcasts, blogs, and events, it communicates best practices, innovations, and techniques for learning and managing at all levels of government. We prefer articles that provide practical advice or share experiences rather than reports or academic studies.
Our audience is largely federal senior executives and middle managers, but includes readers at all levels of government. The Public Manager also seeks to empower current and future managers―including researchers and contractors―to successfully and proudly do the job of serving our nation. We reach more than 40,000 subscribers worldwide.
In addition to offering information, The Public Manager seeks to foster community so that current, former, and future managers can share innovative ideas, management successes, and practical applications for new technologies. Regular topics include:
- performance management
- collaboration
- accounting, budgeting, and financial management
- human capital management
- talent and knowledge management
- learning
- citizen engagement
- transparency and accountability
- strategic planning
- other critical areas of public service
Editorial Focus
The Public Manager seeks articles that focus on the practical, rather than the theoretical, and are based on a writer’s experiences or observations. We welcome articles on new ideas, new books, and innovations, but not reviews of current academic literature. Articles should discuss applications, solutions, and tested tools—not simply challenges, problems, or the public sector’s failure to accomplish much on the matter.
Readers should finish each issue with one or more takeaways—new perspectives and techniques for better job performance, a better understanding of issues facing the public management community, and a leg up on how these issues can and are being addressed successfully by pioneers in the field.
Write articles in clear and direct language. We do not publish dissertations, press releases, technology promotions, or internal reports. We use the Chicago Manual of Style and will edit your article for consistency with this guide and to improve readability. Where necessary, the editor will contact you with proposed substantive changes or factual questions.
Please keep abbreviation use to a minimum and identify all acronyms.
- Use the active voice as much as possible.
- Suggested titles should be about eight words. We incorporate first- and second-level headings with at least one per article page.
- Please do not use footnotes or endnotes; you may include within the text some source identifying information, such as a book and publication date.
- Provide sources/credits for all photographs and graphics.
Our review process is based on the following points:
Original perspective:
- Is the angle new and related to current concerns?
- Is information based on experience and does it offer tips or best practices not widely known? Are the ideas supported and brought together into a readable, cohesive body of work?
Audience appeal:
- Will the article capture and retain readers’ interest even if the topic is outside their professional expertise?
- Does it provide information useful to our audience (largely federal managers)?
- Does it provide implementation guidance or increase the reader’s business acumen?
Every quarter, the entire journal is published on the website and accessible to our subscribers in electronic format. We publish the entire text of select articles on the website. The editor may choose to electronically publish articles that are timely or related to a topic presented in a recent issue if they do not fit into an upcoming print issue due to previous commitments to other author. The editor will advise authors of the journal’s decision regarding an article’s disposition, but if an author has a publication timing preference due to an expected clearance arrangement, event, or book publication, the editor will take that into consideration. Additionally authors or experts may have the opportunity to be selected for podcast interviews by phone or in person with our editor or editor-at-large.
Unsolicited Articles
While the editors solicit most articles, we welcome unsolicited stories, reports, profiles, or manuscripts that meet our guidelines. Publication of unsolicited articles depends on previous commitments to other authors, planned themed content, or conference-related topics. If you are interested in submitting an article, please contact pketter@astd.org.
You may send your article to the associate editor, Lisa Marsh at LMarsh@astd.org, or the editor, Paula Ketter at pketter@astd.org.
Summary
Please submit a 50-word article summary. This summary may be used as an introduction for your article, may appear on our website, or in other promotional material.
Author Biography
Please include a brief bio of yourself and any co-author. This bio should be roughly 30 words or 235 characters with spaces. Please include your current position/title and an email address that will be published in the magazine. Websites or twitter IDs are also welcome.
Author Headshot
Please provide a headshot for use on the website with your article. The image can be a jpg, tiff, or gif file.
Graphics
Authors are encouraged to send high-resolution graphics and photos. Photos should be high resolution, (at least 300 dpi, 600 x 800 pixels), and in jpeg, tiff, or gif formats. Please submit these in a separate file from your text. Also include a caption and photo credit.
Data for tables, charts, or other graphics are welcome, and should be included with appropriate labels, credits, or copyrights. Submit them in Word formats. Our creative team will reproduce submitted graphic art in our palette. Complex graphics should be submitted as for photos.
Article length
Your article length depends on the topic, author experience, and in which “department” within the journal it will be placed. This may range from 1,200 to 2,500 words. If it is substantially longer, we may ask you to revise it. Optionally, we may cut it for length, or use part of your article for sidebars or for articles on our website.
Articles should be roughly 1,500 words for the People, Budgets, Technology, and Learning journal departments. We also accept proposals for Commentary (1,500 words) and book reviews (1,200 words). Additionally, we welcome suggestions for the Visionaries page featuring leading, award-winning federal government employees, and the journal's Exchange interview guest.
Feature articles should be about 2,200- 2,500 words, including graphics and/or sidebars. The editor may arrange exceptions (shorter or longer) where warranted.
Forum features—a multi-article series on one topic within the same journal issue—may include articles of a shorter length, e.g., 1,200 -2,000 words.
Further Resources
You may include one or two online resources relevant to your article, including your own website if appropriate. If space allows, we offer additional resources to our readers via hyperlinks.
Sources and Fact-checking
Please use comments in the margins with track changes to supply sources of key facts supporting your assertions. This allows our editors to fact-check information as necessary. URLs to your favorite resources are welcome as the e-dition has hyperlinks. Please do not use footnotes or endnotes; you may include within the text some source identifying information, such as a book and publication date.
Editorial Process
Our editorial team will copyedit your article for general readability, to fit our style, and for space. We will send you the edited version for your review.
If you have any further questions about your article or if your plans have changed so that you won’t make the deadline, please contact Lisa Marsh, associate editor, LMarsh@astd.org or 301-438-9729.
Your attention to the editorial guidelines will make the publication process run more smoothly.
Once your article has been accepted for publication, we will send you a Copyright Transfer Agreement to complete and return to us. Authors must transfer copyrights to The Public Manager or the article will not be published in the journal or on the website.
Authors must sign and return our Copyright Transfer Agreement form within two weeks of receipt. Please email the completed form to Paula Ketter at pketter@astd.org or send it to the following address:
Paula Ketter
The Public Manager/ASTD
1640 King Street, Box 1443
Alexandria, VA 22313-1443 USA
Fax: 703.683.9591
Download Copyright Form Here
Article Reprints/Copies
After your article is published, ASTD will send you a pdf of your article and a copy of the magazine at the address you list on page two of your Copyright Transfer Agreement. Authors may receive additional copies of the journal at a 50 percent off normal prices.
If you have questions or would like to place a reprint order, please contact Christine Edmond at reprints@thepublicmanager.org.
Issue Submission to Editor Publish Date
Winter 2012 September 4 December 15
Spring 2013 December 1 March 15
Summer March 1 June 15
Fall June 1 September 15
Submission Checklist
Before sending your paper to the journal's editor, please make sure that you have provided:
- Author and co-author name(s)
- Email Address
- Postal Address
- Telephone and Fax Numbers
- 30-word Bio
- Author headshots
- Graphics that are high-resolution. Preferred formats are either TIFF or EPS. Include graphics in a separate file and include figure captions and sources/credits.
- All acronyms spelled out on first reference
- Article length meets journal guidelines
- Agency or other permissions.