Author and editor training webinars are a powerful intervention at a specific point in time. They work well by themselves or paired with online courses.
To really double down on, and sustain, engagement and maximize reach, they work profitably with a content marketing strategy.
Content marketing for academic journals is strategic creation and use sharing of use of written and video–audio materials of value to the readers. MacroLingo specializes in creating targeted content for academic publishers, and we at Sci-Train partner with them to offer a unique, combined package of learning + content.
Planning, creating, and running webinars with ongoing content marketing lets publishers support authors before, during, and after the training, ensuring longer-term engagement and greater discoverability of their journals.
How does content marketing complement webinars?
First, consider long-term engagement. An author might attend a Sci-Train webinar series over a month or two. To keep that researcher engaged with your journal brand throughout the year, you can deliver valuable content to them regularly.
For example, you can run a blog on your journal’s website with monthly posts on writing tips, submission checklists, or interviews with editors – which we and MacroLingo will help you create, together with your team.
These blog posts can reinforce webinar lessons (e.g., an article on “Top 10 Tips from our Writing Webinar”) and serve as an actionable reference for authors who are prepping a manuscript. They also remind past attendees that your journal is there as a helpful resource, not just a publication outlet.
This relationship builds trust and maintains the connection formed during the webinars.
Get found organically (not just via referrals and word of mouth)
Second, content marketing boosts the discoverability of your journal and its initiatives. Today’s authors often find publication venues and advice through online searches and social media. By producing high-quality, search-optimized content, publishers can capture that interest. For instance, imagine an early-career researcher Googling “how can I respond to peer review comments on socioeconomics?” – if your society’s website (via MacroLingo’s content strategy) has a well-ranked article or webinar recap on that topic, you’ve just brought a potential author to your doorstep.
MacroLingo’s approach is ChatGPT/AI Overview LLM-friendly. They are up on the latest trends and have found out how to appear in AI searchers, which are destined to become the new norm.
This kind of content increases your visibility in search engines and positions your journal as author-friendly and authoritative.
The academic publishing space is crowded – over 2.5 million new scientific items are added each year – so standing out requires being present where authors are looking for help. Content marketing ensures your brand shows up not just in citation databases, but in the broader ecosystem of researcher queries and needs.
A virtuous cycle of education and reward
There’s also a compounding benefit: content marketing feeds the webinars, and vice versa. The questions and interests surfaced in webinars can inform what content to create next. Conversely, topics that get traction on your blog or social channels could be ripe for deeper dive webinars.
Over time, you develop a virtuous cycle of engagement. Publishers that have embraced content marketing report significant advantages – one industry guide noted that content marketing can cost 62% less than traditional marketing while generating about 3x as many leads. In the context of journals, “leads” translate to potential authors or readers discovering your publication.
Content marketing reduces costs and increases organic reach, offering a smart and sustainable way to keep your pipeline of high-quality submissions flowing, while expanding your brand organically (i.e., for free).
MacroLingo’s role is to help academic publishers execute this strategy effectively. With expertise in academic copywriting, SEO/GEO, and an understanding of researcher audiences, they can craft blog posts, how-to guides, infographics, and social media content that resonate with scholars.
They integrate SEO best practices so that this content ranks well for relevant searches (for example, optimizing for terms related to journal submission tips or literature search strategies). The result is improved search generative discoverability – your content naturally attracts those who know your journal, but also those who have never heard of it but are seeking guidance.
Some journals that implement such strategies have seen their websites become go-to resources for ECRs, leading those researchers to submit their work there.
Sci-Train + MacroLingo = synergy and sustainable growth
Pairing Sci-Train webinars with a robust content marketing program creates a holistic author outreach strategy. The webinars provide immediate, hands-on training that elevates submission quality in the short term.
Meanwhile, ongoing content (articles, emails, social posts) provides continuous support and visibility, keeping authors engaged and attracting new ones.
This one-two punch builds an ecosystem where authors are educated, supported, and aware of your journals – exactly the recipe for receiving higher-quality submissions and fostering a loyal author base.
Use cases: putting training and content into action
The combined webinar + content model is flexible and can be applied in various scenarios in scholarly publishing. Here are a few concrete ways publishers, journals, or societies can leverage this approach:
Scenario 1: New journal launch
Launching a new journal comes with the challenge of attracting submissions when the journal has no established reputation yet. As a publisher, you can host a series of Sci-Train webinars branded to the new journal, offering value to prospective authors from day one.
For example, a new journal in biotechnology might run a “How to Get Published in Biotech” webinar for early-career scientists. This teaches attendees about good publishing practices and subtly introduces the new journal as an option. MacroLingo can simultaneously run a content campaign – blogs and LinkedIn articles about emerging trends in biotech, commentary on recent papers, etc. – to build the journal’s visibility and credibility.
