Seven things your manuscript reviewer wants you to know

 By Sally Ann Mertens, manuscript reviewer and MAPC alum

1.       We’re just like you!

We’re either current Clemson graduate students or Clemson graduate alumni, so we know what it’s like to be nearing the end of a semester, hyped up on caffeine, and frazzled to the core. That said, we want to help you get your manuscript accepted as quickly and easily as possible; we have (or had) finals and assignments too!

2.       We don’t do this just for kicks and giggles.

Yes, manuscript formatting can be tiresome and seem unnecessary, but in reality, it’s crucial. With the onset of electronic submission, your accepted manuscript will be available for a worldwide audience. Great, right? Absolutely, but only if it looks credible. You’ve put so much work into the research and writing of your manuscript, and as hard as it is after all of that effort, it’s worth putting some elbow grease into your formatting. You wouldn’t stop running a marathon at mile 25, would you? Finish strong!

3.       If you and technology are in a love/hate relationship, or a hate/hate relationship, let us know.

To receive a graduate degree from Clemson, you are not required to be an expert in all things MS Office. If you do struggle with formatting in Word (or if you weren’t aware until now that Word even offers formatting), please email or call our office (864-656-5338). The earlier we know about your situation, the better for you—and for us. If you're especially inexperienced with Word, you might want to hire a typist/formatter.

4.       Sort of like group therapy, we are here to help.

So you’ve received revisions and aren’t exactly sure how to go about making them? Maybe something in the revisions is unclear? Email or call the office to schedule an appointment with one of us. Drop-ins aren't our strong suit because reviewing isn't the only thing we do -- we have meetings and days off and scheduled hours and exams and emergencies just like everyone else and may not be around when you stop by. But when we get together, we can walk you through your revisions and explain precisely how to resolve the formatting issues; we know plenty of tips and tricks so that you don’t have to. No, we won’t format your manuscript for you (there are typists available to help you there), but we’ll show you how you can do it yourself. Not a people person? Live out of state? We can help you via phone, email, IM, Skype or GoogleChat. Just get in touch to arrange some help.

5.       There are awesome resources for you on our website.

One of the most important URLs you need to know is www.grad.clemson.edu/manuscript.php. Memorize it, write it down, bookmark it, tattoo on it your forehead—whatever it takes to get you to that site. If you have questions about the submission process, formatting requirements, or if you’re thinking “how on earth do I get those little ellipses in my table of contents to line up!?” the site has the answer.

6.       After submitting, please don’t go MIA on us.

Just submitting your manuscript does not secure your seat at graduation or supply the ink for your diploma; your submission must be approved. No more than two business days after you submit, you will receive an email from us either stating that you’ve been approved or that you have revisions to complete. If you don’t receive any contact from us within that time frame, email or call our office! Email can go awry, or you might have mis-entered your email address. We need to stay in touch with you until the process is complete and you have email from us confirming that your manuscript has been approved, not just received.

7.       We are a work in progress.

The resources we provide on our website and everything else we do to help are only sufficient if they are effective. Please email us at manuscript-l@clemson.edu with any suggestions or feedback. We're proud of our "customer service" and will do whatever our resources allow to make the process as fast and painless as possible. So go ahead: we’re tough; we can handle it.