The Urban Affairs Association (UAA) seeks proposals for the Editorship of the Rights to the City, a new book series sponsored by the Urban Affairs Association and Published by Routledge (Taylor & Francis).
Deadline
* * * Proposals Due: May 8, 2023 * * *
Eligibility
Applicants must be individual members of the Urban Affairs Association in good standing, who can demonstrate significant publication experience, intellectual breadth and depth in the area of urban affairs, and strong administrative and organizational skills. UAA is open to applications that involve an individual editor, or a small team of co-editors. All book series submission and review communications are conducted electronically which allows editors to function from any part of the globe.
Rights to the City–Series Concept, Aims and Scope
Rights to the City is the distinctive organizing theme of the series. The term ‘rights’ acknowledges the plurality, contestability and ambiguity of a complex concept embracing multiple claims and varied evidentiary bases providing complementary perspectives to Henri Lefebvre’s original philosophical focus on the right to the city. Building beyond Lefebvre’s perspective, and in dialogue with many other theorists, urbanists today challenge neoliberal assumptions by asking, who the city is for?, who claims the city and why? Through this series, we invite manuscripts that cast new light on these questions in relation to persistent and emerging inequalities and rights. The series seeks work that provides concrete examples of how substantive rights are defined, acquired and sustained by groups, and the institutions that represent them. An explicit goal of the series is to highlight work that examines how cities and city-regions can be shaped to yield equitable and sustainable rights, learn from each other, and contribute to enhancing such rights on local, national and global stages.
Published by Routledge (Taylor & Francis), the series will feature empirical and theoretical analyses as well as alternative modalities, conceptualizations, and case studies of urban life. Accessible to scholars, teachers, practitioners, activists, students, and general audiences, the series will highlight work focused on six main themes:
- governance and policy
- equity, diversity, inclusion
- global (in)equalities
- activism and urban potentialities
- sustainability, resilience and adaptation
- comparative urbanism
Key Responsibilities of Editor(s)
The Editor(s) establish editorial policies, including procedures and standards. The Editor(s) is expected to:
General Responsibilities
- Recruit, solicit and welcome manuscript proposals for volumes that engage with and articulate the Rights to the City framework;
- Develop an initial Call for Manuscripts and make semi-annual updates to that Call as the series evolves;
- Establish and maintain a blind peer review process that is objective and timely;
- Support UAA’s strategic goals of a) promoting equitable access to professional opportunities, and b) increasing international urban scholarship;
- Maintain a collaborative relationship with the leadership (e.g., Governing Board, Executive Director, Publications Committee) of the Urban Affairs Association; and,
- Establish and maintain a productive relationship with the series publisher. The Editor(s) works with the editorial team, the publisher’s marketing and production staff, and the UAA Executive Office to ensure timely and cost-efficient series operations.
- Devote an average of five (5) hours per week on tasks related to the book series. If multiple editors share the role, this time expectation is reduced.
Specific Responsibilities
- Oversee the submission, review, and decision process;
- Develop an operational model that utilizes a part-time editorial assistant;
- Perform an initial review of each submission to determine if it meets minimum standards to warrant review;
- Coordinate file transfers, communications, distribution to reviewers, and dissemination of decision letters with support of the editorial assistant;
- Maintain an editorial team that supports the operations of the series and furthers its goals;
- Produce series content that adheres to annual output contract;
- Support marketing of the series to potential readers, authors and reviewers; and,
- Develop and maintain efforts to recruit and acknowledge manuscript reviewers.
UAA-related Responsibilities
- Provide annual reports on operations and outputs of the series;
- Engage in collaborative development and marketing efforts with UAA’s Executive Office and the publisher; and,
- Cooperate with UAA’s Publications Committee in evaluating the operations and outcomes of the series.
