How to write with purpose to get published in the security field. Includes best practices on how to get started, what to write about, and where to get published.

1. PUBLISHING WITH
PURPOSE IN THE
SECURITY FIELD
Jay Tamsett, Editor-in-Chief
Journal of Strategic Security (JSS)
A publication of Henley-Putnam University Press

2. How does publishing enhance your career?
• Write what you are passionate
about, and stand out in your career
field
• If you can align your vision of your
future with your education and
interests…
• …and you are willing to work hard
to build skills in writing…
• …then you have high potential to
get published

3. Where should I publish?
• Make a list of journals and magazines in your career
field
• Develop a list of topics you want to write about
• Then, see if you can find a “call for papers” or “call
for submissions” online that matches your interests
and timeline
• Contact the editor or publisher and let them know
you are interested in submitting a manuscript
• If appropriate, send along an abstract (typically not
more than 200 words or one long paragraph)
• Be willing to work hard to get it right and ask for a
friend or professor to review your paper before you
submit the final manuscript

4. GETTING STARTED
Tips and strategies for getting published

5. Before you submit a paper for publication, ask:
 Why am I writing this paper?
 Challenge the status quo or conventional wisdom?
 Convince policy makers to consider your recommendations?
 Add to a deficiency in the literature?
 Who is my audience? What do I want them to know?
 Do I need them to make a decision?
 Persuade them to think differently about an issue?
 Introduce a new concept or idea?
 What is my thesis?
 In one or two sentences, what is my main point?
 Do I have evidence both for and against my main point?
 How will I organize my ideas and structure my arguments?

6. Research publisher’s requirements before you submit
 Find a relevant publication source
 Is your style more editorialized? If yes, consider a magazine or trade association pub
 Is your style more scholarly? If yes, consider a refereed journal
 Study the call for papers
 Is my paper relevant to the current call?
 Contact the publisher and share your idea or abstract
 Adhere religiously to the submission requirements
 Shape your paper to conform to the particulars of the publisher
 Aim to put forth lots of effort up front to get the right look-and-feel
 Don’t “wing it” – ask the editor if you have ANY questions

7. What should you write about?
• Just because you have
knowledge, doesn’t mean
you know it all.
• In fact, trying to convey to
others how much you
know is a great way to…
• …get a paper turned down
for publication.
• On the other hand, good
authors know how to…

8. Synthesize old ideas and create new ones
• Competitive scholarly papers
examine multiple sides of an
issue
• They include a relevant
literature review,
demonstrating mastery of
what’s already been said
• Synthesis means weaving
together ideas, evidence, or
arguments, then adding your
own unique voice
• The result is an original
scholarly paper

9. Scholarly article vs. academic research paper
 Know the difference!
 A paper for school is rarely
ready for publication as-is
 It takes a lot of work to re-
purpose a paper for
publication
 Always read and follow the
submission guidelines
 Don’t try and prove your
knowledge, demonstrate it
Academic research Scholarly article
Prove knowledge of at least
one side of an issue
Prove mastery of both sides
of an issue
Prove that you learned the
material
Prove that you can teach the
material
Showcase what you know
Showcase your
understanding of what
others know
Presentation & summary of
facts
Presentation of original
analysis and conclusions
Recites what is already
known
Adds to or fills gap in the
literature

10. Guidelines for writing effectively
• Use a neutral voice, avoid personal
pronouns
• Avoid editorialized commentary, trade
publications, newsletters, blogs, and
magazines are more appropriate
• Maintain a professional tone, avoid drama
and sensationalism
• Use appropriate adjectives, don’t use two
when one will do
• Don’t be superfluous, use an economy of
words

11. …continued (“Guidelines”)
• Be succinct, crisp, clear, and precise
• Don’t be redundant
• Don’t be redundant
• Be specific, avoid glittering generalities
• Avoid academic prose and big words
• Write to experts, don’t write to be an
expert
• Tell the reader what you are going to tell
them, tell them, then tell them what you
told them (but don’t be redundant!)
• Be humble, accept criticism, don’t quit!

