Researching on a topic, taking hours, days, and weeks to complete an article of a high standard, fear of publishing, and whether or not the internet will love it, sounds like an ordeal. While the “publish or perish” mentality of academia cannot be denied, this does not mean that publishers do not respect outstanding work.
True, beginners often have difficulty finding a decent journal to publish in, but this could be because their research, even when of high quality, lacks the elegance and meticulousness that an experienced researcher’s work possesses. Having said that, everyone has a first time, and while you may receive a few rejections at first, if you make the adjustments advised by reviewers and maintain improving your article over time, you can someday aspire to be published in a reputable journal.
Having said that, we all know that enthusiastic writers are more than willing to put in an umpty amount of hours into writing an article only if the success of the article is guaranteed. While this is true, in reality, nothing really is guaranteed. However, there are a few steps to writing and publishing an article that will gradually guarantee success undoubtedly. So without further ado, let’s get into it.
Visioning your article beforehand
You have to understand that the internet is confusing. So before you plan to write something on your own, it is extremely important for you to have clarity. You can take inspiration from the internet because that works just fine, but as a writer, creativity and vision are important. What makes your work successful is new information that may or may not come through research, and is it important to plan out everything beforehand to avoid getting messed up in the end. You can keep a small notebook to jot down a few points that you aim to include so that you won’t forget while writing.
Marketing — topic, title, keywords, etc.
As a writer, understanding the basics of marketing is crucial. Successful writers hire marketers to help them out with the digital marketing portion — what will help their article, journal or book get better reach and can be accessed by a large number of audiences. Hence, marketing is a non-negotiable portion for a writer. Had writing been as easy as writing something on the pages of paper, and attaining overnight fame, then all the crores of anonymous writers would be world-famous by now.
There are various aspects of proper marketing that need to be well researched before venturing into the world of writing. Finding keywords for the title aimed towards your writing is the most important part of digital publishing. Proper editing, checking for grammatical errors, and plagiarism are some of the other important aspects.
Proper research in the article
We all research heavily about the topic we aim to write on. If not, then sorry, your work won’t stand out. The more the research, the clearer the information and hence, better and simpler the article. No use complicating the article just because your research is extensive. That does more harm than good to your paper. Also, keep in mind to use absolutely updated information and verified statistics, you surely don’t want to use outdated information in your article. That’s a big no and spoils the reputation of the author.
Crisp introduction, and a meaningful conclusion
As writers, it is important to identify the importance of the introduction and conclusion in the article. Most of us are trying our best to slay the body part, and then complain when the article does not reach the desired goal. Most readers do not find time or patience to read an article word by word, and it is the duty of the reader to make the content engaging enough. It can only happen if the introduction is written on point.
A good introduction should give a clear hint on what the reader is expecting in the body of the article and subtly prove why reading your article is worth the time and investment. Start with a welcoming and a catchy line, and refrain from using way too many dry statistics in the introduction itself. The introduction is almost like the first interaction with the reader and it can make or break the deal. Don’t elongate on an introduction either.
In case of a conclusion, it is crucial to end the article gracefully as we say. Here, you can include your final thoughts, opinions, viewpoints, and what you think of the whole scenario and the future perspective. Make sure to end everything respectfully whatsoever. It’s also crucial to include future research and practice instructions, potential or actual study constraints, and practical (or management) consequences that can help improve a process in case you are writing an academic article.
Proofread and get rid of copyrights
After you are done writing an article, you have to do what we call a proper revision. And that does not include checking only the grammar, punctuation, and spelling in the article. Proofreading should include everything needed to eliminate all kinds of errors in an article, including the statistics which should be the absolute latest.
In the editing part, whatever information, images, or pictures you include in the article, it should be clear of all copyrights. You are liable for obtaining the required permissions for any material included in work. These rights are especially relevant to web-based materials.
Also read: Improve your English writing skills – Analyze your mistakes with ease
