Where to publish as a grad student

[nhhistorynut]

Hi everyone,

I was wondering where some of you have been published or submitted articles/reviews for publication as grad students. I've had a paper accepted by the Historian, which is known to take grad student papers, but I know a lot of journals prefer authors who already have PhDs.

I'd like to pad my CV a bit with some more publications, possibly book reviews since I write them so often for my MA degree, but I'm not sure where to send them, or what publications are most likely to accept them.

Any experience?

[Reaglejuice89]

Hi nhhistorynut,

Through my grad program, every couple of months or so our department receives a "Call for Papers" e-mail from various journals (mostly grad run) throughout the country. That's how i got a couple of book reviews published. As far as publishing articles, i presented at a conference last spring and then submitted my paper for consideration to the journal hosting the conference.

That's how i've done it so far. I would just say to keep your eyes open for those Call for Paper e-mails and go to conferences — not only are they a good way plug your research, they're awesome for networking. Go up to the presenters after their presentations and ask questions (especially the Professors), they know where to do it and how to do it.

Additionally, have you talked to your mentor about this? I'm writing my MA thesis right now and my mentor and I have been edging closer and closer to starting to look for appropriate journals. She's been there and done that so why not pick her brain for where and how to look for journals?

Hope this helps. Good luck!

[nhhistorynut]

@sreagin1 thanks. I have a conference I am presenting at this March, but it isn't hosted by a journal. I will have to see if I can submit papers to some other conferences. I'd like to publish some book reviews, tbh, simply because I read so dang much and write so many of them and it'd be nice to get some real world credit for it lol. I'll have to talk to my advisor about where else to submit papers.

Thanks again!

[OHSP]

Keep an eye out for H-net CFPs and also just submit papers to the journals that you read. Even if the paper is rejected, peer review is very helpful. I've published twice in very well regarded OUP journals during my MA and it's not like anyone realises that you don't have a PhD anyway (until you give them a bio, at which point you're already in).

[OHSP]

Also submitting a few reviews and then becoming a regular reviewer is a good way to get free books

[TMP]

Are you going into your first year of the PhD program in the fall?

If so, I highly suggest that you wait to publish.  You need to get through your coursework and see what you end up doing as a dissertation topic and whether or not this paper you wish to publish has any connection to it.  If it does, then wait.  If it doesn't, feel free to go ahead and revise.  Book publishers will not accept book proposals if at least 25% of the book (roughly 2 chapters) have been published in peer-reviewed journals.  Productive ABDs usually have at least one article based on a dissertation chapter in the pipeline when they got on the academic job market.

However, if you're not interested in publishing for academics, there are other ways of using your work and reaching out to the public through magazines and newspapers.

Also as for book reviews, keep your acceptance rates to a minimum.  Accept book reviews if the book has any direct relevancy to your proposed dissertation topic (killing two birds with one stone).  Book reviews are good only for so long in terms of "value" on your CV.  Peer-reviewed journal articles go much further.

[OHSP]

Book reviews also come with other benefits though - networking especially. And if you have them sitting around, then why not try to get them out. While the 25% rule is definitely sensible advice, it is not a rule for all publishers (I say this as someone working with an OUP editor on a text with more then 2 chapters pre-published). 

[Sigaba]

On 2/6/2017 at 7:18 AM, nhhistorynut said:

I'd like to pad my CV ...

 

On 2/6/2017 at 9:43 AM, sreagin1 said:

... plug your research, they're awesome for networking..

 

On 2/6/2017 at 8:07 PM, OHSP said:

... get free books

 

21 hours ago, OHSP said:

Book reviews also come with other benefits though - networking especially. 

[OHSP]

#notheretomakefriends #justgottoplaythegame 

[not actually (but kind of?)]

Edit: I'm finishing my MA in a country where the thought of anyone getting a secure academic job post-PhD [in that country] is like a huge running joke. We're all about the strategy. It's a little bit depressing (hence the US PhD applications). 

Edited February 9, 2017 by OHSP