Submitting Clear and Compelling Publications

Yesterday we held our e-seminar on submitting clear and compelling publications, and as a group we came up with many great tips and strategies. Some of which I share below:

Choosing a journal:

The earlier you can choose a journal to target, the better. This is because, once you know what journal you want to submit to, you can write the article that best fits the journal's aims and scope as well as spend time seeing what their publications tend to look like, allowing you to craft a pub that best fits. When selecting a journal, consider review time, impact factor, as well as the audience you want to reach. Consider reaching out to the Editor before submitting if you have questions that aren't answered on the website or in the guidelines.

Considering audience:

The best writing is that written with the audience in the mind. So, before you put pen to paper, think about who will read it. What information will they be looking for and how do they plan to use it. What background will they have coming to your piece, and what do you need to fill them in on?

Writing tips:

There are many small things to keep in mind that can help improve your writing. Firstly, use active voice if your target journal allows it; it's simply easier to read than the passive alternative. Second, keep your sentences short; when they get to 3-4 lines long, you've probably got a couple sentences merged into one. Third switch up your word choice. I have a tendency to start using my favorite word of the day over and over again, and I don't catch it until I'm reading my draft out loud later on - that's when all the errors jump out!

Writing process:

Feeling out your writing process is half the battle to good writing. Start out by identifying when in your day you write best. Is it first thing in the morning or late at night? Try outlining your manuscript before you start writing. Identify what you want to convey in each section. What are your key points? What background information will your readers need? 

Leave yourself breadcrumbs. Don't button up all of your writing at the end of a writing session, because you'll sometimes find yourself at what feels like an insurmountable wall of a new section when you start writing the next day. Instead, start a new paragraph and stop before you've completed something where you're on a roll. It'll make it that much easier to get going in that next writing session.

Hopefully, these offer you some things to help improve your process of writing and publishing. Below are several resources for more tips and strategies, including our full seminar. Happy writing!

Resources:

e-Seminar: Submitting Clear and Compelling Publications - ORDE

Steven Pinker's 13 Rules for Good Writing

How to Get Published in an Academic Journal - The Guardian