Series Editor(s) Selection Process
The UAA Publications Committee will review and evaluate all proposals submitted by the established deadline and make a final recommendation to the Governing Board. The Executive Director will assess the proposed institutional support and inform the committee and Governing Board of required contract agreements. The UAA Governing Board will make the final selection. Once a selection is made, the contract for editorial services will be formalized by the Executive Director and Board Chair.
Key deadlines and steps in selection process
- April 1, 2023—Brief email message sent to Executive Director-Margaret Wilder (wilder@uaamail.org) expressing interest in submitting a proposal
- May 8, 2023—Proposals received by Executive Director and forwarded to the UAA Publications Committee
- June 1, 2023—Editor finalists identified and contacted
- June 5-9—Interviews with finalists conducted
- June 15—Publications Committee and Executive Director recommendations sent to UAA Governing Board
- July 1—New editor(s) begins term of service
Proposal Content
A formal proposal for the Editorship must include the following three elements:
- Statement of Interest (8 pages max). Interested persons should submit a substantive statement of interest in editing the Rights to the City Book Series. The statement, of no more than eight pages, should include the following:
- Qualifications of Proposed Editor (or Co-Editors) including:
- Evidence of editorial and publication experience (on journals, books and book series)
- Ability to provide sound editorial judgment and management of review process
- Capacity to work collaboratively with authors, publisher, and UAA leadership
- The broad vision of the book series and how to achieve it
- Ideas about marketing the book series to prospective authors and potential readers
- Your availability and level of institutional support
- Qualifications of Proposed Editor (or Co-Editors) including:
- Curriculum Vita
- A letter statement regarding institutional support (ideally from the head of the editor’s unit)
Submitting a Proposal
All of the proposal elements described above should be sent electronically as attachments to an email addressed to Margaret Wilder, UAA Executive Director (wilder@uaamail.org) by May 8, 2023. Only proposals received by this date are guaranteed full consideration.
UAA Commitment and Editor’s Institutional Support
The success of the Rights to the City Book Series will depend on: 1) conscientious and continuous management of manuscript review processes, 2) effective recruitment of authors and reviewers, and 3) effective marketing. To accomplish this success, support is required from both UAA and the institution where the Editor(s) are employed.
UAA Support. The Book Series is a major initiative for UAA and will receive direct and continuing support. This will include:
- A part-time (10 to 15 hours per week) year-round editorial assistant
- A marketing plan implemented by the UAA Executive Office in collaboration with the Editor(s)
- Social media services to promote the series
- Support to the Editor(s) to attend the annual UAA conference
- An annual stipend to the Editor(s) of 10% of royalties received by UAA
[Please note that royalties from academic book sales are modest compared to those from popular books sold to the general public. It is assumed that the Editor(s) will have a source of income/employment such that the royalty income serves as a small supplement.]
Institutional Support. Given the significant investments by UAA in the series operations, we seek an editorial agreement in which the host institution of the editor(s) commits complementary resources (e.g., course releases, office space/furnishings, computer/internet access, phone, office supplies, and modest clerical support). Other forms of support may include research assistance, and additional travel support to allow the editor to continue their own research activities. Specific forms of support can be tailored to fit the needs of the Editor(s) and their institution.
Term of Contract
The initial editorial term is for a three (3) years. This term begins on July 1, 2023 and ends on June 30, 2026. The contract is renewable subject to a review of the initial outcomes, and availability of budgetary resources.
Equity, Diversity and Nondiscrimination Statement
The core of UAA’s mission as an organization is the goal of promoting a more “just and equitable urban world.” We seek editorial leadership that embraces this goal and shows a clear commitment to inclusion, diversity, and equity. We encourage application by individuals from diverse racial, ethnic and social backgrounds, women, and persons from under-represented groups, who possess a desire and qualifications to serve as the series editor. We celebrate diversity and do not discriminate based on race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, military and veteran status, physical abilities, or any other applicable characteristics protected by federal, state or local laws.
Contact
For general questions and inquiries regarding this RFP, contact Dr. Margaret Wilder, UAA Executive Director (wilder@uaamail.org).
