Finding the right fit for your manuscript is as important as finding the right romantic partner. A manuscript-publication mismatch typically leads to rejection, and even if the article is published, it may not be widely read.
Doing some upfront homework will help you find the right match. Your first consideration should be the publications you read regularly since you’ll be most familiar with them. However, which of those should you choose? And what if your topic doesn’t fit with the publications you read?
We often talk about the “rights” of medication administration. Although these rights have their limitations, the concept can be applied to choosing a publication—right audience, right dissemination, right timing, and right review process. As you’ll see, these are interrelated.
Right audience
Ask yourself this simple question: Who is my target audience and what are they reading? For example, do you want your article about an innovative recruitment strategy project to be read by nurse leaders? If so, consider Nurse Leader or the Journal of Nursing Administration. On the other hand, if you want all nurses to learn more about human trafficking, consider a general nursing journal such as American Nurse Journal.
Although this may seem obvious, I can’t tell you how many times editors receive manuscripts that aren’t suitable for their readers. You may wish to publish in a particular journal, but unless that journal’s readership includes your target audience, you won’t be successful in disseminating the information you wish to share.
Right dissemination
How many people receive the publication? You can sometimes find the number of subscribers on the publication’s website. (If the publication accepts advertising, check the sales section.) Publications that are a membership benefit have a built-in readership. For example, every member of the American Nurses Association receives American Nurse Journal, and members of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses receive the American Journal of Critical Care and Critical Care Nurse.
Some publications don’t require a subscription, with online articles accessible to all, while others have a hybrid of open access articles and those only available to subscribers. Readers, of course, appreciate open access, but some open access journals may be “predatory.” Predatory journals prey on unsuspecting authors by making unrealistic promises while charging authors unreasonable fees for publication. For example, beware of a journal that promises a 1-week peer review turnaround. Learn more about predatory journals, including red flags, in one of my previous blogs.
Evaluate how active the publication is on social media. Your article is more likely to be seen if the journal has an active social media presence. In addition, journal metrics can provide information about the uptake of different articles, which can help you get a sense of how widely read the journal is. However, the use of metrics is somewhat controversial, so it’s probably best to place more weight on other factors.
Keep in mind that it’s not just a numbers game. You need to think about both readers and numbers. For example, if your article is intended for chief nursing officers, you’re probably better with a publication such as Nurse Leader (the official journal of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership), as opposed to a general nursing journal, even though the latter will have more readers.
Right timing
As you narrow your options, check the publication’s table of contents for the past 2 to 3 years. If an article on a topic similar to the one you plan to write about was published 6 months ago, it may be harder to place your manuscript unless you have a different twist on it.
Also consider whether your topic is “hot” or “cold.” Artificial intelligence is a hot topic, while your quality improvement project from 3 years ago is cold. Projects shouldn’t languish until data and processes become outdated. I should add, however, that evergreen topics such as how to respond to emergency situations are usually welcome by clinical journals.
Right review process
If you’re seeking academic tenure, you likely need to be published in a peer-reviewed journal. In general, these journals tend to be viewed as more prestigious and, depending on the topic and target readers, may be the best fit for your manuscript. For example, the report of your research project on ventilator liberation is best suited for a peer-reviewed journal. Peer review aims to improve the quality of manuscripts, which will, in turn, enhance readership.
Not every topic needs to (or should) be published in a peer-reviewed journal. For instance, an inspiring story about a nurse’s personal experience with burnout can be disseminated via a blog or newsletter.
Compare
As you do your research, read the author guidelines, which are a publication’s policies and procedures. The guidelines contain a wealth of information, such as the publication’s readership, types of articles accepted, departments, acceptance rates, and length. Use the information to help you narrow your options and compare the possibilities. For example, if a journal has never published a case study, don’t submit one. Be sure to check out departments; editors often are seeking articles for these. (Departments, which have a particular theme or topic focus, are published on a regular basis in a journal. For example, American Nurse Journal has the Rapid Response department, which features an emergency situation a nurse has to respond to.)
Sometimes journals publish a call for abstracts or call for manuscripts for an upcoming special issue. These announcements are typically found on the journal’s website.
Once you decide on a publication, send a query email to the editor. In the email, ask if there would be interest in your topic. Not all editors accept queries, but they save time: If an editor isn’t interested in the topic, you can move on to another publication.
Think creatively
Nurses are often most interested in writing for journals. An excellent resource is the Directory of Nursing Journals. Each entry includes a description of the journal, current editors with contact emails, and a link to the journal’s website.
Journals remain clearly vital to the profession but also consider broadening your focus to consider other options. These may include:
- Your organization’s internal publications (for example, many hospitals have nursing publications)
- Newsletters or other publication outlets for local, state, and national associations
- Blogs (for example, nursology.net).
Combining these options is a great way to disseminate your work more widely. For example, you might publish your study in a peer-reviewed journal, and, after your article is published, write a blog that highlights the key points and refers readers to your article. Or you might choose to write a short article on the value of specialty certification for your organization’s and for your local specialty chapter’s newsletters. Be sure your various articles are different enough so that you don’t infringe on copyright.
Home sweet home
There are many types of homes: apartments, single-family dwellings, condos, mansions, and more. We take great care when choosing which option works best for us and our families. Similarly, there are many publication “homes.” Taking care to choose the best one can enhance publishing success.
Cynthia Saver, MS, RN, is editor of the award-winning book Anatomy of Writing for Publication for Nurses, 5thed. She has more than three decades of publishing experience as a writer, editor, and publishing executive. Cynthia’s work has appeared in many journals, and her past positions include editorial director for American Nurse Journal, which she helped launch. Cynthia is passionate about helping nurses share their expertise by writing for publication and happily shares her knowledge though The Writing Mind blog, articles, short presentations, and workshops.
References
Saver C. How to select and query a publication. In: Saver C. Anatomy of Writing for Publication for Nurses. 5th ed. Indianapolis, IN: Sigma Theta Tau International; 2024; 38-56.
Sayab M. When the scoreboard becomes the game, it’s time to recalibrate research metrics. The Scholarly Kitchen. September 11, 2025. scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2025/09/11/guest-post-when-the-scoreboard-becomes-the-game-its-time-to-recalibrate-research-metrics/?informz=1&nbd=93f31039-00a7-4ed1-bf99-f54985a0ce48&nbd_source=informz
