As previously mentioned, declining journal submissions is a problem that almost all publishers face at some point. For many journals, one of the best ways to increase their number of submissions and drum up interest is by having a special issue. But what is a special issue and how do you go about creating one for your journal?
Special issues are often focused around a specific topic, usually one with immediacy and current importance, and are designed to solicit submissions from new authors or experts. Planning for a special issue should be extensive, and input should be solicited from journal staff and editorial board members. For journals that are newer to planning a special issue, here are some tips to help in the planning stages:
- Set a firm timetable and plan well in advance. The first rule for a special issue is that you should start planning for it early and create a timetable for submission and publication. For most special issues, an invited workflow tends to be used: authors can be personally invited by editors or editorial board members to submit, or the journal can put out a call for papers, in which proposals are requested and approved. As these manuscripts will still need to go through the peer review process, setting deadlines for when papers must be submitted is crucial. Journal publication staff should be vigilant in checking on the status of these submissions and proposals. Some publishers recommend keeping your timetable from invitation to acceptance to 18 months or fewer to maintain the special issue’s relevancy.
- Select a topic after getting input from multiple parties. This might seem obvious, but the correct topic can make or break a special issue. To make sure a special issue topic gives your journal the most exposure, you should solicit input from editors, editorial board members, reviewers, and, most importantly, your readers. Being attuned to what is on the minds of your readers (or potential readers in the same field) is the best way to spark interest in your journal.
- Select a good guest editor. For many special issues, a guest editor is selected to oversee the process, instead of one of the journal’s permanent editors. This guest editor is usually an expert on the topic that the issue focuses on and can use their connections to bring in submissions from other experts in the field. For some guest editors, this will be their first experience as a journal editor, so journal publication staff should provide proper guidance and information as they navigate the peer review process.
- Don’t plan too many special issues. What’s the old adage, “too much of a good thing is a bad thing”? Planning too many special issues on top of your journal’s normal submission workflow can lead to a production backlog. This can potentially delay publication dates for other submissions, which could anger authors and regular contributors of the journal, thus offsetting the benefits of the special issues.
- Promote your special issue and track its success. A special issue is only successful if readers know that it exists, so you need to promote it early and often. You can start by promoting the call for papers and keep promoting it through to the publication date using all available means (your journal website, social media, newsletters, email listservs). And once an issue is promoted and published, it is a good idea to track the readership, page views, and citations for your special issue. Having this information can help you determine topics and timelines for future special issues as well as determining what promotional sources were the best bang for your buck.
Special issues can be a valuable tool for increasing submission numbers and general interest in a journal. However, journal staff should plan these issues well in advance to make sure that the special issue goes off without a hitch. If you have any other tips or experiences with planning a successful special issue, please let us know!
