Getting published as a grad student can feel overwhelming, and sometimes helpless at first. There are many unspoken rules behind the scenes and the best practices are not really discussed openly. Moreover, there are no standard answers since many things depend on where you are studying, what field you are studying in, and the method you are using etc. As a graduate student myself who sometimes wishes I can be more productive compared to my fellow friends, there are certainly advices that I'd appreciate when I started my graduate studies journey. Having consulted various colleagues, including former editorial assistants for journals, I've gathered some advice for graduate students.
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Publication and Career Development
When should you start publishing? First of all, it depends on your department, the field of your research, the methods you are using, and the academic culture in your country. However, if there's an expectation that PhD students should have a couple of publications when looking for jobs, then you should start publishing as soon as possible. This is not just because you should try to have as many publications as possible due to the academic world we live in, but because the publishing process is a learning process and professional development opportunity. Editor and reviewers' comments are extremely valuable to advance your research. You learn to become a better writer and make theoretical contributions when addressing reviewers' comments. You also learn what it really means to put your work into conversations with others during revisions. The best way to learn how to publish is not by seeking everyone's advice, but by actually doing it. Therefore, you should take your academic babies out into the real world and test it out yourself.
Building your academic identity through publications. Even though there's a pressure to publish as much as possible, you also need to think about your academic identity. Of course, there are so many interesting and new topics. However, sometimes it might not look good if you publish too many papers on too many different topics. When you look for jobs, it becomes unclear for the search committee what your expertise is and this might backfire. So, prioritize research for publications that help you build a uniform academic identity, and keep the others as future projects.
Collaborate, if possible. The journey of publication might be a lonely one. When the method of the research allows for collaboration, collaborate. Sometimes you need a collaborator to push each other to avoid procrastination, to reduce the workload, to bounce ideas off each other, and to keep up the morale through the publication process. This can be done through collaboration with your advisor and members from your fellow PhD cohort. Although it might slow the process down because your collaborators might have different writing styles and ideas, it can help you push through the process if you have low confidence in the publication process. If you are new to publication, you can learn the trick by not being the first author and letting the first author lead the way.
Learn about publishing through reviewing papers for conference and journals. Being a reviewer for conferences and journals can be a great way to learn how to publish. By reviewing others' papers and identifying what they can improve on, you can also become more critical about your own work in terms of: a) writing style; b) how to make arguments and provide evidence; c) how to form good discussions to connect your findings with your literature review and make theoretical contributions; and d) how to phrase things so that these contributions stand out. Being a reviewer is considered as academic service, but it doesn't mean it won't help with your own growth and professionalization as an independent researcher.
Turn term papers and conference submissions into publications. When completing your coursework requirement for your PhD, utilize each course well and turn some of the final paper into a conference submission, and then turn the conference submission into a journal submission. Don't just use coursework as a new direction you are curious about to explore and drop it when you meet obstacles. Stick to it to make it better, then submit to journals. When you apply for jobs, your ability to turn conference submissions to journal papers meant something for the search committee. It shows that you have the mental strength, perseverance, and ability to push through the process. Saying this, not all course papers are worth pursuing, and you also have limited bandwidth, so prioritize the ones that are most promising and related to you.
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The Actual Publication Process
Now that I have covered publication and career development, I want to offer some practical advice and tips for the publication process.
Use citation software when writing research papers. Start using citation software, such as Endnote, Zotero, as soon as possible. I know there are some people who think they are not "tech savvy", but using these software saves time when you get a rejection for one journal and need to submit to another journal who requires a different citation style. SO, USE THEM!
Research the journals you are aiming for thoroughly and have a list of suitable journals. You should have some suitable journals in mind when you think your work is ready to submit, or as early as when you start to work on a research project. Research the journal thoroughly by: a) reading their "aims and scope" b) knowing the speed and acceptance rate of their publications; c) reading their most recent publications to get an updated understanding of what their interests and styles are; and d) finding their published papers on the exact same research topic you are focusing on and putting your work in conversation with these papers. Based on conversations with my friend who works as editorial assistant, desk reject occurs mostly because your work is not a good fit for the journal. Therefore, being able to identify suitable journals for your work is an important skill to have for successful publication.
Look out for special issues. Sometimes there are journals you are aiming for that have special issues related to your research topic. You can find call for papers for these special issues through listserv or social media such as Facebook and Twitter (X). It definitely helps to expedite the publication process.
How to address reviewers' comments. You got a "revise and resubmit"? Congratulations! Take some time to applaud yourself on this progress! Then, take a deep breath and read the reviewers' comments. It can be overwhelming at first when reading pages and pages of comments. However, if you take a closer look, it won't be as bad as you think. Take some time to mull over some of the suggestions and have a better grasp of what the direction of improvement should be, then you can start working on the revisions. When addressing reviewers' comments, make sure you highlight all of your changes, explain why you made all of these changes, and address all of their concerns. Sometimes reviewers' comments contradict each other, and sometimes it doesn't necessarily make sense. It is ok to push back, as long as you can explain why you think what they suggested is not appropriate. Do remember that reviewers are doing the reviews voluntarily, so thank them for their detailed comments to make your work better. Don't take it for granted.
Don't take rejections personally. As I mentioned before, the reason for most of the desk reject is that your paper is not a good fit for the journal. It does not mean the quality of your work is bad. Moreover, a lot of senior scholars get rejected as well, so don't feel sorry for yourself. It's common to get rejections. Just send it to another suitable journal on your list.
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Some further readings
Nolan, R., & Rocco, T. (2009). Teaching Graduate Students in the Social Sciences Writing for Publication. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 20(2), 267–273.
Rich, T. S. (2013). Publishing as a Graduate Student: A Quick and (Hopefully) Painless Guide to Establishing Yourself as a Scholar. PS: Political Science & Politics, 46(2), 376–379. https://doi.org/10.1017/S104909651300005X
Shortlidge, E. E., & Eddy, S. L. (2018). The trade-off between graduate student research and teaching: A myth? PLOS ONE, 13(6), e0199576. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0199576
Wells, J. M., & Söderlund, L. (2018). Preparing Graduate Students for Academic Publishing: Results from a Study of Published Rhetoric and Composition Scholars. Pedagogy, 18(1), 131–156.
Finally, it takes a lot of practice, confidence, and courage to push through the publication process. But you will reach there in the end. Many people have gone through the same process before and succeeded, you'll be one of them. With a thick skin, a positive attitude, and appreciation for the standards of work journals articles require, you'll be able to find a place where your work is appreciated.