Many people often write to me after being informed that their journal article has not been accepted by the publisher they submitted it to asking for advice. However, often they would stand a much better chance if they take into account a few key points and follow the following steps.

Focus on writing clearly

There is no substitute for a good idea, for excellent research or for clean, clear writing. A journal article should first and foremost be concise, straightforward and well defined. It is not a novel with subplots and flashbacks so should have a single, linear narrative line. Therefore, conveying a professional tone is important. Grammar mistakes or inconsistencies of style will create the impression that you are not being careful.

Pre-review the article

Do not send the article to the editor or publisher until you have it reviewed with a fresh eye. Try to recruit two objective colleagues: one who is familiar with the research area and another who knows little or nothing about it. The former can provide technical advice, whilst the latter will help to determine whether your ideas are being communicated clearly.

In many academic institutions there are reading groups to review each others work, it is worth checking if this available. After you have got that fresh critique of your work, listen to the pre-reviewers advice. If the reviewer did not really understand a particular page do not just say that the reader did not read carefully other people will be likely to make that same mistake.

Be sure to send you article to the right journal

From my experience I have seen many rejections as a result of journal-mismatch, a discrepancy between the submitted paper and the journals scope or mission. It is important to review and consider the papers that regularly appear in the journal before you submit an article to it. A major issue is submitting your article simply to get it reviewed. This is not a good idea because it wastes editors time. Moreover, those who reject it from the journal may also be the ones who have to review the paper when it is submitted to a different journal.

Prepare and work on your cover letter

Many authors do not realise the usefulness of cover letters. In addition to stating here it is and that the paper conforms to ethical standards the letter can also contain the authors rationale for choosing that particular publishers journal, particularly if it is not immediately apparent. The letter can also suggest reviewers for your article, especially in the case of a field that an editor is not well-versed in. The flip side is also acceptable: Authors can suggest that certain people should not review the manuscript for fear of potential bias.

Do not panic

The overwhelming majority of initial journal articles are rejected at their first attempt. To a certain extent this is a numbers game and to get a lot of publications, you will also need to get lots of rejections. Only a small proportion around 5 10 percent are accepted the first time they are submitted. Also, usually they are only submitted subject to revisions.

Consider the use of a proofreading service

If your journal article has been rejected you may want to consider the use of a professional proofreading service, they will review your article and recommend improvements to the grammar and style of your text and suggest such changes using Track changes so that they are clearly visible and transparent. At Express Proofreading we provideprofessional proofreading services and have been doing so for a number of years. If you would like to find out more about our services, please contact me or visit our site where you will be able to find out more information about our proofreading services.