How to Get Published in a Peer-Reviewed Art Journal: An Ultimate Guide for Visual Artists

Most visual artists do not consider the possibility of getting published in a peer-reviewed journal because it seems too academic and scholarly. Journals seem to be aimed at scholars who publish 10,000-word papers with plenty of references and footnotes. Nevertheless, the picture is slowly changing. More peer-reviewed journals publish visual essays, artists' interviews, research based on practice, and critical writings by artists rather than only academia-oriented papers.

Publications in peer-reviewed journals bring a unique value to your professional activity as a visual artist that no exhibitions and competitions can provide. They offer solid proof that your ideas – and not only your artworks – are assessed independently and get recognized. For an artist whose professional activity goes beyond borders of her native country and requires grants and visas, having published works is a key success factor.

This guide describes what it means to publish in a peer-reviewed journal, what types of works artists can publish, what journals to choose, and how to prepare your manuscript. We cover how the peer-review works and what is important for a successful application to a peer-reviewed journal. We also briefly discuss the benefits of having your publications in such journals and offer some useful tips for getting started.

What Is "Peer-Reviewed"?

A peer-reviewed journal submits every manuscript to independent reviewers (usually two to three) who assess its originality, quality, and relevance to the journal's focus. Then, based on these assessments, the journal's editor makes a decision regarding the manuscript's acceptance, modification, or rejection.

What does peer review mean? It is an extra confirmation that your manuscript was checked by independent experts who are familiar with the subject matter. A peer-reviewed manuscript differs from a blog article or an artist's essay in being officially validated by peers. The institutionality of the procedure is crucial.

Journals that register an ISSN (International Standard Serial Number) are particularly reliable sources. An ISSN issued by a country's national library means that a publication follows the standards characteristic of periodical serial publications. Being published in a peer-reviewed journal registered with an ISSN is a huge plus for your career.

Types of Works Suitable for Peer-Reviewed Journals

It is worth mentioning that you will hardly be asked to write a conventional scientific article. There are numerous types of manuscripts suitable for visual artists.

Visual essays involve submitting a number of pictures accompanied with reflective text (800–2,000 words). Visual essays can address a variety of aspects associated with your creative practice: processes, themes, and methodology among others. A visual essay is similar to the artist's statement but much more developed.

Interviews with artists, curators, gallerists, and other industry representatives and expert interviews (conducted by yourself) are very popular types of peer-reviewed works by visual artists. Interviews with industry representatives allow exploring their experience and opinions concerning certain aspects.

Practice-based research involves discussing your own experiments, thematic inquiries, and innovation related to material and technology. This is a good type of work to document the generation of new knowledge through your creative practice.

Exhibition reviews and critical analysis is the last type of works that can be published in peer-reviewed art journals.

Where to Look for Appropriate Peer-Reviewed Journals?

There are several ways to find art journals for peer-reviewed publications:

Academic databases such as Google Scholar, Directory of Open Access Journals, or Zenodo offer thousands of journals in different subject matters, including visual art.

CVs of respected artists usually have publications listed there among other information. Therefore, analyzing CVs of those you respect can help you identify appropriate journals.

Calls for papers are announced periodically. Websites like cfplist.com, WikiCFP, or H-Net are good places to look for them.

Journals affiliated with curatorial and art platforms are also good sources of journals. For instance, Curatone Art & Research Journal (ISSN 3054-6621) focuses on contemporary visual art and design. The peer review process is conducted by an international editorial board. Curatone publishes visual essays, interviews with experts, and articles related to research in the field of contemporary art and design. The journal accepts rolling submissions without any submission fees.

While choosing a journal, pay attention to its registration with an ISSN, its editorial board (names and verifiable credentials of the members are required), peer review process described on the journal's website, and previous issues that can give you a better idea of what kind of publications it prefers.

How to Prepare Your Manuscript?

Here is a brief overview of the main things to keep in mind when submitting a manuscript.

Study the journal's guidelines. It is important to follow submission guidelines precisely because otherwise you risk being rejected without review. Guidelines usually cover word count requirements, types of files allowed, format, citation style, etc.

An abstract for your manuscript must be written even for visual essays. Abstract should contain the essence of your manuscript and explain the reason for reading it to the potential readers.

Keywords are needed as well. Keywords allow the readers to find your article if they are searching for particular topics. They are mostly related to medium, themes addressed in the manuscript, and methodologies used.

High-quality images are mandatory for visual essays. The submission should include high-resolution files (300 DPI, JPG or TIFF). All images must be provided with captions including title, medium, size, and date. In case your article features other artists' works, ensure that you have permissions to use them.

References may be included to show your engagement with literature and to contextualize your practice. References are particularly important if you refer to other publications in your work.

More useful advice can be found in our guide dedicated to creating an artist's portfolio.

The Peer Review Process: Basic Principles

Here is what happens to your manuscript once it is submitted:

Acknowledgment of the manuscript usually comes in 1–7 days after submission.

Editorial assessment takes place to identify whether the submitted manuscript is a good fit for a particular journal. If not, desk rejection follows (the reasons are not personal – usually the topic is just not right for the journal).

Peer review is organized once the submission passes preliminary editorial assessment. It implies assessing your manuscript by independent experts whose names are unknown to other reviewers. The average number of reviewers varies between two and three.

Editor's decision: a manuscript can be accepted as is; accepted pending revision (the most common scenario); or rejected with reasons explained in the feedback.

In case a manuscript is accepted pending revision, you will need to implement reviewers' suggestions and resubmit.

Revision usually takes up to a month. Then, the manuscript is published.

On average, a submission process takes four months, but sometimes shorter terms are possible. Most often peer-reviewed publications have rolling submissions.

Importance of Peer-Reviewed Publications in an Artist's Career

Why do visual artists need peer-reviewed journals? They can be used in many situations to strengthen your position as a professional.

In terms of exhibitions, being a peer-reviewed journal subscriber helps to demonstrate intellectual depth of your practice. This factor is highly appreciated by gallery owners and curators.

Applying for grants and residency programs involves providing evidence of your scholarly contribution and professional recognition which can be demonstrated through peer-reviewed publications. To learn more about grant and residency applications, visit our guide.

In case of applying for teaching positions, it is crucial to demonstrate scholarly contribution. Publications in peer-reviewed journals are the best way to do it even if an artist works as an adjunct professor.

For preparing an O-1 and EB-1 petition, publications in peer-reviewed art journals registered with an ISSN is an excellent addition to other required evidence such as documented judging experience and exhibition records. Read our guides on O-1 petitions and judging experience.

Getting Started: Your First Publication

If you have never published before, it is probably easier to start with something close to you. Thus, you can write a visual essay about your practice, recent theme in your works, or reflect upon a certain creative process. You do not need any academic background or PhD degree to publish in most art journals. What you need is a clear concept of your manuscript, honest reflection, and supporting images.

Curatone Art & Research Journal welcomes artists regardless of their academic achievements. Our editors will gladly help you with your first publication.

While creating new works to enter upcoming art competitions, think about writing about your experience and creative process. The next free competition can be a source of inspiration for your manuscript.

Curatone Art & Research Journal (ISSN 3054-6621) is a peer-reviewed publication on contemporary visual art, design, and curatorial practice. We accept rolling submissions of research articles, visual essays, and expert interviews. No submission fee. Submit your work →