Demystifying the

Publication Process
UAH English Professional
Development and Outreach
Why should I publish?
To contribute scholarship and provide more knowledge to the world

To develop as a professional

To become more marketable, especially if you eventually seek a tenure track job

To become a better teacher of writing and literature

Publishing is just for tenure track professors,
right?
You don’t have to have a PhD or a traditional tenure track job to publish an
article*

Grad students, independent scholars, non-tenure track faculty

Oftentimes, reviewers won’t know your identity (blind review process)

However, the process of achieving an advanced degree will shape and refine your
skills as an academic writer

*Caveat: there are always exceptions to these rules

How long does it usually take to publish an
article?
Publishing is a lengthy process: from initial brainstorming to publication, it can take years. For instance,
the publishing process of “My Awesome Article on Chaucer” may look something like this:

1. Write a seminar paper in a grad class

2. Receive positive feedback from professor
3. Present a shortened version at a conference
4. Receive feedback
5. Revise and expand essay based on feedback
6. Request a professor or colleague read revised essay and give feedback
7. Receive feedback and make changes
8. Revise essay and submit for publication
9. Publisher: Revise and Resubmit
10. You: revise and resubmit
11. (Revise and resubmit again?? And again???)
12. Acceptance
13. Publication
What should I write about? Narrowing your
interest
Narrow your academic interest
● Which authors or topics make you think the most?
● What questions or themes do you often write about?

What if I have multiple areas of interest? Am I required to just publish on Victorian poetry?
● Multiple areas of interest is a good thing, as it shows breadth
○ Eg. Victorian literature, gender studies, fantasy literature, rhetoric, etc.
● However, narrowing to a specialty shows depth
○ If you want to be a tenured professor of Shakespeare, you should write about Shakespeare and his
contemporaries

Use your classes to your advantage

● If you’re taking a seminar class, choose a topic in which you’re willing to invest a lot of time (i.e., beyond this class)
○ That seminar paper may eventually become an article
How do I find CFPs?
Check conference listings: they often have associated publications
● Go-to conference listings: UPenn, MLA (subscription needed for MLA, but they have reduced rates
for grad students)

Follow literary/critical blogs or social media pages for announcements

Ask your professors (who often forward CFP emails)

Consider other publishing opportunities: book reviews, edited collections, etc.

Where do I send my article?
Read widely and get a sense of how journals differ from each other
● What approach do they take? Literary historical? Readings? Cultural studies?
● Identify what topics are currently trending. Think about how your work fits in with those trends.
What can you contribute?
Look at the articles you tend to enjoy reading or speak to your own work
● You may notice that you’re especially drawn to Studies in English Literature or ELH or Nineteenth-
Century Fiction.
● Do a close reading of these journals and note their substance, organization, and style
○ Consider to what extent your work fits with their typical articles
Adapt your essay to your chosen journal’s standards
● Explicit (outlined on their website) and implicit (gleaned from reading) standards
● You may have to widen your scope: instead of writing about one Austen novel, expand to her body
of work, or contextualize your argument in literature of the period
The Value of Communicating with Professors
and Peers
Communicate with your advisor/professors
● Can help you identify and tailor your article to journals
● May have or know people who have published in some of those journals, may have specific advice
● May be willing to read drafts

Join or start a writing group

● Find other graduate students in your research area or who are trying to publish
○ James Mullholland: “Don’t write lonely”
● Schedule regular meetings to read seminar paper, conference paper, article, etc.
○ Feedback from peers as well as professors
○ Support, feedback, and accountability
Avoiding Predatory Journals
Typically have overly broad scopes (Academic Research in Science, Engineering,
Art and Management)

Will have suspiciously quick turnaround times (submissions due my mid-

February, publication slated for the end of February)

No scholars of note sit on the editorial board (or their names are present, but
they don’t actually work with the journal)

You may see some “hijacked” journals - here’s a good chance to apply those
critical thinking skills you’ve been garnering

Finally, and most troublingly, they MAKE YOU PAY to publish

Additional Things to be Aware Of
Most academic journals have strict rules about multiple submissions - they don’t
allow them. This is not the case for creative publications.

Receiving initial feedback can take a while, and it can be frustrating. Publication
is a long game, so only send out work that you think has a good shot at
publication from the beginning.

Depending on your goals, it’s best practice to send to the premier journal in your
field first and then move down the list.

That said, there are some reasons you might choose to submit to a less
prestigious journal.
You’ve finished your manuscript - now what?
Submit your article (either through email or submission manager).
You’ll likely need to compose a brief message summarizing your article.

Wait. Initial review process can take from a month (on the short end) to six
months (on the long end). After six months, it’s generally acceptable to contact
the editor to enquire on the article’s progress.

Receive feedback. Reject? Revise and resubmit? Accept without revisions?

React accordingly. Send the article to a new journal. Revise and resubmit.
Celebrate.
Possible Outcomes
The good - unconditional acceptance (rare; typically for outstanding pieces,
pieces from eminent scholars, or when journal editors feel overwhelmed, but
they like your stuff)

The bad - unrepentant rejection (not super uncommon; it’ll happen, and can
happen for any number of reasons; take a drink and resubmit elsewhere [after
correcting any significant errors you may have learned about in feedback])

The standard - revise and resubmit (if your writing is solid and you’ve chosen
your journal well, you’re likely to see this)