First, let me say that we are working hard to get these out the door in volume 9, future volumes, and in some enhancements to our site that we should be rolling out in the fall. Our responsiveness to article submissions has not been where it needs to be, but that's a solvable problem and we're solving it.
I have just sent an e-mail to all the authors who have an article submission pending. If you thought you had one there, too, and didn't get that e-mail, then there is a problem. No doubt on my end. Maybe I've just messed up your e-mail address, maybe I've completely lost your submission, or perhaps that spam filter is a little over-zealous. Anyway, contact us to remediate me. Please note I'm talking here about submissions for SWJ Magazine. We've got some Reference Library update submissions hanging fire, too, but that's another list. If in doubt, ping us.
We have a fledgling peer review process in place, too. It adds some of the rigor that this community deserves.
Though we are stacked with great content to be published, let me encourage potential authors to send in still more. You'll be in good company. Our adustments to our publishing will really open up the flood gates in the fall, as we'll support online publishing of original articles one-at-a-time as soon as they pass the peer review process. We will still publish volumes of SWJ Magazine, but they won't be our only method of getting your good original word out.
To our readers, all I can say is patience is a virtue. And not to be too much of a leg humper, so is charity. We started this operation with a vision, not a business plan. And we have spent little effort at raising funds beyond some simple Google ads and a "donate" button. Well, we're about at the breaking point for where two unfunded guys working at night can deliver what the community needs, wants, and deserves, despite the great volunteer efforts of our SWC moderators, peer reviewers, technology mentor, etc. To really up the ante, we need to bring in some hired help (administrative, editorial, technical) and/or quit our day jobs.
MANY thanks to our donors. We greatly appreciate your generosity. We'd be happy to have more folks who gain value from Small Wars Journal and Small Wars Council join that elite club of supporters. You can also support us by making all your Amazon.com purchases (not just books) through the links at our site, here and in some of the sidebars. Amazon gives us a referral fee, and you pay the same low price, just be sure to access Amazon through our site and not straight in. Finally, if any of you have cracked the code on grants and fund raising, or have some pull with advertisers who might find SWJ a productive venue, we'd be glad to benefit from your wisdom and influence.
We have great expectations for the continued growth of this community at Small Wars Journal.
- Bill