“My First Call for Papers” Workshop
Are you an undergraduate looking for an edge when applying to grad school?
Or, are you a grad student who hasn’t had much luck when submitting conference proposals?
Does the whole topic of calls for papers (CFP) seem unclear? I know it was for me.
I’m offering a new workshop in December that aims at demystifying the process of submitting proposals for consideration by academic conferences by providing participants the concrete tools and actionable steps they need to successfully search for, select, and submit to academic CFPs.
Presenting your original scholarship at a conference is a great way to take the next step in your academic career. As an undergraduate, it looks great on grad school applications, helping you stand out to admissions officers and faculty. If you’re already a graduate student but haven't yet presented at a conference, it can be a wonderful place to test out your ideas and receive feedback on your work from peers.
Finding the right CFP for you and your project, though – not to mention figuring out how to write a successful submission – can be anything but straightforward.
Here’s how I came to submit a proposal to my first call for papers, and how I can help you successfully do the same.
By the end of my sophomore year in college, I was finishing up the final requirements for my American Studies major at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. I had nearly completed the necessary number of credit hours (many of which, thankfully, also counted toward my primary major in History), and was putting the final touches on my senior capstone project. With the help and guidance of a wonderful advisor, I completed an undergraduate thesis that examined the radical rhetoric of Black Panther Party co-founder Huey P. Newton’s 1970 speech, “A Letter to the Revolutionary Brothers and Sisters About the Women’s Liberation and Gay Liberation Movements,” in which the African American leader outlined some of what he saw as the political and ideological common cause shared by the mid-twentieth-century Black, Women’s, and Gay liberation movements in the United States.
It was, for me, quite an accomplishment, and I was proud of myself. Not only that, working on the project had excited me: it wasn’t just the topic, but the process of writing itself – of doing primary research, synthesizing the work of other scholars, and refining my own arguments – that I found so satisfying. Even better, there was the tangible outcome of having completed one of my two undergraduate majors.
“So, what now?” I asked myself; after the paper had been turned in, and after I’d received feedback from my advisor. It was unclear what the next step – if any – might be. Looking ahead to graduate school, I knew I needed to do something to make my application stand out.
My advisor suggested submitting a proposal to present my paper at a conference. It would be good practice speaking in front of an audience and, if I was lucky, I’d receive some in-person feedback and reactions to this project I’d put so much time and energy into. I eagerly began pursuing this option.
However, once I decided to take this next step, I ran up against several vexing questions. Some of these might sound familiar:
Where do I even look for CFPs?
Once I’ve found them, how do I know which one is right for me and my project?
Assuming I’d figure that much out, how would I reduce what was a 25-page undergraduate thesis to a measly 250-300 words?
Similarly, what if I found a CFP that interested me but wasn’t exactly suited to my project in its current iteration?
As an undergraduate, these kinds of questions had never come up in my classes before. After all, what was the rush? As a sophomore, I had plenty of time to think about things like presentations and conferences! However, getting an early start on learning how to reframe my work with a particular CFP in mind, not to mention the public speaking practice, proved invaluable throughout the remainderof my time as an undergrad. It also helped me prepare to be a graduate student, to ask graduate-level questions and supportively occupy academic spaces with and for my peers.
When I arrived at grad school, I realized it was not at all uncommon for others in the program to continue having these same questions. At this level, not yet having presented at an academic conference can carry stigma. I met a surprising number of grad students who hadn’t presented their original work in any formal capacity (that is, outside the classroom itself). What's worse, with a little prodding it became clear that, not only were many just as mystified about how to approach a call for papers as I was as a sophomore, seeking guidance and clarity on the whole topic could feel like (and signal) inadequacy or unpreparedness.
If you’re an undergraduate looking to up your game and get ahead of the curve, or a graduate student ready to jump into the world of presenting your original scholarship at conferences, I can help.
Since my sophomore year, I have developed and refined a systematic approach to finding, selecting, writing for, and submitting to academic calls for papers. In the last 15 years, this has led me to present at least a dozen papers at twice as many graduate and professional conferences, both in the United States and in Europe. The method I share in this workshop has also seen success with interest from academic journals and other publishing opportunities.
When: December 5, 2025 @ 12:00pm EST
Where: Zoom
Price: $50 per person
By the end of this 1.5-hour workshop, you will:
Know where to look for CFPs, how to choose those best suited to you and your project, and how to read them for what they’re looking for in a successful submission.
Understand the CFP submission as its own literary genre with its own standards and conventions.
Have had the opportunity to work and receive feedback on a CFP of your choosing.
Have prepared your very own 200-300-word proposal submission draft for a call for papers relevant to your project.
