Despite the amount of time and effort that can go into creating a manuscript, article submission is something that many people struggle with. Typically, there are quite a few different things that will be able to help you with getting your article submitted to a journal; from simple formatting, to picking the right journal for your paper.
To give you a helping hand in submitting your article, here are just a few pieces of advice that you might find useful.
1. Choose the right journal
One of the first things you should do when trying to get your paper published by a journal is to consider which ones are available, as well as which names and niches will be best for your article in particular. There are likely to be several for you to choose from and while it might take a little research and effort, it’s well worth being properly prepared to ensure that you’re submitting your piece to the right place. When you consider that being showcased in the best possible way will go toward your notoriety and success moving forward, it makes sense that going to the wrong platform will be detrimental.
Remember that most will have their own submission guidelines, which might also be worth thinking about before taking the plunge.
2. Know the formatting requirements
Most journals will follow a somewhat similar style of formatting, but this doesn’t mean that they will all have the same style, or that they’ll accept papers of any type. To some journals, formatting is an essential aspect of their article structure, where every detail must match down to a tee. It may take a little effort, but it’s often essential to ensure that it’s formatted correctly to avoid any hassle or stress later on.
3. Before sending it off, run a plagiarism check
Even if you don’t think that you’ve copied material from anywhere else, it’s well worth running your paper through plagiarism software to ensure that your article submission won’t run into any problems. Even if it’s unintentional, plagiarism is forbidden by any reputable and trustworthy journals. Your paper needs to be completely unique, without any copied material, and that can sometimes be harder to achieve than you’d think.
General tips for submitting your paper
Outside of the three points mentioned above, here are a few other things that you might want to consider before submitting your paper:
- Certain journals are invitation-only, so make sure you check before submitting so you don’t waste your time
- Much like general formatting, consider that many journals have specific guidelines for artwork too (think style, layout and more)
- It might be worth using journal metrics to get a better understanding of impact factor and how it works to ensure a fairer appraisal
Include a cover letter to give the journal editors an outline of what your paper has to offer and why it’s unique/beneficial. They are likely to receive thousands of submissions every month, so being clear and concise is essential when you need to be recognized fast.
Story by Tom Smith
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