Trying to publish a paper in an academic journal can be a frustrating process for both the author and the editor. Jon Billsberry, outgoing editor of the Journal of Management Education, understands this completely. In his editorial “Desk-Rejects: 10 Top Tips to Avoid the Cull” in the February issue of the Journal of Management Education, he provides 10 tips to help avoid an immediate rejection.
There is already a lot of advice available on how to prepare an interesting manuscript. Our website supplies guidance on our requirements and what we are looking for. We regularly present at conferences and workshops, and the associate editors and I are always happy to give advice on email or over the phone. Despite all of this, as just mentioned, we still desk reject half of
the submissions that come in. This advice clearly is not connecting with many authors. In reflecting on why this might be, I find myself thinking that telling people what to do might come across as both patronizing and a little abstract. So I think it is time to change tack and make it easier for those determined to receive a rapid negative decision. Describing the real reasons why papers are instantly rejected might be a stickier way of getting the message over. So, based on our immediate rejection decisions over the past 2 years, here are my Top 10 Tips to ensure that your beloved manuscript is returned to you posthaste. I hope you find these useful.
Read “Desk-Rejects: 10 Top Tips to Avoid the Cull” in the February issue of the Journal of Management Education by clicking here. Want to stay up to date with articles, editorials and more from the Journal of Management Education? Click here to sign up for e-alerts today!
