Ins and Outs of Publishing: Hints for a Positive Experience

Timeline and To Do List Set a date when the article should be finished. Make a list of all activities involved in completing the writing project. Do not stray from the timeline.

Select a Journal Review journals or publishers in the field and select first and second choice. Look through recent issues and copy 2-3 articles for future review for style and references. Obtain the latest article submission information.

Literature Search Check major indexing and abstracting services. Use a search engine to check the web. After the article is written, do another search to insure that no new research has appeared since the first search.

Collection of Data Follow scholarly methodology. If human subjects are involved, seek IRB approval. If a survey is written, pretest it and revise it if necessary.

Edit Have a colleague read and critique the article. Do not take criticism personally. Rewrite as necessary.

References Get them right before submission. It is not so easy to update references.

Receiving Feedback Some reviewer criticism may be unprofessional or simply wrong. Do not waste emotional energy on it. If the editor asks for revisions and resubmission, complete the revisions quickly and resubmit the manuscript. If the manuscript is rejected, complete revisions, change style format if necessary and submit the manuscript to the second choice journal.

Final Edits Before Publication Expect the worst timing. Do not expect to know more than 72 hours in advance that revisions are due in 72 hours. Do not leave town at the same time as your co-author. If you are the only author, notify the editor of the dates that you are out of town.

More About Final Edits Expect more than one contact about final edits. Drop everything else for 72 hours. Get those edits done.

Sigh of Relief Not until you see it in print.