How do I submit a proposal?
FSNNA’s call for conference proposals is usually released in April. Specific dates and themes for each year are communicated via various listservs, social media, and this website. Each conference call has a unique Google Form that allows for submission.
FSNNA allows three potential submission types:
- Pre-constituted panel: In lieu of the conference grouping individual papers into a panel, a group of scholars (typically 3-5) will submit under a shared theme, taking the equivalent time of a session (75 minutes).
- Paper: A presentation to be presented orally, based on a single topic. An individual paper is 15 minutes long. Three to four will be grouped into a session.
- Poster: The individual creates a poster of their work. This option does not have a traditional speaking component. Instead, posters are viewed asynchronously through the conference, with dedicated discord channels allowing for conversations.
How are conference submissions reviewed? What are you looking for in a submission?
FSNNA conference submissions typically end in the middle to late May. Over the next month, the organizing committee will review them in teams, ensuring multiple readers per submission.
Submission are considered on the grounds of originality, thematic fit and overall engagement with fan studies literature. Successful submissions put fans at the forefront – this is not an opportunity to write about a piece of media without engaging with fans in some capacity (fans themselves, fanworks, etc.)
We also expect some degree of critical engagement/argument; fan enthusiasm is deeply encouraged, but research should go ‘beyond’ simply explaining what the presenter loves about the text to demonstrate why it is interesting and what a particular case study’s wider implications for the field/other fandoms might be.
Can I submit multiple proposals to participate in the conference?
In the interests of including as many researchers as possible in our programme, we ask you to submit just one proposal per year.
Can I submit material shared in prior presentations and publications?
Your FSNNA submission should be based on entirely new research/new original data and argument, although it is not a problem if you have spoken about a similar theme/fandom at previous events, or in different contexts.
I’m not sure if I’ll be able to attend the conference. Should I submit a proposal anyway?
Virtual conferences require the same commitment as ‘in-person’ ones. Last-minute drop-outs inconvenience both the organising committee and your fellow panellists, and make it difficult for us to guarantee a sustainable, low-cost event. We ask you to take application seriously and only do so if you feel you will very likely be able to attend the event. Those who drop-out last minute (without reasonable explanation) may be subject to being restricted from participation at future conferences.
If you feel that it might be difficult to commit to a timeslot but would still like to be part of the conference, one of the benefits of FSNNA is our asynchronous poster option. Participants can submit posters that remain live throughout the conference in a unique channel of Discord. This option offers more flexibility than a typical presenter-based submission.
May I change the name of my paper or of my pre-constituted panel after it is submitted?
You may email us at fsnna.conference@gmail.com to request changes until a time that the finalized program has been circulated, which is usually in late September. If you know that you would like to change your paper name, please endeavour to give us as much notice as possible.
May I request a day and time for my presentation?
Based on the timezones and specific scheduling needs you listed in your initial application, we work hard to craft a schedule that not only accommodates the needs of a wide range of international participants, but also draws together thematically-organized panels to foster thoughtful and engaging conversations. As such, we cannot honor preferences for specific days or times.
Recognizing how many timezones are represented in our membership, we do work to create multiple venues for participation during FSN! The Discord runs 24/7 throughout the conference, and we make recordings of presentations available for several weeks after the conference to registered participants.