How to Submit to an Academic Journal

You’ve written an academic paper and are confident that it has a chance at being published. Now, you need to begin the process of sending it out for consideration. Before sticking a copy in the mail and waiting for the acceptance letter, do yourself a favor and make sure you’ve got everything in order. It could spell the difference between a publication credit and finding yourself in the slush pile.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A finished manuscript
• Envelopes
• Stamps
• Attention to detail

1. Choose an appropriate journal. This may sound obvious, but a good number of beginning scholars send their material to journals completely inappropriate for their paper. Make sure you choose a journal that publishes similar material to what you have written.

2. Find the submissions guidelines. Many journals publish these on their inside covers, while others will post them on their website. Copy these out and follow them step by step.

3. Format your paper correctly. Each journal has a specific style guide, and their submissions guidelines tell you exactly what they want. If necessary, re-format your paper so that it meets the guidelines exactly. Many papers are rejected because the author used the wrong paper margins or citation system!

4. Write a short summary of your credentials. If your article is accepted, the journal will most likely ask for an author biography. Begin by noting any publication credits and degrees you have. Explain why you are credible to write the paper.

5. Write a short summary of the article. Try to break down the main idea and motive into two or three sentences. At most, your summary or abstract should be a small paragraph.

6. Create a brief cover letter. Editorial staff will often receive hundreds of submissions during the course of a year, and do most of the reading in a two or three month period. They are not interested in long expository letters. Write a cover letter that thanks the editors for reading your paper, give a brief explanation of your project, and end with the author bio. Anything more can put your paper directly into the slush pile without ever being read.

Tips & Warnings

• Reading periods for journals usually take place during the summer or winter months, which means that it could take more than a year before you hear back. Make a note of when a journals reading period is, and allow three to five months after that for a response.
• Submit to journals whose writing style is similar to your own. Make sure you are an excellent fit on all levels.
• Make sure you enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope with each submission. If you want your full manuscript back, include and envelope with enough postage to cover it.
• Always check to see if the journal allows for multiple submissions. If not, you can lose a publication credit by sending it out to more than one journal at a time. Respect their rules.
• Make sure you check to see whether your name should be in a header or not. Many journals use a blind submission process. If this is the case, they are not going to take the time to black out your name on each page before sending it out for review. It will simply go into the trash.
• ALWAYS put your name on the cover letter and title page, unless directed otherwise. If your correct contact information is not included, the journal cannot accept the paper.
• Do not send originals to a journal. Always send a copy in case the piece is lost.