How to navigate the peer review publishing process

When an author submits a manuscript to a scholarly journal, the manuscript will face one of three basic responses: accept, reject, or revise and resubmit. Samantha Elliott, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education (JMBE), and Jeffrey Arnett, editor of the Journal of Adolescent Research, offer the following information to guide you through the different responses you may receive from editors.

Accept/Accept with Minor Modifications
Manuscripts that fall into this category are exceptionally strong papers that received glowing peer reviews, and the only modifications needed might include clarification on certain points, or formatting issues specific to the journal. While this is every academic writer’s dream response, it is a very rare occurrence. If this happens to you, Elliott recommends that you celebrate, and then take a good look at the feedback you received to find out what impressed your reviewers. You can use this feedback to help shape future manuscripts.

Featured Member Joanne Cooper – Mapping your way to publishing success

Joanne Cooper is a Professor Emeritus of Educational Administration at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She is the recipient of numerous teaching and research awards, including the University of Hawaii Distinguished Graduate Mentoring Award and the Distinguished Teaching Award for Graduate Education. Cooper is a certified Courage & Renewal facilitator and founder of the Hawaii Courage to Teach Program.

4 Steps to promoting your textbook

Recently a member posted a question in the Textbook Writing & Publishing Circle in TAA’s online member community requesting input on how other authors promote their work. In response to this question, veteran textbook author Robert Christopherson, author of Geosystems, the leading physical geography texts in the US and Canada, offered a four-step approach that encourages authors to define their market niche and take a proactive role with the publisher’s marketing team.