Getting published by Routledge has been a huge milestone in my academic journey. In January, my first article was published by Routledge; an article discussing the life and works of author Charlotte Turner Smith. It was an exciting yet nerve-wracking experience to work with the editors to get it published, all while studying for my PhD. I’m so proud of it and thankful to my supervisor for the opportunity.
The Opportunity to Write for Routledge
When the opportunity to write for Routledge came up, I was only a month into my PhD studies. October 2021. Another writer was initially given the opportunity but she wasn’t able to take it. My supervisor was then offered it and asked if I’d like to be co-writer with him.
I had never heard of Charlotte Turner Smith before, but I was excited to take on the challenge. An 18th century writer, mixed in with research. Two things I love! And going to be published in Routledge! I’d be dumb to turn that down. The amount of books over the years that I have referenced with Routledge as the publisher. Well respected company. Great experience.
The deadline for submission was quite short. I had never read contemporary materials before. But I was determined to learn and use this experience as a way to develop my research skills. Initially, it was hard. The fact that eighteenth century text letter ‘f’ looked like ‘s’ confused my dyslexic brain for awhile. But I managed to get through it. Once I was able to read the text, it was much more enjoyable.
As my supervisor was expecting his first child, I took over a large portion of the topic. This was challenging due to it being my first article. I was worried I was getting things wrong and I really wanted this to go well. Reassurance from editors and supervisor helped with my confidence.
The Process of Writing and Submitting an Academic Article to Routledge
One of the most important aspects of publishing with Routledge is following their strict guidelines, which include adhering to a specific word count. As a first-time academic author, this can be a bit daunting, but I found it helpful to have a clear set of guidelines to work with.
Another challenge I encountered was writing in American spelling and grammar, which was required by Routledge. To help me adjust to this, I turned my spellchecker to American so that I could stop double-checking every spelling.
Throughout the process, I learned that the deadline can change due to unforeseen circumstances. As someone who likes to be organised, this was probably the most anxiety-driven thing for me. I’m the kind of person that would sit in a cafè 30 minutes early while waiting for a friend because I anticipate the traffic could make me 30 minutes late.
However, I quickly realised that worrying about the deadline wasn’t productive. My anxiety support told me of the worry tree. Can I fix whatever I am worried about? If the answer is no, then I need to let it go.
So I did what I needed to do. I found the reviews that I could and wrote the sections I needed. Then everything just began to fall into place. There wasn’t any need for me to worry.
Working with the editors was an absolute pleasure. They were incredibly helpful and approachable, always willing to provide guidance and feedback to ensure the article was as strong as possible.
Balancing my PhD studies
Balancing my PhD studies with this publishing experience was challenging at times, but I found that the two complemented each other well. The skills that I got from working with routledge were transferable. I discovered how to find scanned archival material, practiced reading it and applying it to written work. The constant and quick turn around from Routledge editors also meant that I learned to stick to the brief and work quickly. This was extra pressure for both me and my supervisor as we were added late to the project.
I honestly thought the publication would go through quicker than it had done. I started the project in October 2021 and it was only published in December 2022, the submission for the article was January for all writers. Just when I thought the work was finished, I was emailed about proofreading and indexing. Each task had a short deadline of 1 or 2 weeks which often meant I had to prioritise it above my PhD but I didn’t mind and was confident I could make up the time. I won’t lie, seeing the article proofed was amazing and made the whole thing real.
Key Takeaways and Lessons Learned from the Publishing Experience
Going through the process of getting published by Routledge was an incredibly eye-opening experience, and I learned many valuable lessons along the way.
Firstly, don’t stress too much about timelines. While it’s important to have a rough idea of when things need to be done, it’s also important to remember that these are more like guidelines than strict deadlines. The project is not going to fall apart if something takes a little longer than expected.
Secondly, I learned that it takes much longer than you might expect to get a finished piece through to print. There are many rounds of edits, revisions, and formatting that need to take place, as well as extra tasks like indexing. Patience and perseverance are key.
Finally, one of the most important lessons I learned was the value of using the “worry tree” technique. When faced with a problem or challenge, I learned to ask myself: is this something I can control? If it is, I take action. If not, I let it go and focus on the things I can control. This helped me stay focused and motivated throughout the publishing process.
Overall, getting published by Routledge was an exciting and challenging milestone in my academic career. It taught me about the importance of adhering to guidelines, adjusting to different writing styles, and collaborating effectively with editors. I’m grateful for the experience and the lessons learned. And I look forward to applying these skills and insights to future projects.
Writing an academic article for Routledge was not only an exciting opportunity, it was also a great chance for me to broaden my academic knowledge and deepen my understanding of writing as an author.
