Each week from the 1950s through the 1990s, as many as 24 million people listened to an American newscaster named Paul Harvey broadcast a radio segment called The Rest of the Story. It always began as a quaint, apparently historical tale about someone that seemed very average until the very end, when Harvey dramatically exposed a missing element that revealed the deeper significance hidden within.

Even before publication you have become a writer, but now you stand poised at the threshold of dramatic reveal, ready to share the significance of your scientific message with the world. Only relatively minor details stand between you and scientific publication. Go forward with confidence. Soon you will be celebrating, and soon afterward, planning your next project.

Get it all together – then send it off!

Modern technology has greatly simplified the mechanics of manuscript submission. Whereas in the past, authors had to worry about the safe arrival of (sometimes multiple) copies of paper-based text and figures sent through the postal system, today most journals welcome or require electronic copy from the beginning. Clearly, this saves time, money, and hassle for everyone involved. Editors can edit the typescript on the computer screen, and, if necessary, reformat it to their specific printing requirements. Reviewers can receive it as an email attachment. After annotating their suggested changes as they read through it, they can email this to the editor, who in turn can add his or her own comments and send it back to the author. All these advances hold the potential to make the entire review process more efficient and (theoretically at least) shorten the time involved.