For Authors
- Quick guide to publishing with AGU
- Overview of AGU publications and journal metrics
- Full list of AGU journals (journal description, contact emails, and key metrics) - English
- Full list of AGU journals (journal description, contact emails, and key metrics) - Mandarin
- Guidelines for Plain Language Summaries for AGU journals
- Search Engine Optimization – Carefully choose key words for your article title and abstract to make your article appear higher in the internet search results list when someone enters a term that is relevant to your topic. This will make your work more likely to be discovered.
- Plain Language Summary – Submitting a Plain Language Summary with your article summarizes your work in terms that are accessible to people outside of your scientific circle. Read our tips for how to write an effective Plain Language Summary.
- Graphical Abstract – Submit an illustration to summarize your study and its key findings which can be published alongside the written Abstract and Plain Language Summary on the online version of your article. Graphical abstracts are also great for sharing on social media.
- If you think the results of your research might be newsworthy, fill out this form to tell AGU’s press office what you think is interesting about your research and how it will shape future research or understanding in this field. We recommend doing this as soon as your paper has been accepted.
- Tell your institution’s press office about the research and interesting findings. We recommend doing this as soon as your paper has been accepted, not after publication. Please notify AGU’s press office if your institution is planning a press release so that AGU can coordinate and complement efforts.
- Post the “version of record” of your article to your institutional repository.
- Find out about sharing your work via social media, blogs and videos and learn the most effective ways to convey your message simply and concisely. Prepare social media posts for different platforms using our free thematic Canva templates. Remember to tag @theAGU and use #AGUPubs.
- Sign up for Kudos, a free platform for sharing your research within and outside of academia. You can write a plain language abstract, share it online and track the impact, downloads, and citations of your work. Watch this webinar to find out more.
- Full Text Views – This number shows the full text views of your article on the Wiley Online Library platform.
- Citations – This number shows the number of times your article has already been cited in the academic literature.
- Altmetric Score – This tracks shares and mentions of your article on news sites, blogs, and social media. Click on “Am score” to find full details of how and where the article has been shared and what your score means.
- Share your science with the media – Are you writing an op-ed or letter to the editor, participating in a phone interview, appearing on a radio or news broadcast, or looking to connect with a journalist? Access tips for preparing your pitch and working with reporters, journalists, public information or communications officers.
- Share your science with your community – Are you participating in a science event at a local school or giving a lecture to a community group? Access resources on communicating your science effectively to a lay or younger audience.
- Share your science with policy makers – Does your work have direct relevance to local or national socio-economic issues? Find out about opportunities to advocate for science and present your work to lawmakers, regulators and policy influencers.
AGU grants permission for individuals to use figures, tables, and short quotes from AGU journal and books for republication in academic works and to make single copies for personal use in research, study, or teaching provided full attribution is included. There is no need to request this permission from AGU.
Outside of this described use, permission might be required. If the figure was published in an Open Access article, permission is not required but you will still need to cited it appropriately according to the paper’s specific Creative Commons License. If the figure was not published in an Open Access article, permissions are required and can be obtained through RightsLink. Go to the Tools section of the article page and choose “Request Permissions.”
Additional information related to copyright, rights granted to authors, and permissions can be found on our Policies page.
We accept proposals for new books at any time. Please contact [email protected] or a member of the Editorial Board for an initial discussion about your idea and to find out more about the proposal process.
We recommend that you prepare a one-page concept note summarizing the rationale, scope, and intended audience of your book so that we can assess its suitability for one of our series.
After discussing the viability of your idea, you will be invited to prepare a more comprehensive proposal per our guidelines.
A book gives the space and freedom to tell a complete story by organizing chapters into a deliberate order that presents a narrative arc through all aspects of a topic.
A book can present a mixture of material including literature reviews, methods and techniques, new research findings, case studies, and applications.
A book is a great medium for interdisciplinary topics, as it can collate different perspectives that would otherwise need to be published in multiple journals.
An edited volume is coordinated by one or more volume editor(s) and features chapters written by different author(s). The volume editor(s) are responsible for creating the table of contents and identifying contributors for each chapter. With support from AGU and Wiley, the volume editor(s) will set deadlines for submission and revision, oversee the peer review process, and be the primary contact through the production process.
An authored volume involves an individual or a small team of people. The volume author(s) are responsible for writing the entire book manuscript. An assigned member of the Editorial Board will provide advice and encouragement through the writing stage and oversee the peer review process.
A book is an opportunity to make a lasting contribution to your scientific community. Some volumes go on to become seminal texts in their field that are used and cited for decades.
A book project — whether an edited or authored volume — is an opportunity to collaborate with other scientists and widen your professional network.
Being a volume editor or volume author will make your name more recognizable and build your reputation in your scientific field. It may also count toward tenure or promotion applications.
An overview of each step in AGU’s book publishing process can be found here.
The timeline for books is driven largely by the volume editor(s) or volume author(s) leading the project. Setting a realistic timeline for a book and being firm with deadlines are in everyone’s interest to ensure that content is published in a timely way.
Discussing your idea, developing your concept, contacting potential collaborators and contributors, and preparing a detailed proposal often take some time, but it is essential groundwork for a successful book project.
Once a new book proposal is submitted, we usually obtain reviews and make a decision within 6 weeks.
After the contract is signed, the volume editor(s) or author(s) decide on a realistic time frame for submission of manuscripts, the peer review process, submission of revised manuscripts, and the preparation of final files. This can be completed in as quickly as 12 months but often takes several years.
Once a final accepted manuscript enters production, it takes about 6 months until the book is published online and in print.
For the Geophysical Monograph Series, Special Publications Series, and Advanced Textbook Series, there is no cost to the author to submit or publish; rather, the volume editor(s) or volume author(s) receive royalties on sales.
For the GeoHorizons open access book series, there is a fee to cover the cost of making the content freely available. Some discounts and waivers are available. Please contact us to discuss funding options and different ways to cover the costs.
Yes, all AGU books are subject to the same high standards of impartial, blind peer review as journal articles to ensure the scientific quality and rigor of the content.
We solicit three independent reviews for book proposals and six for textbook proposals.
Each chapter in an edited volume must receive at least two reviews.
For authored volumes, each chapter must receive at least two reviews, plus the full book manuscript is also reviewed for its coherence.
Yes, all published chapters are assigned a DOI and are independently discoverable and citable.
Books published in the Geophysical Monograph Series are indexed in the Web of Science and SCOPUS, enabling the tracking of citations.