Editors of nursing journals are frequently asked to share some of the secrets of their trade; that is, to offer prospective authors hints on how they can get published. These requests are most often directed toward facilitating publication in that particular editor’s journal, but in other instances, the request is a more generic appeal for some insider information on getting published “anywhere.” In the true spirit of the holiday season, when gifts are traditionally bestowed on those we care about, let me share with you the first secret to getting published. To many of you, this confidential information may sound like common sense, but ask journal editors around the globe, and you will elicit a chorus of confirmation that substantial numbers of incoming papers never see the printed page owing to neglect of this supposedly self-evident point. Herewith, I am delighted to reveal the first tried-and-true maxim for getting your...

You do not currently have access to this content.