12. Keep it simple, don’t try to impress your readers
• The best papers are written
in plain English with simple,
clear syntax

13. Examine all relevant sides of an issue
• But don’t overwhelm your
readers with too much
data
• Fearlessly and deeply
explore the arguments of
your “opponents”
• Sometimes the opponent
is simply conventional
wisdom
• Look earnestly for reasons
why you are right and why
you might be wrong

14. WAYS TO GET PUBLISHED IN JSS
The Journal of Strategic Security is published by Henley-Putnam University Press
• Competitive
• Peer-reviewed
• Global coverage
• Thousands of readers per month
• World-class editorial board
• Authors from around the world

15. History and Purpose of JSS
• JSS was founded to be the
cornerstone of the field of
strategic security
• It has grown from a few dozen
readers per month to over
10,000 – globally
• World-class editorial board
from Georgetown, Columbia,
Yale, and Cambridge among
others
• Our authors are top experts
in their domains, but we
publish strictly based on
merit, not position
The Journal provides a multi-disciplinary forum for
scholarship and discussion of strategic security
issues drawing from the fields of intelligence,
terrorism and counterterrorism studies and
protection, among others.

16. The Publication Decision Process at JSS
Author
submits
paper online
Internal,
high-level
review
Accept /
Reject for
blind review
Notify
author of
next steps
Step 1
First-
Look Strip paper
of identifying
metadata
Send out for
review, min.
2 experts
Reviewers
have 21
days
Send back
to author
w/ edits
Step 2
Blind
Review Author
submits
revision
Editor-in-
Chief makes
decision
Step 3
Decision
Time Copyedit for
grammar &
punctuation
Publish!
Step 4
Copyedit
& Format
Entire process can take up to
120 days

17. Ways to get your paper into the blind review pipeline
• Be sure the length of your
paper is within guidelines
(typically by number of
words)
• Use the proper citation format
(style and placement matter)
• Have a clearly-worded thesis
in the introduction (more on
next slide)
• Use headers and sub-headers
to break up topics in the main
body
• Be sure to use complete
paragraphs (at least three
sentences and only one
subject)

18. Have a beginning, middle, and end
• Introduction
• Thesis plus context
• Summary of main arguments
• Preview of conclusion
• Overview of structure of paper
• Body
• Literature review
• Group main ideas w/ headers
and sub-headers
• Logical flow & sequence
• Readability, professional tone
• Conclusion
• Summarize main points
• Revisit thesis
• Propose the future – more
research, new policies, etc.

19. About your master piece…
• You’ve worked hard in school to develop your
expertise
• You deserve an “A” on your paper
• You invested a lot of time and energy to make
it your master piece
• BUT….
• It is almost guaranteed not ready for prime
time as a scholarly article
• To re-cap, articles in journals like JSS take
additional work – it’s not for everyone

20. You can do it with hard work
• Occasionally, students submit papers
that we invest time to provide guidance
• Professors may submit a “top paper”
for our consideration
• With hard work and a can-do attitude,
anything is possible!

21. Additional opportunities
• We are looking for SME
reviewers…
• Submit your name and 5-7
keywords to describe your
expertise
• Send to:
Editor@Henley-Putnam.edu
• Propose a topic for an issue
• Recommend authors
• Compile a bibliography
• Share your ideas!

22. Important links for JSS
 Main site
 http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/jss/
 Call for Papers
 http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/jss/call_for_papers.html
 Submission Guidelines
 http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/jss/submissionguidelines.html
 LinkedIn
 https://www.linkedin.com/grp/home?gid=3327766

23. SUBMIT YOUR PAPER TO JSS!
Contact me anytime!
Jay Tamsett
Editor-in-Chief,
Journal of Strategic Security
Editor@Henley-Putnam.edu

24. THANK YOU!
Questions? Email me directly: Editor@Henley-Putnam.edu
There are no secrets to success.
It is the result of preparation, hard
work, and learning from failure.