Having been in deep thought about my future today, I have decided that I need to get myself accepted by a top journal in my field inthe next year.

Last year when I was unsure about submitting a proposal to a mediocre edited book, my sup encouraged me saying that I didn't have to get published in the top books or journals straight away, and that I can work my way up to that. However! I want to make the most of the work I put in, and bring myself closer to getting a job that will pay for those swanky marble topped kitchen units I crave as quickly as possible.

Do people usually work their way up?

I haven't published anything yet, just lots of conference papers.

Thanks X

I'm working my way up. I published 2 articles during my 6-year part-time PhD. One was in quite a prominent journal, but definitely not top tier. And it helped that the editor was a prof in my department, so I was able to approach him directly. Still had to pass peer review of course. The other article was also peer reviewed, but in a minor journal.

Now I'm a post-doc, albeit an independent researcher, I'm being more ambitious. I have submitted 2 journals to incredibly high-flying journals. If they're not accepted (one has been revised and resubmitted, the other I'm waiting to hear about) I will try further down the pecking order. But, now, I'm being ambitious.

My research is in a very niche area of history and it would be easy for me to get it published in incredibly specialised journals. But both my supervisors have encouraged me to try to get a wider readership, in higher impact more general journals. So that's what I'm trying. it's quite a high risk strategy, but ultimately I will have more journal papers.

Also when you get to this stage it helps to have multiple papers on the go. I wrote and submitted 2 at the same time. While those were in review stage I then worked on the next 2, and thought about others in the background. You have to be a bit like a conveyor belt!

However I can't work in academia (barring my honorary research fellowship), because of severely disabling progressive neurological illness. So I'm not publishing for employment/career reasons, but for personal satisfaction. I'm still trying to do as good a job of it as possible though.

Should have saiud that a good reason for working your way up is you learn the process more gently that way. Peer review can be very cruel. It's possibly easier if you go through it with a more kindly inclined journal (probably one best suited to your research, and not too ambitious). And then, when you tackle a more ambitious journal later, you'll be more familiar with the process.

I'm not sure if I'd have got the feedback I got from one of my recent journal papers I'd have been confident to carry on. But having had 2 papers published already I just knuckled down to the revisions.

thank you Bilbo, that's really useful advice and food for thought x