DoitYourself or Contractor CoPublishing and Journal StartUp

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Do-it-Yourself or Contractor? Co-Publishing and
Journal Start-Up

• Joe DiTomaso
• Editor

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Weed Science Society of America (WSSA)
Society Mission

• The WSSA is a non-profit professional society
  (gt1000 members) that
• Promotes research, education, and extension
  outreach activities related to weeds
• Provides science-based information to the public
  and policy makers
• Fosters awareness of weeds and their impacts on
  managed and natural ecosystems.

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Need for a new journal

• Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) has two
  journals, both published by Allen Press
• Weed Science (1350 copies)
• Weed Technology (2000 copies)
• Both focus primarily on weeds of croplands
• Other journals on invasive plants in non-crop
  areas, but all deal with their biology or
  ecology, not management
• Non-crop areas include rangelands, woodlands,
  forests, parks, coastal areas, waterways
• No journal provides a central theme specific to
  understanding the science, management, sociology,
  and policy issues associated with the emerging
  field of invasive plants
• WSSA could increase leadership in this expanding
  area and broaden its horizon to all areas of
  unwanted plants and expand society membership
• academicians, field practitioners, governmental
  agencies, policymakers, and educators

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Definition of invasive

• Although WSSA has not developed an official
  definition of an invasive plant, Invasive Plant
  Science and Management (IPSM) considers invasive
  plants to include those species that primarily
  invade non-agricultural communities. This can
  include species that overlap between the two
  ecosystems, but does not include strictly
  cropland or urban weeds.

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Laying out the floor plan

• Establish a committee to determine the need and
  interest for a new journal (2006)
• Survey WSSA members
• Survey other societies and organizations with a
  focus on invasive plants
• Develop a financial plan to estimate the risk of
  launching a new journal
• Economic analysis
• Consulted with Allen Press on all aspects

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Survey Monkey Conducted from May to June 2006

• Used a market survey consultant company
  (Jefferson Davis)
• 18 questions asked
• Survey site sent to well over 1000 individuals
  belonging to WSSA and affiliate members, other
  professional scientific societies,
  non-governmental organizations, and government
  agencies
• Questions addressed
• Memberships
• Interest level
• Area of study or responsibility
• Preferred topics
• Cost acceptability
• Other journals they subscribe to or use
• Experience
• Willingness to submit or review manuscripts, or
  serve on editorial board

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Objective of the survey

• Was there national interest?
• Who would be the audience?
• What type of research or papers should be
  published?
• Could the journal reach out to non-WSSA members?
• Other scientists in ecological societies
• Restorationists
• Land managers
• Policy makers
• How should the journal be published if there was
  interest?
• On-line, hard copy, or both
• How many issues a year
• Subscription price and how to bundle

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Survey results

• 793 responses
• 316 WSSA members (40), 466 non-WSSA members
  (remainder did not indicate)

Very interested Somewhat interested Not
interested 62 28 10
Of those interested
Likely to subscribe Contribute papers Serve as
reviewers 467 (66) 287 (41) 195 (28)
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Survey results

• Majority of potential new readers wanted
• Print-version with on-line access
• Published quarterly
• Peer-review papers on
• Case studies
• Reviews
• Primarily original research in biology, ecology
  and management, but also articles on policy,
  compliance and regulatory legislation
• Priced between 65 and 80

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WSSA Board

• After reviewing survey results, in 2006 Board
  committed resources to initiate development of
  marketing plan for journal (15,000)
• Hired Raym Crow from Chain Bridge Group
• Using all available information developed
• Best, Most Likely, and Worst Case models for
  5-year plan
• WSSA hired a financial consultant to review the
  recommendations and report produced by the Chain
  Bridge Group

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Recommendations

• WSSA enter a fee-for-services agreement with
  Allen Press similar to other WSSA journals
• WSSA collects
• All author charges
• Author off-prints and royalties
• WSSA pays Allen Press for
• Managing editing
• Copyediting
• Publishing services
• Allen Press pay WSSA
• 18 of gross revenue annually

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Factors considered critical to success of IPSM

• Obtaining institutional subscriptions sales
  (e.g., libraries) by Year 3 (major profit driver)
• Requires effective journal launch and strong
  marketing campaign
• Weed Science 489
• Weed Technology - 444
• Bundling all three society journals to encourage
  institutional sales
• A submission queue of publishable articles for at
  least first 2-3 issues

