ONS Career Guide ONS CAREER GUIDE 2018.web | Page 13

Get Published!
How Oncology Nurses Can Impact Their
Profession Through Publishing
G
etting published is an important part
of an oncology nurse’s professional
growth, but it can be intimidating to
get started. Who do you contact? Where do
you submit your manuscript? How does the
process work? It may seem daunting, but
getting published is achievable—and it can
do wonders for your career in the long run.
Is a Mentor Your First Step?
Anne Katz, PhD, RN, FAAN, Oncology Nursing
Forum editor, has an unequivocal love for
writing. But even if you love writing or just
want to write to get published and expand your
professional development, acquiring a mentor
can be helpful when you’re getting started.
According to Katz, mentoring can be
formal or informal; informal mentors include
colleagues, coworkers, and even friends.
Strong writers or readers can provide feed-
back, even if they are not involved in oncology
nursing. The Clinical Journal of Oncology Nurs-
ing also provides a mentorship program that
pairs novice writers with seasoned authors.
More information is available at cjon.ons.org/
content/writing-mentorship-program.
Collaborate and Listen
Collaborating on a project is an exciting
way to get new ideas from different people,
but before you get into the thick of it, be
sure to identify roles and responsibilities.
“You need to know who is contributing
what,” Katz said. These types of points include
who should be the contact for the published
work, what order the authors will be listed, what
duties everyone will assume, and if a contributor
should be an author or an acknowledgement.
What Should You Write About?
Before you submit work to a journal, you
need to know your audience: What are the
implications of your content on your read-
ers, and how can readers apply your content
to their own practice or setting?
Ellen Carr, RN, MSN, AOCN®, Clinical
Journal of Oncology Nursing editor, suggest-
ed visiting the journal’s website and mission
statement to better understand if your work
is a good fit for that specific publication.
Carr noted that an idea may be appropriate
for a lot of venues, but not all venues are
appropriate for your work.
At this point, Katz said, it is all about
building your portfolio. “Reflect on your prac-
tice—that’s a great place to start,” she said.
By focusing on your passions, you can
better hone in on what the message is for
your readers. Unique case studies, new
instruments or tools, and stories of patients
and families are great topics that are interest-
ing to delve into and are fascinating to read.
Katz said that writing a book chapter is a
good alternative to writing a journal article.
However, when working with a book publisher,
you must be cognizant and respectful of the
timelines provided. Katz added that “life’s a ne-
gotiation” and you can always discuss timeline
concerns when they are being developed at the
beginning, but once you agree to a timeline you
need to make sure to stick with it.
If you’re looking for a smaller start to
publishing, consider the following:
• Newsletters
• Consumer publications
• Peer-reviewed publications (e.g., letters to
the editor, case studies, literature reviews)
As your career progresses and your author-
ship experiences grow, you can go from co-
authored articles and single book chapters
to speaking engagements, single book and
article authorship, and even participation
on a peer review board or editorial board.
Not All Publishers Are Created Equal
Getting published is an exciting prospect
but be wary of the choices out there.
“Not all publishers are created equally;
you’re going to have to do a little research,”
said Leslie McGee, MA, ONS senior edito-
rial manager.
“Predatory publishers” have increased
significantly in recent years, according to
McGee. They charge a lofty author fee for
a minimal return to the author and often
use the same or similar titles of established
Quick Publishing Do’s
and Don’ts From the
Editor of the Oncology
Nursing Forum
By Anne Katz, PhD, RN, FAAN
DO’S
• Find a writing mentor or buddy.
• Set firm deadlines and keep to them
(e.g., I will write every day for one hour).
• Decide on the order of authorship BEFORE
you submit any manuscript.
• Send a letter of inquiry to the editor to
gauge interest in your work.
• Follow the instructions for authors to the
letter.
DON’TS
• Don’t send the same manuscript to more
than one journal at a time,
• Don’t expect your manuscript to be
accepted as is; revisions are routine and
make your work better.
• Don’t ignore the instructions for authors;
if you do, it suggests that you haven’t read
them or don’t care.
• Don’t leave requested revisions for too
long; turn the manuscript around quickly to
avoid procrastination.
• Don’t take rejection personally—the journal
may have accepted something similar
recently or it might just not be a good fit.
ONS 2018–2019 CAREER GUIDE
13