How to Facilitate a Speedy Publication Process

By eContent Pro on Oct 18, 2017
How to Facilitate a Speedy Publication Process

“Speed” is a word that many academics don’t typically associate with the publishing process. Between assessment, peer review, and simply the large quantity of submissions out there, editors need time to carefully consider each prospective paper for their publications.

Yet, when years of thorough research finally culminates into a piece of writing, authors are eager to have their work published quickly. Speedy publication allows you to establish yourself as an authority in an emerging research area and begin work on your next project. The following tips will guide you in developing a manuscript that has all of the practicalities of an exemplary manuscript and avoids giving the editors a headache:

Draft Early On

Ideas and those profound thoughts come and go for most of us, so don’t be afraid to start the writing process even if your research is still underway or your key arguments haven’t been formulated. Drafting your paper early on gives you more time to restructure your thoughts and findings into a meaningful document. Work on your Abstract and Introduction, and then moving forward, brainstorm about the next direction of your manuscript. Writing subsequent sections of your manuscript while the foundation for your research is still fresh in your mind will lead to a more convincing and comprehensible argument.

Find the Balance Between Jargon and Simplicity

It’s called clarity. Contrary to the belief of many novice scholars, creating a manuscript packed with too much technical jargon and flowery language creates ambiguity and fails to establish credibility with your readers. Particularly, if editors and peer reviewers have difficulty understanding your argument or perceive your writing as convoluted rhetoric, they’ll surely note that in their assessments and lean towards rejection. Dr. Anabela Mesquita, Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Technology and Human Interaction, reveals that, sometimes, “authors use such a hermetic language that it is not accessible to all kinds of readers.” Professional copy editors and proofreaders can help introduce clarity in your writing while remaining authoritative.

Target Your Paper to the Most Fitting Publication

So many scholars mistakenly choose to submit their content to a journal or book solely because it’s included in prestigious indices rather than because its topic area is the most relevant. Very often, peer reviewers recognize that a paper is out of the publication’s scope, and therefore, isn’t suitable for publication. Consider your past reference lists or discuss pertinent journals or books with your colleagues. Then, read the full scope of each publication you consider and pinpoint one that marks all of your checkboxes. You can hopefully avoid getting rejected and having to extend your publication timeline by searching for a more fitting book or journal.

Reach Out to the Editor

Write a succinct letter to the book or journal’s editor inquiring about whether your paper falls within the desired topic area of the publication. Attach your Abstract so the editor can clearly make a determination for you. You may be surprised to know that a pre-submission inquiry—basically a proposal—is required by many publications. Even if the editor has no interest in publishing your manuscript, at least you didn’t waste months of your time waiting for what would have likely been a flat-out rejection from the start.

Adhere to the Style and Formatting Guidelines

The publisher of most every book or journal has a distinct style guide that contributing authors must follow. Sometimes journals are given the liberty to require their own specific formatting guidelines, but nevertheless, these details cannot be overlooked. You’ll find these guidelines set forth not too far within the publication’s website. Everything from your title, to page numbering, to endnotes must be cross-checked against these guidelines, or frankly, you risk rejection.

Last, but certainly not least, be sure that your paper meets all requirements of the specific referencing style mandated by the publication. For example, a submission to Inderscience in APA style may result in rejection, whereas if the same document in APA style is submitted to IGI Global, the editors and reviewers would be satisfied. You can always relieve your anxiety about meeting these various styling requirements by submitting your manuscript to a professional copy editor.

Don’t Forget About Your Figures

Quality, quality, quality. Are your images blurry, graphs hard to read, or data not presented in a logical manner? Editors want figures presented in an easily accessible way. If these illustrations are ill-prepared, it casts more of a negative light on your manuscript than you might think. Also, be sure to verify whether or not the publisher has specific image formatting requirements.

Have a Colleague Review Your Work Before Submission

Choose someone who’s an expert in your field of study, but not too close to you personally. They will provide a straightforward and honest review of your paper, which will be invaluable as you make minor final revisions before actually submitting to a book or journal. Adding this step before official submission should help alleviate more arduous changes that might be demanded by peer reviewers later on.

Follow Up

Selecting and developing manuscripts for a publication is a meticulous process, so be patient at the beginning even if a speedy publication is particularly important for you. Also, the decision-making process can vary widely between different research areas. As a general rule, you will not want to be bothersome to the editors or the publisher during this process. Yet, after about 4 months, it would be appropriate to cordially follow up. Consider our tips on how to properly check on your manuscript’s submission status.

Respond to and Engage with Peer Reviewers

Making it past the initial evaluations and through the review process is a notable accomplishment, so take a moment to commend yourself. From here, you can’t just implement edits based on the reviewer comments; engage with them. Write a detailed and polite response to your manuscript’s evaluators, not only with conversant replies or civil rebuttals, but also with an enthusiastic “thank you.” This will reduce your chances of a rejection and will speed up your potential publication because the editor probably will not need to request anything further from you.

Takeaway

The publishing process inherently takes time: research, writing, revision, review, revision, production, publication. However, if you follow the tips and approaches we mentioned, it can shed months off your wait time and help to ensure the smooth sailing of your manuscript.

How eContent Pro Can Help

To ensure your writing is grammatically flawless, let eContent Pro (eCPro) help you.

At eCPro, we take pride in providing top-notch editorial services that are tailored to meet the needs of our clients. With over 20 years of experience in the publishing industry, we have earned a reputation for delivering high-quality work that is error-free and polished to perfection at the quickest turnaround time.

When you choose eCPro for your copy editing and academic proofreading needs, you can rest assured that you are working with a team of experts who are passionate about what they do. Our native English-speaking copy editors and certified proofreaders are highly experienced and specialize in over 10 research areas, ensuring that your document is in good hands.

In addition, we use Microsoft Word's Track Changes feature to perform edits, allowing you to easily review and manage the changes made to your document. We also follow various style guides, including APA 7th edition, MLA, APA, Chicago Style, and more, to ensure that your document adheres to the standards set by your academic institution or publisher.

At eCPro, we are committed to providing excellent service at a competitive price. Our English Language Copy Editing and Proofreading service costs just US $0.06 per word, with a turnaround time of 2-3 business days at no extra cost. Your total cost of copy editing will also benefit from our current 10% academic discount.

Through our analysis, we have seen a much higher acceptance rate and quicker submission processes with manuscripts that have received our English Language Copy Editing and Proofreading and Scientific & Scholarly Editing services. If you use one of our bundled services, you will receive an additional 10% discount that can be combined with our current 10% academic discount for a total discount of 20%!

So why wait? Contact us today to learn more about our editorial services and how we can help you achieve your publishing goals. With our team of experts by your side, you can be confident that your document will be polished to perfection and ready to stand out in the competitive publishing landscape.

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