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Projected 5-yr profit and loss statement
Under the worst case scenario forecast
Year 1 2 3
4 5
Gain/(Loss) Trading margin Cumulative
Gain/Loss
(79,444) (39,170) (22,952)
(5,494) 4,184 -244 -87
-37 -7 4 (79,444) (118,615) (141,567)
(147,061) (142,877)
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Model of cumulative net income
Reach annual operating breakeven in Year 5, but
would take 10 years to completely recover from
societys investment
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Infrastructure Development

• In 2007 the WSSA Board approved the development
  of a new journal
• Karen Ridgway at Allen Press was assigned as
  Publishing Manager and given the task of planning
  and implementing the development of the journal
• Board hired Janet Clark as the project manager
• Board appointed me as the first editor
• Allen Press assigned Tracy Candelaria as the
  managing editor

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Recommendations

• Offer IPSM at no additional cost to WSSA members
  in Year 1
• Set membership dues so journals can be
  distributed as part of member benefit
• Maintain reasonable subscription price for
  non-WSSA individuals to increase interest in WSSA
  and provide high-quality information
• Work closely with Allen Press in marketing effort
  to individuals in diverse organizations and
  disciplines
• Work closely with Allen Press to pursue
  stand-alone and bundled sales of IPSM to
  institutions
• Promote journal at appropriate meetings
  throughout the year (Project Manager, Editor and
  Allen Press)

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Allen Press Marketing Activities for IPSM

• E-advertising on WSSA journal silo site
• Periodically emailed call for papers
• Announcements to listservs
• Announcement flyer for mail distribution
• Develop 48 wide banner stand
• Purchase booth for display at conferences and
  meetings
• Ink pens and clips inscribed with IPSM at
  wssa.allenpress.com
• Sticky note pads resembling miniature version of
  first issue
• Print extra copies of journal for distribution at
  meetings
• Press releases

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Journal Design

• Cover design and layout of articles
• Determine contents to be included
• Prepare author instructions for submission
• Train Editor
• Develop timeline to launch by January 2008
• Set up Editorial Board (Associate Editors)
• Develop website to process manuscripts
• Solicit manuscripts
• Advertise launch

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Contents

• Peer reviewed research findings with clearly
  identified management applications
• Case studies
• Management-centered reviews
• Symposium papers with a clustered theme
• Notes and commentary papers
• Scholarly reviews of biological and ecological
  restoration in
• Wildlands
• Natural areas
• Aquatic, wetlands and riparian settings
• Forests
• Non-Crop lands
• Invasion Alerts
• Papers on policy issues and regulatory
  developments

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Associate Editors
WSSA Members
Non-WSSA Members

• Lars Anderson
• John Cardina
• Chris Dionigi
• Jodie Holt
• John Madsen
• Bruce Maxwell
• Scott Nissen
• Tim Prather
• Phil Westra

• Edie Allen
• Matt Brooks
• Ruth Hufbauer
• Kelly Lyons
• John Randall
• Andy Sheppard

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Where are we now?

• 1.5 years later

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Current situation
As of Sept 22, 2008

• 102 manuscripts submitted since June, 2007
• 64 acceptance rate
• Average of 12 articles in first 3 issue, printed
  quarterly
• 110 pages per issue

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Category of papers accepted or in review
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Research paper area of emphasis
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Percent of papers in the area of control
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Regions where work was conducted or study focus
area
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5-yr financial plan developed
Visit Allen Press, design journal, AE contacted
Launch of Issue 1
28 manuscripts submitted
Conduct survey
Editor appointment
April 2007
Nov 2007
June 2007
July 2006
Feb 2007
Nov 2006
March 2007
March 2006
Feb 2008
Aug 2007
May 2007
WSSA Board final approval, project manager hired
Manuscripts solicited
First sent to press
WSSA Board approves financial plan
Contract signed with Allen
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Other Staff

• Janet Clark (WSSA)
• Tracy Candelaria (Allen Press)
• Karen Ridgeway (Allen Press)

Thanks to the Associate Editors and many
reviewers who make it all possible
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Issues to address in future

• Subscription to journal among WSSA and non-WSSA
  members
• Increase WSSA membership and journal
  subscriptions
• Library subscriptions
• Financial success of journal
• When and how do we get the journal included in
  ISI Web of Science with an impact factor?
• Credibility and high quality submissions

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• Stage 1 successfully completed
• Thanks to many people in the society and the
  Board of Directors
• Stage 2 starts
• Produce a high quality, well-cited, high impact
  journal that is sustainable in content and
  economically profitable to the society