Choosing a journal and submitting your manuscript

AORN Journal,  July, 2006  by Cynthia Saver

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Editor's note: This is the fifth in a series of articles on writing for publication. The first article was published in the March 2006 issue of the Journal.

After you have developed your idea for an article, you are ready to choose a journal for its possible publication, query the editor, and obtain the author guidelines to direct you on your writing journey. When choosing where to submit your idea, consider your goals for the article. Who do you want to reach? If your target audience comprises perioperative nurses, the AORN Journal would be an ideal choice.

Selecting the right journal is usually easy. Just look in your own mailbox, or visit the local medical or nursing library. Other sources you can investigate include the CINAHL (ie, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) database at http:// www.cinahl.com and the Nurse Author & Editor web site at http://www.nurse authoreditor.com. If you want to write for the general public, the Writer's Market, (1) published annually, is a good source for ideas.

Find out which journals are peer-reviewed. This means your article will be read by subject experts who will make recommendations about whether it should be published or what revisions might be needed. Faculty members must publish in peer-reviewed journals as part of the requirements for academic tenure.

Determine how often the journal is published. If a journal is only printed four times a year, you might have to wait longer to see your article in print than if the journal is published monthly. Finally, look at how well the journal stacks up against others in excellence and readability.

ASK BEFORE YOU WRITE

Before you begin writing, query the editor of the journal to which you wish to submit. Query refers to asking in writing if the editor would be interested in an article on your topic. Sending a query letter offers several advantages. First, you will not waste time writing an article only to learn that the editor is not interested or has already accepted a manuscript on the same subject. Second, the editor can give you feedback on your idea, which will help you craft the article to best meet readers' needs. Finally, if the editor expresses an interest, you can proceed with more confidence that your article will be accepted. An editor's interest in your idea does not guarantee publication, however.

Start off on the right foot by addressing your query letter to the correct person. Normally that is the editor or editor-in-chief. You can find this person's name in the author guidelines, which are often published in the journal; online at the journal's web site; or in the masthead located in the front of the journal. The masthead includes the names of journal staff members and editorial board members and the address for correspondence.

Promoting your topic. Nurses do not typically think of themselves as salespeople, but you need to sell your idea to increase your chances for publication. Journal editors actively seek and receive article ideas from readers, conference speakers, board members, the media, and many other sources. They must choose the topics that will most interest their readers and fulfill the journal's mission. You can help ensure that your idea receives consideration by including in your letter

* the topic that you propose to write about,

* an explanation of why the topic is important to the journal's readers,

* a brief description of what the article will include,

* an explanation of why you should write the article, and

* the date that you plan to submit your manuscript (Figure 1).

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

If you have already written a manuscript suitable for the readers of the journal, you can submit it for the editor to review without sending a query letter; however, you should include a cover letter that contains much of the same information. Many editors prefer to receive queries by e-mail, and sending by e-mail may elicit a more prompt response. If the author guidelines specify that the letter should be mailed, however, follow them.

Timing. Journals plan their content several months in advance, which can affect the timing of your query. For example, if you wish to write an article on injuries associated with boating accidents and the type of surgery often required for these injuries, you might want to submit the query in the fall since the topic lends itself to a summer issue. In addition, some editors plan editorial content for the entire year with a topical focus for each issue. Your chances for success will be greater if you target your query to the appropriate issue. It is acceptable to submit queries to multiple publications, but you should only submit a manuscript to one journal at a time.

AUTHOR GUIDELINES

The author guidelines do just that--guide you in writing and submitting an article. Just as you would never circulate for a new procedure without reading about it first, you must read--and follow--the author guidelines.

Author guidelines typically stipulate word count, types of articles the journal publishes, copyright issues, and financial disclosure information. Financial disclosure guidelines instruct authors to declare any financial ties they have with a company that makes or distributes a product discussed in the article. Disclosure includes stock ownership and service as a paid educator. Such disclosures will not necessarily result in rejection, but if you have any questions, talk with the editor before writing the article.