Why Don't You Write?

Bradley-Springer, Lucy

doi:10.1016/j.jana.2008.07.001

« Previous Next »Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care
Volume 19, Issue 5 , Pages 331-334, September 2008

Why Don't You Write?

Article Outline

Progress
So Why Don't You Write?
“I Don't Know How to Get Started”
References
Copyright

Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence is the key to unlocking our potential.

—Liane Cardes

One year ago today (I'm writing this on July 1, 2008), the Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care hired a new editorial staff. Carol (Pat) Patsdaughter, associate editor; Kristen Overstreet, managing editor; and I, the editor, took on the editorial responsibilities for this incredible journal. We faced this new challenge with some trepidation but also with a lot of faith in ANAC, in our publisher (Elsevier), and in our colleagues (which would be you). Our faith was well-founded, as evidenced by our progress and initial publishing successes. I want to thank the JANAC editorial team, our partners at Elsevier, the ANAC board of directors and staff at the national office, the members of ANAC, the JANAC reviewers, and all of the authors who submitted manuscripts for consideration. We could not have done it without you.

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Progress

By the time you read this we will have published eight issues including a global cooperative issue on poverty and human development, a themed issue on women and HIV, and a guest-edited issue on Hispanic issues. We will have published 67 manuscripts, including 19 from authors outside of the United States. The manuscripts covered topics important to nurses who work in the HIV epidemic, including clinical care, prevention, research, and education. A total of 51 were published as featured articles, 5 as research briefs, 5 as practice briefs, 3 as commentaries, 1 as a legal brief, 1 as a case study, and 1 as a letter to the editor. We also published 2 poems. The featured articles included reports on original research, literature reviews on focused topics, and program evaluations.

Looking at all of this, I'd say we've been productive. We published manuscripts addressing varied pertinent topics covering a mix of geographic locations and written by many successful authors. On further analysis however, I notice that we need more briefs, commentaries, case studies, and letters to the editor. (One letter in 18 months is not enough!) This is not to say that we want fewer submissions of featured manuscripts; we could simply use more of the others.

This is why I've decided to write an editorial with the sole purpose of bugging you about writing for JANAC. More important, I'm writing this editorial to encourage you to speak up, because nurses need to be more vocal; we need to have louder and stronger voices in this epidemic. Nurses are the largest group of health care providers (U.S. Department of Labor, 2007), but our input is often ignored—or worse yet, not even heard. There are a lot of ways to raise our voices, and I encourage you to explore all of the methods. In the process, don't forget that writing and publishing are powerful ways to speak up.

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So Why Don't You Write?

Some of you will say, “Well, I would write, but I don't have anything important to say, or at least nothing that anyone will want to read.” Are you breathing? Do you have professional and personal experiences? Do you have opinions? Are you happy, sad, angry, pleased, or concerned about anything? If so, you have something to write about, and someone will inevitably read it and say, “I wish I'd thought of that,” or, “That is so true,” or “I don't think I agree with that; maybe I should write a dissenting opinion.”

Some of you will say, “I don't have the time.” This is a big problem and one I can't refute. None of us have spare time. It just doesn't seem to exist anymore. I tend to write my editorials the weekend before they're due, and I have several writing projects stacked on my desk right now. So let's reframe this: You only lack time for things that are not worth your while. I hope to convince you that submitting a manuscript to JANAC is very much worth your time.

Getting published (or republished) is a good professional move. It will impress your colleagues and, more important, your current and future employers. And don't forget that every publication counts. It doesn't have to be a huge research project; it can be any publication, even a letter to the editor. Besides impressing my boss, I find it gratifying to get my words on paper and in print. My opinions aren't necessarily right or particularly wise, but writing them down helps to clarify my thoughts, and getting them published gives me a chance to share them with others who can argue the issues and help me further refine my ideas. This is the main reason I want letters to the editor. Although a letter can be about any issue that is important to you (whether it was published in JANAC or not), letters to the editor are often about editorials and articles in previous issues. All letters can start conversations and help with critical analyses. This kind of input is invaluable to me personally as well as to the journal.

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“I Don't Know How to Get Started”

Unfortunately, very few education programs do a good job of teaching students how to write—starting with grade school and going all the way through advanced degrees. That doesn't mean you can't write, but it does contribute to your lack of confidence. So here are some tips on getting started.

Start Slow

Don't go for the huge research project; start with clear and concise ideas. Tackle a shorter or less involved project. Write a letter to the editor (like the one in this issue), a commentary, or a case study (you'll see a good example in this issue). For a more involved project, consider a literature review on a specific topic for a featured article. How about reviewing the literature on smoking cessation, HIV-associated liver problems, or some other clinical concern? JANAC needs more of all of these kinds of manuscripts. Of course nothing is easy, and I need to reiterate that all manuscripts should be well-written, coherent, appropriately referenced, and use American Psychological Association format. Manuscripts, including letters, that do not meet at least a basic level of these criteria may not make it to the review stage, but those that have evidence of a good idea and are coherent will enter the review process in a first step toward publication.

