Publishing Your Research Results: Some Thoughts and Suggestions from an Author Who Is also an Editor.

Suggestions are presented for being successful in publishing research results and for disseminating results once they are published. Writing style is the single most important ingredient for success in publishing, and revision is the usual prerequisite for style. Selecting target journals before writing can maximize the manuscript's chances of success. Writing query letters before submitting a manuscript is not very useful, unless the author is aiming for a theme issue that may be filled. Reading author guidelines is a more useful approach. Attending to details such as checking citations is an important step. In general, an author can believe an editor's comments and suggestions, except in the area of lag time or manuscript review. The author should not overpersonalize editorial contacts, and should focus on the revision requests of the editor. In submitting a revision, it is usually helpful to enumerate the corrections made. Changes should be made before galley proofs arrive. Once a work is in print, the author should promote it, sending out reprint copies, for example. (SLD)