The Journals: Management and Publishing Solutions department (J:MaPS) is beginning a new adventure: exploring the world of blogging! This monthly J:MaPS update will inform you of the latest news including awards, editorial board changes, and new issue releases. This month’s highlight features Weston Poor, our project coordinator and soon-to-be newlywed. Weston is getting married this summer to his lovely fiancée Marci.

Weston Poor’s First Year in Review

Before coming to J:MaPS, I was an editorial assistant in the Editorial, Design, and Production (EDP) department, where I had only managed a handful of simple projects. Now I’ve seen more than thirty projects from launch to the printer (and all points in between).

My process with J:MaPS is similar to that of EDP, but much more involved. The steps to producing a journal are similar to the steps of producing a full-length book, but this post isn’t about the differences between the two publishing products.

The main difference for me is the increase in responsibilities. That means I’ve become much more organized. And organization is paramount with numerous projects floating around in various stages of production. I also have an incredible amount of correspondence with the editors of the journals I work on. Some are more involved than others. Some are more organized than others. And although we use a thorough checklist system, file processing for each issue is almost never the same. One journal may require footnotes, while another wants to incorporate a new concept for an article, which has to be incredible. This can be challenging.

No matter the process, nor the amount of work an editor unintentionally asks of me, the permissions log always takes more time than any other task. The benefit of my time spent filling out permission logs is an increased understanding of intellectual property rights. Now I can confidently tell an author that the image they would like to use in their article probably isn’t fair use just because they found it on the Internet.

Nota bene: J:MaPS is not just journals. We’re also publishing solutions. That includes, but isn’t limited to, publications for the University of Nebraska’s Extension program, which produces a plethora of content. If you’ve never visited Nebraska Extension’s website, you’re missing out on an incredible, free resource. I’ve had the pleasure of helping produce two of their larger guides: Range Judging Handbook and Contest Guide for Nebraska (EC150), and Common Forbs and Shrubs of Nebraska (EC118).

Needless to say my project editing skills have increased from March 1, 2016, to March 1, 2017, but I would be remiss if I didn’t pay credit where credit is due: I owe all my professional growth in the last year to my colleagues, especially my project supervisor, Joel Puchalla. My fellow J:MaPS-ers have graciously and earnestly welcomed me into the fold. Their guidance has been invaluable to me and I look forward to many more years with them.

New Issues:

Collaborative Anthropologies, Volume 8, Issues 1-2

Gettysburg Magazine, Issue 56

NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture, Volume 23, Issue 2

Studies in American Indian Literatures, Volume 28, Issue 4

Studies in American Naturalism, Volume 11, Issue 1