Follow Directions

Visit the JANAC Web site (http://ees.elsevier.com/janac) and click on the Guide for Authors tab on the top menu. This will give you criteria for manuscript preparation. If you read it before you start writing, it will help you develop the paper in the appropriate format and save revision time later. You will also find a tutorial for authors in the menu on the right to help you in the submission and revision process. My experiences this year have led to the realization that our guide for authors does not cover all of the questions that our authors have. If you have questions or want permission to go outside of the published guidelines, send us an e-mail (kristen.overstreet@mac.com).

Write With Colleagues

Writing with colleagues is a great way to share the workload and gain skills. Find someone with similar interests and share your ideas. If your colleague has additional ideas, is willing to work with you, and is conscientious about following up, it can be a good way to progress (even on a letter!).

Take a Class

A writing class is great. Many colleges, universities, and continuing education programs offer classes in professional writing. Check out the programs for the conferences you attend to see if they offer anything on writing. JANAC presents a concurrent session on writing at the ANAC conference every year, and this year in Tucson for the first time will offer a full-day preconference on writing for publication.

Learn as You Go

If you can't take a class, or even if you can, develop and improve your writing skills in other ways. One way is to just write. I know you've heard this before along with suggestions to keep a journal (which can be completely incoherent to all but you), to volunteer to develop a new policy at work, or to write a letter to your mother. All of these are good ideas, but I know that some of you will automatically reject them. (Refer back to “I don't have time.”) Another idea is to pick a topic you're interested in and start jotting down ideas. When you have your idea clearly defined in writing, look up information on the topic. This can be done online, at the library, or, if you're reacting to something in a recent issue of JANAC for a letter to the editor, by referring back to that issue. Then write, with or without an outline, and review the result. Believe me, it won't be good. You may think it's good initially, but take a break and come back to it when you're in a clearer state of mind. It won't be good, and that's OK because now you will have something to work with, something you can revise and revise and revise again. As the poet Miller Williams said, “Write drunk, revise sober” (Schmidt, n.d.). I'm sure he meant drunk with passion for the topic, drunk on your powers, drunk on excitement, drunk on…whatever. You get the idea. Be excited, but learn to be critical of your own work; learn to review it with sober detachment.

The next step in the learning process is to share your writing and get feedback. This is very important. You can, of course, share your manuscript with friends and family members, but unless you have a friend who is an English major and who is willing to be brutally honest, the input will not be that helpful. It's better to look to colleagues and teachers who have a professional interest in your topic and who hopefully have writing skills of their own. Ask them to be thorough and honest. Ask them to be critical. Ask them to critique your ideas as well as your writing style. Get their input, digest it, and use it to revise again. If at all possible, go in search of that English major who can help you with wording, syntax, grammar, and spelling, because even people who get published a lot can miss these points.

When you send your manuscript to the journal, it will go through a structured review process. JANAC reviewers and editors will critique your manuscript and provide suggestions for improvements. You should remember a couple of things at this point. First, be prepared to seriously revise your manuscript yet again. The review process can be extremely painful unless you remember that it is an important part of the learning process and that it provides a significant step toward improving your writing. Learn from the process and use the input to make this manuscript—and your future manuscripts—better. That said, reviewers and editors are not always right, and you don't have to do everything they suggest. Be ready to defend your stance, however, and be reasonable. Don't risk having your manuscript rejected because of a misplaced comma or the need for a better word. Being open to editorial assistance helps advance the dialogue that develops as part of the revision process. Finally, remember that your writing is yours, and you are responsible for its final content and format. If you are completely opposed to making suggested editorial changes, stick to your guns. This may mean that the manuscript gets rejected. If that happens you can send it to another journal, and you will not have compromised your intent.

Become a Reviewer

My final suggestion is to volunteer to be a reviewer for JANAC. I'll admit that this suggestion is not completely altruistic, because JANAC needs more reviewers. If you become a reviewer I will thank you, and so will our established reviewers who are currently being asked to review more often than they should, but being a reviewer has advantages for you as well. When you review a manuscript, you will see the writing others have done (the good and the not so good). You will develop your critical thinking skills and learn about writing in the process. You will share your expertise. You will have a say in what is published in JANAC, and your input will benefit JANAC and the entire body of literature related to nursing, HIV, and health care. Is this a win-win situation or what?

To register as a reviewer, go to http://ees.elsevier.com/janac, click on Register in the menu at the top, and follow the directions. Don't forget to provide your areas of interest and expertise so that I'll have a better idea of which manuscripts to ask you to review. To do so, click the Select Personal Classifications option and select areas on the list provided. To aid you with your first review, consider using the reviewing tutorial on the website.

So that's it. Now, why don't you write?

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