1. Submission should be on the right track.
Every newspaper and magazine has its own specific policy and purpose (periodical) and its own readers. Before submitting a manuscript, we should understand this and find out whether its publishing cycle is bimonthly, quarterly, monthly or bimonthly or weekly. If it is a newspaper, it is a daily newspaper, a Tuesday newspaper, a weekly newspaper or a bimonthly or monthly newspaper. Next, we need to know which columns have been published in various newspapers and what articles have been published in each column. If possible, you should also learn about the history of newspapers and periodicals, see what articles have been published in recent years, compare your research questions with your papers, whether anyone has studied and written them before, what is the current research situation, from what angle you have published such articles before, and whether your articles have been innovative and developed. In addition, we should also study the trends and trends of newspapers and periodicals, and what kind of hot manuscripts will be next. Finally, it depends on which newspapers and columns your article is suitable for. When submitting a manuscript, it is best to indicate the column name on the envelope so that the editor can handle the manuscript timely and accurately. In order to do this, we must read more newspapers and periodicals at ordinary times, at least know the latest catalogue, so that we can be targeted when submitting articles, and we will not send the manuscripts of chemistry teaching in middle schools to newspapers and periodicals suitable for primary school students.
For example, Chemistry Education, the authoritative magazine of middle school chemistry teaching research, is a comprehensive academic monthly magazine sponsored by chinese chemical society. The column introduction of "Chemical Education" and the essay on "Chemical Education" are often published in the first issue of each year. If you want to contribute to this magazine, you must study these two articles carefully. Other magazines such as Middle School Chemistry Teaching Reference and Middle School Chemistry will also introduce their readers, submission requirements, magazine columns and so on.
Step 2 pay attention to the timing
Teaching and research papers can be divided into two categories according to timeliness: one is time-sensitive and coordinated with teaching progress (for example, chemistry teaching in middle schools refers to new teaching materials and various synchronous exercises, etc.). ), the other is not effective and has nothing to do with the teaching progress. The latter can contribute at any time, while the former must master a certain amount of advance payment. In the end, how long to contribute in advance, the general newspapers and periodicals will remind readers and authors through newspaper enlightenment. Under normal circumstances, if there is no provision in the newspapers and periodicals, the bimonthly and monthly manuscripts should be 4-6 months in advance. Generally speaking, the more timely the news articles, the better. The shorter the publishing cycle of newspapers and periodicals, the smaller the advance payment. "Monday morning quarterback" is the most taboo and generally not a very good manuscript. Monday morning quarterback is difficult to publish. For example, manuscripts related to the content to be learned at the beginning of next semester are generally distributed during holidays at the end of last semester at the latest to provide reference for teachers to prepare lessons. If you wait until you have finished teaching this part and then throw it out, it will be "Monday morning quarterback", and such a manuscript is not very valuable. This creates a contradiction, because most manuscripts related to teaching progress are studied and written after problems are found in teaching, and the opportunity to contribute has already been missed. What shall we do? The author's experience is that you can write it first, process it slowly and carefully, and then throw it at the right time next year, so that the cold-worked manuscript will be more mature. Some newspapers and periodicals have been used for several months or even half a year, even if it is only one month, because it is impossible to contribute more than one manuscript, and it is too late to vote for other newspapers and periodicals after receiving the reply. In this case, the above method can also be adopted, but it is best to keep the release record and write down the release time and target. What was the result? Know what to do when submitting again.
3. Pay attention to the standard format.
If the manuscript is handwritten, pay attention to writing carefully, neatly and clearly, without typos and accurate punctuation, and be sure to copy it clearly with checkered manuscript paper, indicating the number of words per page. If it is a printed manuscript, you should also pay attention to the fact that the number of words should not be too small. The general text should be the third or third word, and the number of pages and words should be indicated in the footer for reference when editing and typesetting. Editorial departments of newspapers and periodicals generally do not take back written and copied manuscripts. Many newspaper editorial departments have detailed and clear requirements on the format of manuscripts, so they should study them carefully before submitting them. The format of a formal paper should be the title, the mailing address under the title, the postal code enclosed in brackets after the mailing address, and the author's name after the space. A long paper should have a "summary" of 200-300 words, with no more than five keywords before the text, which can save time and understand the main points when editing and reading the manuscript. Usually, the "citation source" or "remarks" and the main bibliography should be indicated at the back of the text, and the title, publisher name, edition and author should be clearly written in the bibliography. If it is the first submission, it is best to add "author profile" at the end of the article, which is convenient for editors to understand the situation and establish the author file, which is also the need of self-improvement. Of course, the introduction must be realistic and not boastful, because the final adoption of the manuscript is not determined by your introduction, but the quality of the manuscript, and the fundamental thing to improve the hit rate is the quality of the manuscript.
