WHY YOU SHOULD SUBMIT TO AEJMC AND THE HISTORY DIVISION
Ava Francesca Battocchio (AF): For me, AEJMC is a great place to get feedback. But what lingers with me the most is the professional relationships that I’ve been able to build. So while it’s important to be submitting papers to conferences to develop our research and to get our research out into the world, I think we also shouldn’t overlook the fact that conferences are opportunities to build these professional relationships that can turn into collaborations and mentorships.
T.J. Mesyn (TJ): I agree – I think the networking piece is huge. The History Division has an amazing mentorship program, for example, where senior scholars are paired up with junior scholars and grad students and provide advice on research, teaching, applying for jobs, and more.
AF: Networking is what got me involved with the History Division! I was a super intimidated undergrad student in a space of people that I didn’t know. I often thought, “what am I doing here?” But there are a lot of good people in the History Division, so if you’re open to new opportunities, don’t be too nervous.
Carolina Velloso (Carolina): I think that also speaks to the incredible kindness and openness of the History Division in particular. As a new grad student, I felt like a deer in headlights when it came to academic conferences, but everyone was just so welcoming. I really appreciated the intellectually rigorous but kind environment, and I never left the History Division!
AF: That really resonates with me, especially because my work isn’t strictly or entirely media history, so I don’t neatly fit into a lot of the work that you usually see in the History Division. But I still feel welcomed. It’s still a space where I feel like I can be supported and be supportive of other people. And that, I think, is really important, especially in academia, where there are not always mutually supportive places.
PREPARING TO SUBMIT
TJ: I always try to think as far ahead as I can – at least a year ahead. When you’re working on a paper for a course, you can think about how that paper could be turned into a submission to the AEJMC History Division. If it’s your first time submitting to the History Division, I’d look at the previous year’s paper call to see what the requirements are. That way, you can set yourself up for success.
AF: I would also recommend a citation manager, like Zotero, to effectively manage your citations (and switch between styles if you need to).
TJ: Also, remember to redact any personal information before submitting your paper.
Carolina: Once you decide to submit a paper to the History Division, one of your first steps should be to create your All Academic account for that year’s conference.
TJ: And don’t wait! Create it as soon as you get the email from AEJMC so you’re not scrambling to create your account right before you’re trying to submit your paper.
AF: I always set my calendar alarms for a few days before the deadline, so I’m not scrambling at the end.
AF: Speaking of submission stress, I think it’s really important to have a support system during the submission process. I feel like my friends and I who are submitting to AEJMC are always reminding each other to take a break and that we can do this! I feel like hyping each other up is a really good way to build collegiality because you’re supporting one another. It makes it a little bit less stressful when you know you’re all in it together, because a PhD is such an isolating process anyway. When you think you’re the only one going through things, and then your friend tells you to remember to drink water, you realize you’re not alone.
Carolina: I think it’s so important to emphasize that it’s totally valid to find an academic home and focus your energy on that. Instead of trying to stretch yourself thin every year, you should make a plan about where you will be submitting to.
AF: Yes, there’s a lot of pressure, especially for graduate students, to submit lots to every single conference, but it is also okay to set priorities.
TJ: I agree with both of you. You need to make sure you’re making strategic choices. So an extended abstract might be what you can do in a given year, and that’s awesome. That’s still submitting something and getting your work and ideas out there.
PREPARING FOR THE CONFERENCE
Carolina: I first want to say that if you had a paper rejected, know that that is normal and okay. If you don’t make it in one year, it doesn’t mean your paper is terrible, or that you’re a terrible scholar. It’s just luck of the draw sometimes. Rejection happens to everyone. It’s disappointing, but it’s not shouldn’t be discouraging. Take the (hopefully constructive) feedback you receive from the reviewers and try again!
TJ: What is the first thing you do when you receive your acceptance?
AF: If I have a co-author, I usually freak out to them! I also do something to celebrate that will make the rest of my day and the rest of my week better. I think that goes back to academia being a marathon, so I try to celebrate the small things. So it’s usually going for a walk, or having a nice meal.
Carolina: You can get bogged down in academia, so I definitely think sharing your victories is important!
AF: I think that reading your paper’s reviews can be easier while you’re still on that “acceptance high.”
Carolina: I agree, and then I usually take a couple of weeks to start any revisions. It helps to approach the paper again once I’ve processed the feedback.
AF: Yes, at that point I’ll also start creating the skeleton of a presentation. Doing this also helps me work through any revisions (or completing the full paper if I submitted an extended abstract).
Carolina: When I create my first draft of slides, I know I won’t have time to talk about all of my findings, so I think about what the three most important findings that I want to communicate are. And I build the rest of the presentation out from there.
AF: When it comes to practicing the presentation, I like to write a practice script and time myself by audio recording on QuickTime. Then I’ll listen back and check whether my words flow with what I’m showing on the screen.
Carolina: As a first-time presenter, one of the things I was most scared of was staying within the time limit. So I’d say do whatever kind of preparation works for you that will get you to a place where you feel comfortable with your presentation.
AF: I always shoot for at least a minute under the maximum time, because I tend to talk more slowly when I’m actually presenting.
TJ: If you are put in a poster session, those are exciting because you get the opportunity to be creative about how you’re presenting your findings to readers. Your visual communication is important.
Carolina: When I’m making my first skeleton draft of slides, I’m really thinking about, what are the three most important findings that I want to communicate? Once I’ve decided that, I’ll build the rest of my presentation from there.
TJ: Great point. There is so much information, but you can’t put everything on your poster or your slides that you intend to say—so whether a poster or slides, thinking about accessibility and readability is key. They’re there as a visual to help people understand and get the gist of what you’re saying. And if you try to put everything on your slides or your poster, it’s just going to all get muddled, unfortunately. So ensuring that you’re paying attention to how you’re visually communicating your information is important, as well.
AT THE CONFERENCE
TJ: I think the best way to network at a conference is to see what events are happening. If there’s an awards gala, or a dinner, or a happy hour, it’s a good idea to go! It’s a great opportunity to see people and hang out and also get a feel for what people are doing in the division.
AF: My biggest piece of advice would be to ask your department if they pay to print business cards for you!
TJ: Good call!
AF: I know not everybody likes them, but they’re really great for connection-building. When I get a business card at AEJMC, I’ll actually look that person up and add them on my socials. It also helps me remember who people are. So even if that relationship doesn’t develop on a personal level, I still learn about their work. But also, business card trading helps me become familiar with other junior scholars, and I always try to cite them when I can, because I would hope that others would do the same for me and my work.
Carolina: That’s a great point. I think it goes back to the idea of making yourself visible at conferences. The research presentations, teaching panels, and socials are all amazing opportunities to meet people and learn about the work they’re doing, and how it potentially intersects with yours. So I would really take advantage of all of the History Division’s offerings.
Carolina: I do, however, want to include the caveat that it’s also okay – necessary, even – to take breaks! So I would say make yourself visible, but strategically. Don’t spread yourself too thin.
TJ: That’s a great point, because conferences can often feel overwhelming and exhausting. You learn so much, but you also need that time to decompress.
AF: In terms of taking breaks, one of the things that I found really helpful last year is spending time with friends who you can relax with, and feel like you don’t need to be “on” with.
TJ: Exactly. Make sure you’re also tapping into your grad student networks and other more informal networks.
We hope you found this conversation helpful and we look forward to seeing you (and hearing about your incredible research) at AEJMC 2023! (Conversation edited for length and clarity.)