Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Keepongoing]

can someone refer me to a website that gives instructions on how to write and make submissions to professional journals?

[Thiuda]

[cubanlord]

Hi OP,

I'll give you some invaluable advice I received before I started writing and publishing.

The first thing you want to do is figure out to which journal you would like to submit an article. There are many journals that deal with different things. For example, there are some journals that only publish research-related articles (i.e. articles that have an experiment and results attached to it). Also, there are journals that are highly practical. They would obviously not want theoretical issues without the practical aspect to it.

Then, reading two or three of the current issues of that particular journal. This will give you an idea of what to submit and how long an article should be. Most importantly, reading the journals will help you understand the writing style that the editor wants. There ARE specific types of formats they want writers to follow; there are also very specific types of articles they want to publish.

Finally, write. Write something and submit it. Edit it like there is no tomorrow. Make it as easy for the editor as possible. Take the editor's suggestions and don't be obnoxious about it; only the top people in the field can afford to not take editors' suggestions in respect to wording and content.

I hope this helps. I've been published in a travel magazine as well as 4 different practical journals/magazines. It has worked for me.

[theeyebright]

If you're looking for calls for papers UPenn has a great feed. They usually detail what they're looking for:

http://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/

[Thiuda]

[David Lee Roth]

Some good advice so far. As someone who publishes several manuscripts a year, I'd like to add my two cents of experience...

1. As cubanlord mentioned, choose the appropriate journal for your manuscript. If not, they'll fire it right back to you.

2. A good letter of submission is invaluable. This is where you get to "sell" your paper. You need to convince them that your manuscript is worthy of publication.

3. Carefully read formatting instructions, etc. If an editor sees you haven't taken the time to follow their instructions, again, they'll fire it right back to you.

4. Keep your writing simple, clear and concise. Depending on the subject matter (e.g., science, social science) and type of submission (e.g., original research, review, letter to the editor), your opinion should only pop up in the Discussion section of your manuscript.

5. If you do get your manuscript sent back for revision, you've won 3/4 of the battle. The journal is on the hook; now you just need to reel 'em in! Again, as cubanlord mentioned, follow their recommendations as much as possible. If there are 1 or 2 of them you really don't agree with, state why that is. You need to be humble at this point.

6. Peer-review. Get someone to review your work before submission. A fresh pair of eyes is worth the extra time.

[naturegirl321]

Try online journals as well as print journals.

Get prepared for rejection. It's tough, I-ve had lots of reject emails. But still, getting published in one or two is great. And it's good for your CV. I-ve gotten published in a book and some online journals. I-m trying to get into IATEFL.

I-m currently a Global blogger for MacMillan. YOu dno't get paid, but they gave me heaps of free books. And like I said, it goes on your CV> Nice to have a publications section to set you off from the crowd.

Oh, another thing, don't apply to more than one place at a time They all want exclusive stuff, so they won-t be happy if you tell them that another journals wants to publish your article because you applied to two places at once. YOu usually have to wait between 2 and 6 weeks to hear back from places.

[David Lee Roth]

7. Yes, another good point. Journals require you to explicitly state in the Letter of Submission something to the effect...

"The manuscript has never been published before, in whole or in part, nor is it under consideration for publication elsewhere."

This is both a matter of ethics and copyright. Some unscrupulous writers will send their manuscript to 2 journals at the same time and choose the one that accepts them first. If you're caught, your name will be mud.

8. A good title is important, as well. It should grab the reader's attention. Keep it concise.

[El Macho]

For those who have been published, I'd be interested in links to your work. If you don't want to post them, maybe PM me?

I have a couple of grammar papers in the works. Hoping to start submitting them in a month or so.

This year at IATEFL there will be a workshop specifically about writing for ELT-J. I'll probably attend the conference just for that.

[naturegirl321]

[David Lee Roth]

I sometimes wait months for a decision. However, in my field most of the top journals make their decision within 6 weeks. You need to be a little more patient. From 1st submission to 1 or 2 revisions to e-proofing to production to publication, it often takes 6 months to a year.