Editor Interview: The International Journal of the Platonic Tradition

Plato and Platonism

Phronesis, Ancient Philosophy, Dionysius

Our focus is on the evolution of Platonism, and so we cover a broad area of topics from the period leading up to Plato until the present day, from various viewpoints, and from countries around the world.

Do your research. One of the major reasons that articles are rejected or require re-writing is that the authors have not included essential secondary sources.
Argue coherently. You may have a great idea, but you must develop the argument so that it is clear to the reader.
Keep within the 10,000-word limit.
Proof-read your work carefully. Too many typos or grammatical errors tend to upset referees.
If you are worried about something in your paper (the topic, an idea that might sound outré, a section that you worry may not be appropriate or completely relevant), ask the editor.

The ideal is a clear and consistent argument that makes use of appropriate primary and secondary sources, flows naturally, clearly makes each of its points, and shows that the author has accomplished the background work to support his/her claims.

The two main problems are not citing primary texts in the original languages and not making proper use of secondary sources.

Who you are is less important than what your write.

Every paper is double-blind peer-reviewed. If the referees ask for major revisions, then it is very possible that the revised paper will undergo one more peer review.

An editor's lot may not be an unhappy one, but it is not glamorous either. The editor reads the submitted papers, decides if they should be reviewed, searches for referees (not being too proud to beg, if necessary), nudges referees who are taking too long to complete their assignments, reads the referee reports and decides whether to accept the paper or not (which can be difficult when referees disagree), explains to the authors of rejected papers what the problems were, communicates with the authors about the necessary revisions, sees the accepted papers through the final stages of editing, works with the publishers to get the papers into appropriate style, and proof-reads the final product.

Before publication, the papers are read by their authors, the editorial staff, and the editor-in-chief. At that point, changes are mainly for spelling, grammar, or house style.

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