4. Properly control the number of words
Different journals have different requirements for the number of words in their papers, and there are great differences. Some people like long stories, while others like short ones. When submitting a manuscript, we should study the articles published in various journals and sum up some rules, so that the manuscript can be targeted. Generally speaking, the articles sent to newspapers and periodicals should be as short as possible, the topics should be small, practical and operable, so that others can be inspired and educated or can use them; The papers participating in the selection should be more theoretical, with slightly larger topics and more words, so as to make the problem clear. Usually, when the department that organizes the topic selection of a paper gives notice or inspiration, it has clear requirements on the topic selection, format and number of words of the paper, and it should be paid full attention to when writing. If there is no requirement, the author thinks that the number of words in the selected papers should be 3000-5000 words, generally not less than 3000 words and not more than 7000 words. As long as the topic is discussed clearly, don't worry too much about the number of words. As far as published articles are concerned, the number of words varies greatly, which is mainly related to the nature of the topic, the capacity of newspapers and periodicals, some readers and other factors. Generally, the topics with strong theory can be slightly longer, the topics with strong application should be shorter, the manuscripts of magazines should be slightly longer, the manuscripts of newspapers should be as short as possible, the papers of teachers and researchers should be slightly longer, the works of students should be as short as possible, and the papers with big topics and strong academic characteristics should be shorter. Here, "slightly longer" or "slightly shorter" are relative, and there are no strict rules. In my opinion, a "slightly longer" article can be mastered in 3000-5000 words. Of course, it would be best if the word 1500-2000 could solve the problem. The article "slightly short" should not exceed 2000 words, preferably 500- 1000 words at most 1500 words can make the problem clear. No matter what kind of article, we should pay great attention to the scientificity and readability of the article while controlling the number of words. The so-called scientific nature means that the viewpoint of the article cannot be wrong, the cited argumentation materials must be accurate, and the argumentation process must stand scrutiny; The so-called readability mainly refers to the written expression that people like to read, and they want to read the content as soon as they see the title. They can't put it down when they see the content, and they have to read it all at once. Of course, this is not a day's work, it takes a long time to hone, and the writing skills are practiced.
For example, the column "Chemistry and Society" in chemistry education should be within 5,000 words, "Review Guidance" should be within 3,000 words, "Investigation Report" should be within 3,000 words, and "Experimental Teaching and Teaching Aid Development" should be within 500-2,000 words.
5. Pay attention to the submission strategy
People who have just started to contribute always hope to get a reply from the editorial department as soon as possible after contributing. In fact, because the editorial department has to deal with countless manuscripts every day, many publications often don't even bother to send a notice of acceptance after receiving the manuscripts, which has dampened the enthusiasm of many authors, and some even stopped contributing. There are also a few publications that take care of "relationship manuscripts" in large quantities and only pay attention to a few "celebrities", which makes many newcomers flinch. However, it should be admitted that any publication will consider its own reputation. A truly vital publication will adhere to the principle of recognizing manuscripts and not recognizing people. As long as the manuscript is right and the quality is excellent, there is no reason for any editorial department to give up the best. Based on this consideration, from the author's point of view, the author thinks that the following strategies should be paid attention to when submitting a manuscript: First, persevere, whether it is sent or not, that is, contribute frequently, don't think about it after it is finished, don't expect to be published, lower expectations and let the editorial department think about it. In fact, it is useless for you to think about it; Second, the more you fight, the more you win. After a long time, editors will be impressed, especially some publications with sufficient manuscript sources and high level. It is very likely that the manuscript you sent was put forward before you read it carefully. "Vote again and again" may touch God. If your manuscript is really good, it goes without saying that if you read it carefully, it may change your destiny, even before. Third, find the right path to the destination. As long as you think your manuscript is really valuable, you can vote repeatedly or switch to other similar publications. I believe that if it is gold, it will be discovered and recognized. Fourth, from low to high, step by step. Generally speaking, the lower the publication level, the smaller the distribution scope and the fewer the manuscript sources. If the manuscript of the same quality is submitted to such a publication, it may increase the chance of hitting. Newcomers who have just started writing should pay special attention to this. It is unrealistic to dream of becoming a blockbuster fat man. Fifth, strike while the iron is hot, that is, send it immediately after receiving the notification of the publication's adoption, and continue to develop while the editorial department is still impressed with your manuscript. Sixth, pay attention to grade, that is, when submitting a manuscript, pay attention to the consistency between the quality of the manuscript and the influence of the publication grade. This can be divided into two situations: the first situation is that the author who has published an article with a certain popularity can "write a good manuscript" to a "high-level" publication, which can expand his influence, build a brand, make a name for himself and improve his popularity. Of course, the work must be a "fist product". For example, the publication has published your manuscript for many times, which belongs to the "familiarity" in the second case. An author who has never published an article is not well-known and unfamiliar. You can use the method of "Tian Ji Horse Racing" to achieve the effect of "best of three games".
Finally, let's talk about "multiple contributions for one manuscript". Each periodical has its own regulations, which oppose "multiple contributions for one manuscript" and require that other periodicals be changed after the editing period. However, many manuscripts are very timely, especially those that match the teaching progress, which are often "there is no shop after this village". In this case, there are two ways: one is to do it according to the regulations, and change it or leave it until next year after it expires, and the other is to adopt a disguised form of "multiple contributions for one manuscript". Another method is to keep the contribution record and notify other publications immediately after receiving the adoption notice, so as not to publish them again. Generally speaking, authors who are not well-known and just start writing, especially those with average quality, rarely use several publications at the same time, even if they contribute more than one article. From this point of view, from the point of view of safeguarding the author's rights and interests, the author is in favor of the second method, and it seems that the newspaper editorial department should not oppose this method. It is not easy for the author to write a manuscript. There is no need to inform the author in time, which will delay the opportunity to use the manuscript. The editorial department should bear the responsibility. I wonder if the author's point of view is correct.
