I've spoken with a few journal editors who are working on starting new Open Access journals, and the issue of best practices to get the journal up-and-running has come up quite a bit. There is a related question in the conversation about the nuts-and-bolts of starting a journal (scholasticahq.com/conversation/questions/creation-and-promotion-of-a-new-journal), but I'm more interested in the planning phase and more strategic ideas rather than logistical tips.
A few ideas that have been thrown around are:
- Solicit articles directly for the first 2-3 issues from big names in the field to jump-start the citeability of the journal, and get a few issues out the door.
- Announce the new journal at the main professional conference in the discipline.
- Develop themed segments that are of interest to your readers and can help you stand out (e.g. practical methodology tips, teaching best practices for the discipline, relevant news analysis, etc.).
Are there other tips or best practices editors should be thinking about when planning their new Open Access journal launch?
