How to Get Published Elsevier Author Webinar Jonathan Simpson, Publishing Director Elsevier Science & Technology Books August 2014 1
Agenda 1. Introduction 2. Scholarly publishing and getting published 3. Why publish? The value of being an author 4. Are you ready to publish? Selecting a publisher 5. Writing effective book proposals 6. Writing effective Journal submissions 7. Structuring your work and using correct language 8. Questions 2
Who am I? Publishing Director, Engineering and Computing books Based in Oxford, United Kingdom 20 years of Publishing experience
Scholarly Publishing Today Scientific, Technical and Medical communities around the world are united through STM Publishing 2,000 STM Publishers 64,000 Published Books 20,000 Peer- Reviewed Journals 1.4 Million Peer- Reviewed Articles 4
5 Are You Ready To Publish?
Why Publish in Journals? Registration Work is time stamped to officially note who submitted scientific results first Dissemination Share discoveries and findings Preservation Preserve the minutes and record of science for posterity Career advancement Secure future grants, employment and promotion 6
Why Publish in Books? Builds your Reputation Book authors/contributors are often leaders in the field and the acknowledged expert on a topic Share your Interest and Passion Expand publishing portfolio across multiple platforms Help Educate Provide materials for teaching Market need Fill a gap in the literature Career advancement or summary Leave a legacy 7
What makes a strong manuscript? Clear & useful message A logical manner Readers grasp the research or the purpose 8
How to Select the Right Journal Journal Finder Tool http://journalfinder.elsevier.com/
How to Select a Book Publisher Read: look for publishers with books on topics related to yours Research: publisher s websites to get a feel for audience/level or products Discuss: consult authors of books from the publisher Consider & Review distribution worldwide & electronic strategy Innovation & Technology 10
Developing Your Book Proposal http://www.elsevier.com/book-authors/science-and-technology-bookpublishing/how-to-write-and-submit-a-book-proposal Elsevier Acquisitions Editors are always pleased to hear directly from those with book ideas Proposal forms guide you through the key information Publishers need: content, scope, and audience Keep the following in mind when preparing your proposal: Your intended audience and its needs Competing resources Clarity and discoverability Proposal assessment and approval process Editor review External review Proposal development Presentation to publishing committee 11
Structuring and Developing Your Manuscript 12
Developing Your Journal Submission 1) Read the Guide for Authors or book proposal guidelines Find guidelines on the homepage of the publisher, e.g. Elsevier.com Follow the Guide for Authors when preparing your manuscript or book proposal 13
General Structure of a Journal article Title Abstract Keywords Introduction Methods Results AND Discussion Conclusion Acknowledgements References Supporting Materials 14
Title Fewest possible words Adequately describes content Identifies main issue Does not use rarely-used abbreviations Effective manuscript titles 15
Keywords Are used by indexing and abstracting services Are the labels of the manuscript Use only established abbreviations (e.g. DNA) Article Title An experimental study on evacuated tube solar collector using supercritical CO2 Keywords Solar collector; supercritical CO2; solar energy; solar thermal utilization 16
Abstract This is the advertisement of your article. Make it interesting and understandable Make it accurate and specific A clear abstract will strongly influence whether or not your work is considered Keep it as brief as possible 17
Introduction Provide a brief context to the readers Address the problem Identify the solutions & limitations What is hoped to be achieved Consistent with the nature of the journal 18
Methods Describe how the problem was studied Include detailed information Do not describe previously published procedures Identify the equipment and describe materials used 19
Results Be clear & easy to understand Highlight the main findings Feature unexpected findings Provide statistical analysis Include illustrations & figures 20
Discussion What do the results mean? Most important section Make the discussion correspond to the results You need to compare published results with your own 21
The Conclusion Should be clear Provide justification for the work Advance the present state of knowledge Provide suggested future experiments 22
References Do not use too many references Always ensure you have fully absorbed material you are referencing Avoid excessive self-citations Avoid excessive citations of publications from the same region Conform strictly to the style given in the guide for authors 23
A Note on Manuscript language Accurate Concise Clear Objective 24
Do publishers correct language? Not for Journals It is the Author s responsibility... Yes for books...but resources are available We offer language assistance: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/authorsview.authors/authorservices 25
Peer Review Helps to determine the quality, validity, significance and originality of research Helps to improve the quality of papers Publishers stand outside the academic process and are not prone to prejudice or favour Publishers facilitate the review process by investing in online review systems and providing tools to help Editors and Reviewers 26
Journal Review Journal papers are more likely to be accepted, or accepted subject to fewer changes if: the paper is consistent with the focus of the journal; if the paper follows the format and structure guide for that journal; if the content is clear, useful and exciting At Elsevier, between 30 percent to 50 percent of articles don't even make it to the peer review process. Eight top reasons a journal article may be rejected 27
Reasons a Paper May Fail Journal Review See http://www.elsevier.com/connect/8-reasons-i-rejected-your-article 1. It fails the technical screening 2. It does not fall within the Aims and Scope 3. It is incomplete 4. The analysis of the data is defective 5. The conclusions cannot be justified 6. It is simply a small extension of a different paper 7. It is incomprehensible (Even if you ARE a native English speaker. Need help? We offer language services! http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/authorsview.authors/authorservices 8. The paper is of marginal interest to the field. 28
Book Review Book proposals are most likely to be accepted when a detail proposal is presented and when the review shows a clear market need for the material whether it is bringing something new to the literature, or is addressing a deficiency elsewhere in the existing literature Need more help? http://scitechconnect.elsevier.com/resources/resources-for-authors-2/ Book proposals are most likely to be rejected if they offer nothing new, or where the author is unwilling developing their outline or content ideas Need more help? http://scitechconnect.elsevier.com/resources/resources-for-authors-2/ 29
Links and resources Free webcast tutorials on getting published, writing tips, structuring an article, ethics, plagiarism, impact factors and more : www.elsevier.com/trainingwebcasts Journal Authors homepage, for writing and submission tips: http://www.elsevier.com/journal-authors/home Book Authors homepage http://www.elsevier.com/book-authors/home http://scitechconnect.elsevier.com/resources/resources-for-authors-2 For online trainings and tutorials on using Elsevier products: http://trainingdesk.elsevier.com Contact j.simpson@elsevier.com 30
Thank You どうもありがとうございました Any questions? 31
32 Annex
The journal publishing cycle 30-60% Solicit rejected & manage by > submissions 7,000 editors 10 million Archive articles & promote in archive use Manage 500,000+ peer reviewers >480 million downloads Publish by & >30 million disseminate researchers in >180 countries! Nearly Edit ½ million & articles prepare accepted 10 million articles Production available 33
The book publishing cycle Develop Actively identify market and led solicit content book strategy proposals Contributes Marketing & to understanding Sales of the subject Work Internal with Editor author to develop review book Publication. Production Discovery and distribution External Refine content market and peer further review Approval Writing and development contracting 34