Together, the training and content marketing create buzz around the new journal, drawing higher-quality submissions early in its life cycle. Instead of relying solely on calls for papers, the publisher actively nurtures a community of authors who feel equipped and excited to submit to the new outlet.
Scenario 2: Special issue promotion
Established journals often announce special issues or themed sections that require targeted submissions (for instance, a special issue on COVID-19 lessons in public health). To ensure a strong response, a publisher can organize a white-labeled webinar tailored to that special issue’s topic. Imagine a live session with the special issue’s guest editors and Sci-Train experts, discussing what makes a great paper on that theme and what the issue is looking for.
Researchers interested in the topic get clarity on how to angle their work for consideration. Following the webinar, MacroLingo-driven content can keep up the momentum – perhaps an interview with the guest editor posted on the journal’s blog, a summary of key insights from the webinar, or social media posts counting down to the submission deadline.
These efforts engage the target author group and improve the fit and quality of submissions received. Authors will know exactly what the issue’s focus is and how to meet the expectations, reducing off-topic submissions and raising the overall quality of the special issue.
Scenario 3: Member engagement for societies
Academic and professional societies often seek ways to provide more value to their members and encourage them to publish in the society’s journals. A society-branded webinar series can be a compelling member benefit.
For example, a medical association could offer an annual “Publishing Bootcamp” (powered by Sci-Train) free to all its students and ECRs.
Modules covering writing, peer review, and promotion help members develop as scholars. Because it’s white-label, the society’s branding is front and center, reinforcing the message that the society supports its members’ careers. Meanwhile, MacroLingo can help create member-focused content such as monthly email tips (“Editor’s Tip of the Month”) or a Q&A column on the society blog where common author questions are answered by experts. This multi-channel approach keeps members engaged year-round.
They attend the webinars but they also stay connected through the follow-up content. The society’s journal benefits as those members become more confident and skilled authors – naturally inclined to submit their improved work to the society’s publications.
That’s just for starters! What does your journal have in mind?
These examples illustrate a common theme: integrating training and content amplifies the impact in each scenario.
The combination of Sci-Train’s webinars with MacroLingo’s content strategy provides both immediate and sustained results, whether it’s developing authors for a new journal, guiding submissions for a special issue, or enriching membership value.
Publishers can adapt this model to other situations as well – from regional author workshops to library partnerships – anywhere there’s a need to boost author competency and connect that to a publishing outcome.
Your next steps
Elevating the quality and fit of journal submissions is a challenge that can be met head-on with the right tools. Publishers and editors can focus on author education through Sci-Train’s white-label webinars, addressing the root causes of poor submissions – from misjudged journal choices to subpar writing – before those manuscripts ever hit the editorial inbox.
Authors who are better prepared will produce better manuscripts, leading to higher acceptance rates and a more efficient publication process. Coupling this training with strategic content marketing via MacroLingo ensures that the benefits persist and scale – keeping researchers engaged, attracting new authors, and improving the discoverability of the journal and its published research.
For publishers and societies interested in implementing this program, the path is straightforward. Sci-Train’s white-label model means you can quickly roll out a branded webinar series without developing all the content yourself. The webinars can be customized to your audience and goals, whether it’s improving general submission quality or targeting specific publication initiatives.
Meanwhile, MacroLingo’s content team can work with you to create the supporting materials – from blog posts to email campaigns – that will extend the life of the webinar content and continue to draw in authors over time. The combined approach is flexible and scalable: you might start with a single pilot webinar and a few articles, then expand into a regular program as you see the results in submission metrics and author feedback.
Higher-quality submissions benefit everyone in the scholarly ecosystem.
- Authors achieve publication more often and in the right venues.
- Editors spend less time on unviable papers and more on cultivating great research.
- Journals build a reputation for excellence and author-friendliness.
It starts with giving researchers the guidance they need. By partnering with Sci-Train and MacroLingo, publishers can create a robust author training and content outreach program with minimal overhead and maximum impact.
Now’s the time to invest in your authors’ success. With the proper training and engagement, you’ll attract better submissions. And you’ll foster a community of loyal, skilled contributors who view your journal as a leader in nurturing academic excellence.
Ready to attract higher-quality submissions and empower authors?
The old way of doing things is working less than ever. We do it differently, while offering multiple benefits. Only a few smart publishers even know about this approach and we’ll limit to a point where we can maintain quality.
Look into a white-label Sci-Train webinar series for your journals, augmented with MacroLingo’s content marketing services for organic search and branding.
Publishers and editors – you can get started now by contacting us to discuss a tailored program for your community. Equip your authors with the right knowledge and support, and watch the quality of submissions rise.
Your next published breakthrough might just be the result of an author you trained and guided. Contact us at Sci-Train.