I have been engaged in editing literary periodicals for more than fifteen years, and I am deeply touched by the author's irregular submission. Now I will tell the authors what to pay attention to in order to improve the hit rate of submission.
First, the manuscript should be written neatly, the handwriting should not be scribbled, and the manuscript paper should be square paper. Many authors don't pay much attention to this aspect, and they copy it at sixes and sevens. What's more, just copy a poem on the cigarette case or write it on the back of the used manuscript paper. Some authors use manuscript paper to copy, but don't use square manuscript paper and so on. For this kind of contributions, editors generally don't read them carefully. First of all, it's too difficult to read. Second, the editor thinks that the author's creation is not rigorous, and the quality of submission is certainly not much better. Third, there is no need to copy the manuscript paper. If the manuscript is published, it is not convenient to modify it. It is not easy to calculate the line spacing and the number of words.
Second, the author should be modest in submitting. Many authors always like postscript when they contribute. The author's postscript can be said to be varied. Appropriate self-introduction is ok, but it should be concise, modest and polite. I remember when I first started as an editor of a municipal literary periodical, I saw many similar postscript: I am a member of an association, a member of the China Literature Association, and I won many awards in the national literary competition, so I can be said to be an influential writer and poet. I sent you some poems today, which should be enough to be published in your municipal journal. I wonder which editor is willing to send such an arrogant manuscript. Since your level is so high, since you don't have a municipal publication in your eyes, why do you contribute to the municipal publication? At that time, when I was young, I sat and finished reading my poem. In fact, the so-called poetry can't even reach the level of county-level publications. That's just the author's boast. Moreover, authors often don't know their own creative level, and always think that their manuscripts are of high level, which really answers the proverb that "children are their own good". When submitting a manuscript, I always overestimate my manuscript, and even say that it has been affirmed by an editor-in-chief or appreciated by a writer. In fact, the editor knows the quality of the manuscript after reading it. There is no need for the author to gild the lily, which is often counterproductive. Therefore, the author must be modest when submitting a manuscript, and don't over-promote himself. Third, the submission should be targeted. At present, there are many newspapers and periodicals in China. According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 1000 kinds of literary newspapers and periodicals in China, and there are countless literary supplements of various newspapers. Authors often complain that their manuscripts are not appreciated by editors. Apart from the quality, it is nothing more than that the author did not find a suitable newspaper to contribute. In fact, every newspaper has its own characteristics, and it has its own standard of manuscript use. If you don't make a choice, you can't write a manuscript, and it will definitely be difficult to become an instant hit. Generally speaking, the articles published by newspaper supplements are lower than pure literary publications, and the literary works published by newspaper supplements are generally consistent with the propaganda theme of newspapers in this period, which can also be said to be timely. If it is this kind of manuscript, it is generally not easy to be published in pure literary journals. Of course, there are also some major newspaper supplements whose literary works are not low, depending on the newspaper. Literary publications are generally divided into municipal, provincial and central levels. Generally speaking, the quality of manuscript selection at different levels is different. For example, Fiction Monthly and Fiction Selected Magazine can be said to contain the essence of novels, and the works of ordinary authors are not easy to be selected. How to improve the hit rate of your manuscript, first of all, you should know your creative level and contribute to the corresponding newspaper according to your creative level, so that it is easy to hit the target.
Fourth, it is best not to send the manuscript to the editor. I have been an editor for a long time, and I have made many literary friends. So there are many personal letters or manuscripts sent to the editor, and the desk is full of letters and manuscripts, which can't be handled. The editorial department has a special person to send and receive manuscripts and register and distribute them in time. There is generally no backlog. On the contrary, manuscripts sent to editors are often overstocked and cannot be processed in time.
Five, the manuscript should be kept, which is convenient for more than one manuscript. At present, all newspapers and periodicals do not reject manuscripts. First, the workload is large; Second, I can't afford a lot of postage. Generally speaking, if you haven't seen the adoption notice for two months (unless there is an agreement), you can submit it again. The manuscript still needs to be submitted to several newspapers (don't submit two manuscripts at the same time), and it may be selected by one newspaper. Unpublished is not necessarily a low level, but the key is to have a clear purpose in submitting.
6. Don't contribute long articles to newspaper supplements. As we all know, the capacity of newspaper supplements is extremely limited, and there are too many words in the manuscript to fit in the layout. Editing and modifying takes time and brain power. In this case, editors usually choose other manuscripts, and the fate of the manuscripts can be imagined.
Seven, when the manuscript, to write down the fixed address, zip code, name at the end of the manuscript, for editing. Don't think this is a trivial matter. Many authors often forget to write the address at the end of the manuscript, so that the editor can't get in touch with the author.