My notes about the 2020 ICGS Editors’ tips
2020-11-16
ICGS Editors’ Tips
I will share in these slides the notes I took from the two panels with editors from A-Journals at the International Corporate Governance Society (ICGS) Annual Meeting.
I hope you like it!
Tip 1: Learn to receive feedback
This is the most important tip.
When we get a rejection, we usually get frustrated. Learning to receive negative feedback to work on your weakness is super important to succeed in your career.
Tip 2: Never omit references
Editors know the literature so well. If you are omitting essential references, they will notice it.
Tip 3: You need a story
It doesn’t matter if you have the perfect empirical design or the nicest dataset; if you do not have a story to tell, you are in trouble.
Learn to create and to tell your story.
Tip 4: Introduction is the main part
The introduction is where reviewers decide whether they like or not your article.
The introduction is about 10% of the paper’s length, but you should work 25% of your time on it.
Tip 5: Abstract needs to be crystal-clear
The abstract is always the only part that reviewers and editors always thoroughly read.
So, it needs to be as clear as possible.
And it needs to deliver the message right away.
Tip 6: Focus on the contribution
The most critical factor in getting published is to have a contribution.
The definition of contribution is subjective, but editors and reviewers can always smell if you don’t have one.
Tip 7: Understand the journal
You have to understand the journal, the scope, and the past articles in there.
If you are not familiar with the journal’s characteristics, you have less chance.
Tip 8: Don’t do papers, Do projects
If you have an established and well-thought project where you get excited every day, your chances of success are high.
If you only do papers for the sake of doing it, you’ll get frustrated eventually.
Tip 9: Explore the context
You always have to explore the context of your sample and/or dataset.
Providing new results of an established topic is ok…
…but exploring your context to provide new insights is better.
Tip 10: 90% persistence, 10% I.Q.
Publishing is about 90% persistence.
The remaining 10% is about being smart.
Tip 11: Letters matter
Authors sometimes do not pay attention to the cover letter or to response letters to reviewers.
But letters matter. And they matter a lot.
Learn how to write good letters. And be honest in them. Don’t try to oversell your article; editors smell such things.
Tip 12: Editors want to publish
Finally, remember that no editor is blocking you.
They want to publish articles. But they want to publish good articles.
You have to do your job of getting and submitting a good one.
THANK YOU!
