When you work in publishing, you often lose track of time. At any given moment, we’re working on three different issues, which can make it difficult to remember what month you’re in. Then again, this problem isn’t exclusive to publishing. Have you ever had one of those moments when someone asks you what day it is, and you just stare blankly? Then you realize it’s the 30th and that you completely forgot to pay your phone bill because it seemed like it arrived just two days ago. Time actually does seem to fly by.

Although it’s only August, it’s time to start looking ahead to next year. We’re announcing the 2005 editorial calendar this month. I hope you’ll take a look not only to see when the next Robotics or Signal Processing issue is, but also to see when you should submit your article proposal. As we say, this magazine is written by engineers, for engineers. Our readers are our best writers. So, if you have an interesting project, consider turning it into an article. We’re looking for innovative applications, practical solutions, and efficient projects.

For definitions of our monthly themes along with details about the specific topics we’re interested in, please see the Author’s Guide on our web site (www.circuitcellar.com/authors). We have purposely chosen broad themes that encompass a wide spectrum of engineering. However, with only 12 months to work with, the themes don’t cover everything. Don’t worry if your project doesn’t fit neatly into one of the themes; we’ll certainly find space for valuable articles that fall outside the main categories.

Looking at the calendar below, please note that the deadlines are for completed articles. Proposals should be sent at least one month prior to the deadlines to be considered for specific issues.