4 Tips for getting yourself published

marc

As I sit silently in a self-made lock down to complete my latest book about training games, I thought I would take a break and consider the wider process of becoming published.

More and more, educational institutions are asking for staff to contribute to their professional development through scholarly activities such as conducting research, presenting papers at conferences or having articles accepted for publication. The question we get a lot from our students is “how do we get ourselves published, the first time?”

Here are some hints:

1. There are a plethora of online journals, magazines and newsletters with editors screaming out for content (and if you would like to propose an article for this blog I would thankfully consider your submission). So find publications that you think support your article, anecdote, teaching resource etc and send your submission to as many as you can find online. Once you are accepted to one, it is so much easier to grab the attention of another publication. You could use phrases such as “author of…” or “as seen in…” to promote yourself. This also looks good in a résumé.

2. If this doesn’t work at first, you might want to look at the publications a little closer and see what you are competing with. If your submission is similar to what already exists from a popular contributor, the publication will most likely try to avoid duplication. Therefore, try to offer them something new or a different slant on an existing issue.

3. Spend some time thinking of a great title that demands the attention of prospective publishers or rebroadcasters. Even if it is a well-written article, without a great title it is unlikely to be read. As a general rule, you should spend as much time on your title as you do on the article!

4. Finally, if you are not experiencing the success you desire, set up your own online newsletter or blog and invite people to subscribe.

Good luck!

Marc Ratcliffe
CEO, MRWED Group
Follow Me on twitter: @MRWED_CEO