WLN: A Journal of Writing Center Scholarship

Promoting the exchange of voices and ideas in one-to-one teaching of writing.

Across four issues per year and through numerous online resources, WLN: A Journal of Writing Center Scholarship promotes exchanges on challenges in tutoring theory and methodology, handling ESL issues, directing a writing center, training tutors, designing and expanding centers, and using tutorial theory and pedagogy.

WLN: Community Resources

In addition to the WLN: A Journal of Writing Center Scholarship print publication, the editorial team works to create additional resources for the community.

Access the "Connecting Writing Centers" WLN Blog

Digital Edited Collections

"The term 'DEC' is meant to encapsulate what each DEC brings together—chapters on a particular topic, written by writing center scholars, reviewed by outside readers, refined in collaboration with editors, and available as open access on a digital platform. And because these DECs are digital, the authors have enriched them with links to more sources, graphics, video clips, and other multimodal documents that offer resources for you to read, watch, listen to, and learn from." — Muriel Harris, Editor.
DEC #3: Jan. 26, 2021

Wellness and Care in Writing Center Work

Wellness and Care in Writing Center Work, an open-access collection edited by Genie Giaimo, features a wide-ranging and interdisciplinary set of pedagogical and scholarly chapters on wellness that engage with current research in writing center studies, as well as in other fields such as psychology, education, critical race studies, queer studies, feminist studies, and sociology. Emerging voices demand the need for more systemic and anti-racist wellness and care programs and practices—for writing center workers and writers alike—and provide guidance for writing center practitioners to implement and assess different kinds of wellness programs in their writing centers.

DEC #2: Feb. 15, 2020

Transfer of Learning in the Writing Center

Edited by Bonnie Devet and Dana Lynn Driscoll, WLN's second DEC focuses on transfer of learning in the writing center, presenting seven chapters from writing center scholars. The scholars analyze the state of transfer scholarship for writing center practitioners and describe both the theory and training necessary to support transfer in the center.

DEC #1: Jan. 15, 2019

How We Teach Writing Tutors

Edited by Karen Gabrielle Johnson and Ted Roggenbuck, WLN's first DEC compiles 18 chapters related to the education of tutors from writing center scholars and professionals. Authors represent many universities and models of writing centers including online centers, undergraduate peer centers, multiliteracy centers, speaking and writing centers, and more. Chapters present theoretical frameworks, praxis, and empirical studies related to the important work of preparing writing tutors.

Online Webinars

Periodically, WLN editors meet in real-time with prospective authors to discuss and workshop issues related to publishing in the journal. The links below lead to videos of past sessions.
#1: Jan. 15, 2019
Introduction to Publishing

In this first webinar in the WLN workshop series, Associate Editors Elizabeth Kleinfeld, Sohui Lee, and Julie Prebel provide general information about publishing in WLN and WLN's submission guidelines, acceptance rates, and author resources housed on the WLN website.

#2: Sept. 7, 2020
WCA as Hero: A Scholar's Journey

The second webinar presented by Elizabeth Kleinfeld, Sohui Lee, and Julie Prebel, covers strategies for drafting an article for WLN, including how to find time to write, how to understand the lit review process, and how to find or start a writing group.

#3: Sept. 7, 2020
Finding Ideas For Scholarship

In this third webinar, we focus on the "Call to Publish" step in the scholar's journey and identify three key topics for consideration when preparing to publish: being relevant to readers, meeting the scope of WLN, and offering appropriate methodology.

#4: Sept. 7, 2020
Writing the Tutors' Column

Hosted by Elizabeth Kleinfeld, Sohui Lee, and Julie Prebel, this webinar covers WLN expectations for Tutors' Column submissions, and how to research, structure, and revise an article.

Studies of WLN

"The Writing Lab Newsletter: A History of Collaboration" by Kim Ballard and Rick Anderson

"The Writing Lab Newsletter as History: Tracing the Growth of a Scholarly Community" by Michael Pemberton

"Our Documented Growth as a Field and Community: An Analysis of the Writing Lab Newsletter" by Molly Phelan and Jessica Weber

WLN: Archives

While the current volume of WLN is only available to subscribers as a printed journal, all previous volumes, since the publication's inception in 1976, are freely available below.

Volume 47: 2022-20231234 
Volume 46: 2021-20221-23-45-67-89-10
Volume 45: 2020-20211-23-45-67-89-10
Volume 44: 2019-20201-23-45-67-89-10
Volume 43: 2018-20191-23-45-67-89-10
Volume 42: 2017-20181-23-45-67-89-10
Volume 41: 2016-20171-23-45-67-89-10
Volume 40: 2015-20161-23-45-67-89-10
Volume 39: 2014-20151-23-45-67-89-10
Volume 38: 2013-20141-23-45-67-89-10
Volume 37: 2012-20131-23-45-67-89-10
Volume 36: 2011-20121-23-45-67-89-10
Volume 35: 2010-2011123-45-67-89-10
Volume 34: 2009-20101234-56789-10
Volume 33: 2008-200912345678910
Volume 32: 2007-200812345678910
Volume 31: 2006-200712345678910
Volume 30: 2005-200612345678910
Volume 29: 2004-200512345678910
Volume 28: 2003-200412345678910
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Volume 14: 1989-199012345678910
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Volume 2: 1977-197812345678910
Volume 1: 1977-1978123        

Contacts & Publication Information

Founded in 1976 by Muriel Harris, WLN: A Journal of Writing Center Scholarship is a publication of the International Writing Centers Association.

