Abstract
One important skill for academic authors is determining when a manuscript is ready to be submitted for formal review. Both extremes–a hasty submission or, conversely, a manuscript that is perpetually unfinished—are barriers to progress as a scholar. Based on survey research with editors, lack of familiarity with a publication outlet—including its mission/goals, primary audience, and submission policies—account for many rejections. Given that the peer review cycle for journals often is 8–12 weeks, errors at the manuscript submission stage are an impediment to achieving publication goals. Learning how, when, and where to submit scholarly work is a career-long decision-making process because published authors pursue various writing tasks, work with different editors, and accept new challenges. Familiarity with the standards of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) offers guidance to authors about the submission process. Publishers offer detailed guidelines for authors, and these are another underused resource to facilitate successful publication. While some may object that the quality of their ideas is the only thing that does or should matter, poor presentation of ideas and formatting flaws can become a roadblock to the acceptance of a manuscript. Prolific authors have learned, not only how to produce manuscripts of publishable quality—as important as that is–but also how to efficiently and effectively navigate the manuscript submission process. This chapter describes a strategic approach to manuscript submission that will spare authors from many troublesome, time-consuming, and dispiriting outcomes with scholarly publication.
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Tech Tool: Understand how many leading journals manage submissions with Editorial Manager: A Tutorial for Authors Editorial Manager: A tutorial for authors | Editage Insights.
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Online Video: How to Get Published in an Academic Journal from Sage involves a panel of editors discussing ways to improve chances for success. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrGixQ7v4rY
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Jalongo, M.R., Saracho, O.N. (2023). Submitting the Manuscript for Formal Review: Efficient and Effective Strategies. In: Renck Jalongo, M., Saracho, O.N. (eds) Scholarly Writing. Springer Texts in Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-39516-1_11
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