When Jennifer Deyton and Julie Nash started with Arthritis & Rheumatism, now Arthritis and Rheumatology (A&R), in the spring of 2000, authors submitted five copies of their manuscripts via mail. This system was clearly cumbersome, inefficient, and expensive. To make the process more efficient, Jennifer and Julie researched all the online manuscript submission platforms on the market. By helping the journal to move to an online system, Jennifer and Julie helped the journal evolve from a paper operation reliant on fax machines, FedEx, and photocopiers to a virtually paper-free workplace made more efficient by embracing emerging technology.
With the lessons learned from this experience, Jennifer and Julie began working with other journals to provide editorial and peer review management support as these publications began to shift to online submission, peer review, and publication models. With the goal in mind of professionalizing the role of the managing editor in scholarly publishing, J&J Editorial was incorporated in 2008.
New publisher relationships led to an expansion of services; in 2009 J&J Editorial began offering production services to PLOS, and today J&J Editorial also has a copyediting division and a systems support division. With the level of growth of the company, increasing numbers of staff, and a desire to offer our staff the benefits of a growing small business, Jennifer and Julie were pleased to transition from independent contractors to employees in 2013. This transition allowed them to restructure the company with more levels of management so J&J Editorial can offer our clients even more resources that allow us to provide a consistent level of excellent service.
J&J Editorial has developed into a strategically focused organization dedicated to efficient and professional management of the peer review editorial office and the production process all the way through to publication. As entrepreneurs who built a successful management and consulting business, Jennifer and Julie are experts at staffing journal offices that efficiently manage submission growth while maintaining timely and top-quality publication.
– Jennifer and Julie