‘Publish or Perish,’ as they say, aptly describes a writer’s dilemma. Publishing one’s work in an indexed journal is a dream that every writer lives with. It not only boosts the writer’s morale and accelerates his career progression but also aids him in validating his work and connecting with the target audience. Despite being an integral aspect of writing, journal selection is often overlooked. Most writers procrastinate this step and hence fail to get the right impact of their work. Ideally, journal selection should be done before you start your writing. This would help you customize your writing to the journal’s specifications and save effort editing later.
Why is it important to choose the right journal for getting one’s work published?
It is of utmost importance to select the right journal for your work. The prime reasons are listed below:
- It will put you ahead of the curve
- It will lead you to present your content in the most appropriate manner
- It helps you to get maximum visibility of your work
But is it that easy to zero upon a journal to publish your work? How to decide if a journal is suitable for your kind of publication? Are there any automated tools that can help you in choosing a journal? Probably, the answer is no. The article provides a guide for the writers in this regard.
Steps to Choose the Right Journal
- Categorize Your Content: The foremost step while selecting a journal is to categorize your content. You must review your content and ponder upon what kind of a journal would publish this content. The content must fit appropriately within the scope of the journal.
- Use Online Search Tools: There are a few online search tools to writers’ rescue which assist in selecting the journals. You must, however, ensure that those tools are neutral and not operated by any publisher.
- Evaluate the Journal: It is crucial to evaluate the reach, impact, and speed of a journal before you select it for your article. Reach implies conforming to whether the journal reaches your target audience. Impact refers to the number of downloads or citations of articles in that journal within a specified time span. The speed of the journal suggests the time gap between the submission of an article and its publication.
- Confirm Peer-review Process: As a writer, always confirm the peer-review process of a journal before relying upon it. A rigorous peer-review process usually indicates the quality of a journal. Also, you must ensure transparency in procedures.
Conclusion
Selecting the right journal for an article is a crucial decision for a writer. It enhances the credibility of your writing and improves your future career prospects. A cautious effort in this direction can help you obtain the maximum impact of your work and save you from a lot of distress.