Getting published in academic journals is no small feat. The academic industry is a highly competitive one. It might actually be the most competitive out of all industries. The politics in the academic is quite scary, and there is a never-ending backstabbing from editors, peers, research buddies, and many more. However, it is your dream to see your research paper published. After years of interviewing resource people and writing until five in the morning, you are confident that the world needs to read your paper. You are sure it has something to contribute to societies, communities, and the world in general.
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Browse Legitimate Journals
You have to know what kind of research papers the academic journal carries. The academic publishing market is worth over $21 billion. It is poised to increase in the coming years as they transition to digital versions, expanding their market to include the rest of the world. Remember that no matter how good your research paper is, if it does not follow the overall goals and vision of the academic journal, then the editors won’t give it the time of the day.
Find the academic journal that carries the same topics that your research paper is talking about. This also means defining what you are an expert in. Once you can identify what separates you from the rest, then you can better market your paper.
Think About Publishing It on Your Own
Why not consider self-publishing your work? If no academic journal wants to publish your research paper, and you think your readers will benefit from knowing about it, then why don’t you invest in yourself? Who else will believe in you and what you wrote but yourself? Talk to some publishing companies and see what deal they can cut for you. Others will not ask for a huge upfront payment as long as you agree to share the profits with them. Others will let you keep the profit all to yourself in exchange for paying the right fees now.
These publishing companies will guide you throughout the whole process, from planning to publishing to distributing the copies. Some of them have partnerships with e-commerce platforms that can help sell your work. Part of that guidance is having a professional editor review your work so that it will be publication-ready.
Understand the Requirements
Sure, your research paper already received a thumbs up from various experts. The question is if it follows the style and format of the academic journal to which you plan to submit it? Some important factors that go into the submission process are the maximum and minimum length of the paper, references, format, American or British English, and the choice of medium. The latter refers to whether you want a print-only or digital-only copy or perhaps, both?
A proofreader will help you with the right formatting. You should be open to working with your editors and proofreaders. Some academic writers often misjudge the intention of editors. They think their editors simply cannot understand their process. But look at it from the perspective of your editors. They want to sell your paper to your target readers. No matter how great the writing and content are, if no one is interested in reading it, your paper will not have the impact you want it to have.
Go Through the Process
Is your friend working in an academic journal? Perhaps, you know someone who knows someone who knows someone who’s working for that paper? This could be your route to getting your work published, right? No. If you are confident about your research paper, then go through the proper submission process. Have someone look at your paper and review it accordingly. Be open to comments, suggestions, and recommendations. It is hard to hear negative feedback about your work, but if you want to get published, this is the only way for that to happen.
While it is nerve-wracking to go through the whole process from beginning to end, this is such a fulfilling thing to do. Every step you pass with flying colors will bring you closer to the finish line. You will also learn a lot along the way.
Yes, it is hard for your work to get noticed by academic papers. It’s not every day that they are looking for the exact topic that you wrote about. Here’s the thing: you’ve worked hard enough to complete your research paper. Now, it’s time to work even hard to get it to your intended audience. That will only happen if an academic journal publishes it, or you invest enough in yourself that you print and publish it on the internet.