How to write a paper in six weeks: Week 6

Here is the last week of the 'How to write a paper in six weeks' series - you can check out the whole process in the wiki: http://writingapaperin6weeks.wikispaces.com

By now your article should be nearly ready to submit.

Make sure:

• you follow all the requirements of the journal;
• you have included all the references and they are written using the correct reference style;
• you submit the article in the form required by the publishers.

Now it's time to think what you'll do once you have submitted the article.

There is no hard and fast rule about how long a journal will take to respond to you, so you just have to sit tight and wait to hear from them. Some journals have a quick turn around time and other journals can take over a year from receiving your article to getting it published. You do have to wait until you have heard back from the journal before you can submit else where - it is bad practice to submit an article to more than one journal at the same time.

You can expect one of three responses, so it is worth having a back-up plan so you can deal to any of the responses when they arrive.

1. An outright rejection. Do not be disheartened by this. It is worth having a re-think and submit to another journal.
2. Accepted if you make changes. This is a positive outcome and should be followed up. A lot of people do not re-submit because they get disheartened. If this is the case with you, ask a critical friend to take an objective look at your article and help you respond to feedback.
3. Outright acceptance. If this is the case...congratulations. Even the most experienced writers cannot guarantee that their articles will be accepted at first try.

Hopefully you have enjoyed this publication boot camp and have been successful in writing and submitting your article. If you have found this process and the wiki useful, please let me know.


Image: 'Writing'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/38308378@N05/5034760960