Editorial Contacts

The editorial team, led by Muriel Harris, is fully and wholly responsible for the content in WLN: A Journal of Writing Center Scholarship and for the scholarship that appears on this website.

Editor in Chief:
Muriel Harris [CV]

Co-Editors:
Julia Bleakney, Lee Ann Glowzenski, Karen Gabrielle Johnson, and Ted Roggenbuck

Blog Co-Editors:
Anna S. Habib and Esther R. Namubiru

Blog Production Editor:
Weijia Li

/wlnjournal /WLNjournal

Subscription Questions

For questions related to subscriptions, renewals, or mailings, please contact the subscription management team. Your inquiry will be answered as quickly as possible and always within twenty-four hours.

Email: support@wlnjournal.org

Mail: 52 Riley Road #380, Celebration, FL 34747

Submit a Manuscript

Submit Editor Application
Deadline June 30, 2023

WLN: A Journal of Writing Center Scholarship welcomes clearly written, useful essays and big questions on all aspects of writing center theory, pedagogy, and writing center administration.

Fill out the form below in order to submit your manuscript for consideration. Fields marked with a * are required. If you run into any problems or if you need help, please email support@wlnjournal.org.

Manuscript Requirements and Guidelines

Guidelines to help ensure your essay reaches publication:

The editors have compiled the list of considerations below in order to help you prepare your manuscript for submission.

Consider Audience

Is your essay appropriate for WLN?

Successful essays will demonstrate some level of writing center experience, as opposed to theoretical programs, policies, or solutions that have been thought about but never tested in real writing center settings. On the other hand, essays that are predominantly focused on classroom theory and practice or other non-writing center topics may be more successful if sent to more appropriate journals.

Our readers turn to the WLN for insights and strategies they can consider in their scholarship and in their own centers, which can include highly varied programs at universities, colleges, high schools, and middle schools in the U.S. and writing centers in other countries.

Reflect on Scholarship

Does your essay offer new insights, experience, or research?

Essays that are primarily repeating what is already known are not appropriate for publication. WLN does not publish literature reviews at this time.

Does your essay offer some context or background of previous scholarship and what is known about the subject?

Just as there can be too much context, essays are not suitable for publication when they offer no clear awareness of the existing scholarship. If your essay acknowledges what others have written about a subject, please ensure that your citations are up-to-date with recent sources.

Does your essay avoid jargon that assumes readers are familiar with this specialized terminology?

Readers of WLN range from those new to the field to experienced directors. The goal of an author of an important article is to educate newcomers and add to the knowledge of experienced directors. As a general rule, WLN considers good ideas expressed in clear, straightforward language to be preferable to good ideas hidden under a layer of jargon that only a limited number of readers are familiar with.

Check the Manuscript Guidelines

Does your Works Cited conform to the 9th edition (2021) of the MLA Handbook?

Fixing errors, missing information in citations, and other problems are not the responsibility of the editors or reviewers. Authors who include careless errors or wrong or out-dated formatting that does not conform to the most recent MLA handbook diminish their own credibility as scholarly authors.

What kinds of submissions will NOT be considered?

  • Unrevised conference presentations, course papers, or seminar papers
  • Manuscripts under consideration for another publication
  • Essays not clearly focused on writing center work
  • Unsolicited reviews of books and resources

Is your essay less than 3,000 words or your Tutors' Column less than 1,500 words, including Works Cited and Notes?

Reviewers do not consider essays that are over the word limit. And please be aware that when you do a word count, many versions of Word's word-counting tool do not include notes in the total. If that applies to your word processing program, please count any notes separately and add them to the total. If you include graphics such as figures or tables, your word count should be lower to account for the space needed for graphics.

Tutors sending essays for the Tutors' Column are encouraged to discuss how to write successful essays for publication--not successful class papers--with their directors. These are two very different genres.

Consider Adding Voice

WLN invites submissions from newcomers, experienced scholars, and tutors from all over the globe. All voices are important in our collaborative world.

While WLN does not accept unsolicited book reviews, we invite suggestions for books you are interested in reviewing. We also welcome queries in advance about possible articles.

Before submitting your essay:

Before submitting a manuscript, be sure that your manuscript complies with the requirements below.

  • Article is under 3000 words (under 1500 if a Tutor Column or review), including Works Cited and endnotes. Endnotes may have to be counted separately, depending on your word processor. Do not send file as PDF.
  • Article, Tutor Column, and review contain a complete "Works Cited" page, now in the 2021 9th edition of the MLA Handbook.
  • Any notes are formatted as endnotes, in arabic numerals, rather than footnotes and placed before the Works Cited.
  • All personal/identity information has been removed from the manuscript and running head, but remain on the title page.
  • Submission is accompanied by a cover note comment that briefly explains your goals and intentions in sending your piece to WLN in particular.

The editors assume that authors whose research involves human subjects have obtained the approval of the IRB at their institution before submitting an essay to this journal reporting on that research.