Demystifying Academic Publishing

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Academic publishing can feel like a labyrinthine game where you are unsure of the rules and complexities around aspects such as editorial and peer review, contracts, access options, and more. What happens after you submit a proposal or article to a journal or book publisher? I know when I tried to find information online a few years back, I was left wanting.

So, when a colleague mentioned they were teaching a class aimed at students interested in preparing their writing for publishing, I offered to create some informational videos based on my experience as an author that might help demystify the other end of the process: after submission. My experience is based on the field of the arts and humanities, but I tried to keep the information general enough to be relevant to other disciplines as well, though each has its own eccentricities and preferences. I also added sample wording of communication and contracts to give more specifics about the language one may use or encounter.

I hope this information is useful to those starting out and encourages authors to better understand and, when possible, push back against the exploitative publishing industry. Feel free to share with those who could benefit and to note differences in the content that may apply to other fields or contexts.

 

Part 1: Undertaking the Review Process

This video covers:

  • Initial Review
  • Peer Review
  • Exchanges with the Editor

Helpful links:

 

Part 2: Reviewing Contracts

This video covers:

  • Boilerplate contracts
  • Copyright regulations
  • Non-compete clauses
  • Plagiarism checking software

Helpful links:

 

Part 3: Working with Open Access

This video covers:

  • Options and charges
  • Predatory publishers
  • Types of open access

Helpful links:

 

More information specifically on book publishing