What does it take to be "Published"? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I see Prof jobs and PhD programs want one to be "published".

What does that really mean?

I see Profs write their own books and require their students to buy them for the class. Does that make them published even though no one else will ever read it and even we barely skim it to take notes?

Law Review and others write articles in the school paper (which I suspect is used to wrap fish and line bird cages but not much more) Does that make them published?

And if so isn't that the equivelent of any modern day blogger or person with the ability to spam mail the entire student email list?

Has the term published lost meaning in the electronic era?

More importantly what is the minimum I have to do to be able to use that title when applying for work that requires it? Not looking to become Shakespear here. (Just a step above that freak Nando)

[Anonymous User]

I'm published, but it means a lot of different things.

I have a non-fiction book that I worked on throughout undergrad, and two articles published in academic journals. One of those articles was published when I entered law school. Those are publications that I listed when I was looking for jobs that liked to see a candidate with publications, although my work has been referenced in other places and I have publications that are not considered to be academic.

As to your question about profs having books - yes, that means they are published, even if you think it's utter crap.

Law Review articles definitely count as publications. Articles in the school paper are more on the iffy side, and I don't think employers would care nearly as much about those as they would about Law Review articles.

A blog is part of the growing "self-publication" movement, and while I think old school publishing veterans do not see that as publishing, and law schools/professors will almost certainly not care, people may recognize it if it gets a lot of traffic (a conference I went to in November suggested 10,000 hits a day or more as being a burgeoning blog).

I don't think the term published has lost its meaning for many people, but as always, things are evolving. Some academic journals are bigger on the internet than in print, and other journals get in a huff about that. It's an old boys' club to say the very least. They'll definitely ask who you were published by, and if it's a book, like my first one was, they'll ask you about the book deal. It can get very personal very quickly. As for the electronic era, look at Fifty Shades of Grey. It started out as a fanfiction, then an e-book, and now it's in print with a possible movie deal. It might be the worst book on the planet (I haven't read it, but haven't heard great things) but it is now published because of the internet. At the very least, the internet is playing a much larger part in publishing than it used to. As to where the line is for that, I think it's on a "I know it when I see it" basis.

What's the minimum you have to do to use that title? The title of being published? A lot of hard work, most of the time. I researched my book for two years and wrote it during that time, plus another year after that for cleaning it up and shopping it around. Most people, I would say, take a little longer than that in the shopping around phase, but I had a professor who helped me. If it's an article you're after though, and an academic one, I think something relevant and polished should take around three months. I think it's kind of shitty that people just think publishing grows on trees when a lot of us have worked really hard to get here, but if you want the bare minimum, that should do.

And also, it's Shakespeare.

[Geist13]

I see Prof jobs and PhD programs want one to be "published".

It means published in an academic journal.

I see Profs write their own books and require their students to buy them for the class. Does that make them published even though no one else will ever read it and even we barely skim it to take notes?

its either been published by a you know . . . oh shit what are they called . . . oh yeah. A publisher, or its not published by a publisher. Its not a difficult question.

Law Review and others write articles in the school paper (which I suspect is used to wrap fish and line bird cages but not much more) Does that make them published?

Law review students can get published in the . . . law review, which counts as an academic journal. Not all of them do, they have to be selected.

And if so isn't that the equivelent of any modern day blogger or person with the ability to spam mail the entire student email list?

Students don't receive the law review unless they go and seek it out. Its not an email brochure that the dean sends.

Has the term published lost meaning in the electronic era?

Has what you written been selected for publication by an entity that bears the cost of publication and distribution? Or have you just written something? Again, its an easy freaking question.

More importantly what is the minimum I have to do to be able to use that title when applying for work that requires it? Not looking to become Shakespear here. (Just a step above that freak Nando)

publication for professor means published in a reputable academic journal. In every field besides law, that means a peer reviewed journal. In law that means a law review.

[jurisx]

I post on TLS does that make me published?

[Anonymous User]

It depends on the context. Phd Program? Probably means published in the field in a reputable academic journal. Since this is a law school forum, I'll address publication for law students.

One of the "easiest way" to be published (as a law student) (I'm so sick of hearing people trying to find the "easy" way of doing something that is supposed to demonstrate hard work and effort), is to become a member of a law review that requires members to write a note or comment. Most Law Reviews will select a certain number of those to be published. If yours isn't selected by that journal, you can shop around to other journals, particularly those in the subject area of the article. It takes a lot of work and a good, timely, unique topic.

Writing a polished piece of work that is publishable quality (as in other people will select it, and put work and money into it) takes a lot of effort and time. It comes easier to some than others, but I doubt anyone published would honestly tell you it was "easy."

Protip: If you don't understand what "published" means in a job posting, you probably aren't qualified for the job.