The Writer’s Camp Journal: Policies, Procedures, and Ethics

Cover of The Writer's Camp Journal, featuring a forest scene with sunlight and an orange tent, alongside publication details.

The Writer’s Camp Journal is committed to transparency, integrity, and best practices in scholarly and professional publishing. Our policies are informed by the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, developed by COPE, DOAJ, OASPA, and WAME.

We aim to foster a supportive, ethical environment for writers, editors, and readers.

Aims & Scope

The Writer’s Camp Journal publishes articles that support writers, editors, educators, mentors, and emerging scholars. Our content includes:

Our mission is to strengthen writing and editorial expertise and to support a vibrant, inclusive scholarly community.

Editorial Governance

The Journal is owned and published by Maine Desk LLC.

The editorial team includes:

All editorial decisions are made independently and free from commercial influence.

Editorial and Review Process

The Writer’s Camp Journal uses a curated editorial peer review process. Each manuscript is reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and at least one Associate Editor or Editorial Board member selected for relevant expertise. External reviewers may be invited when additional subject or methodological expertise is needed. Review is not anonymous. The Editor-in-Chief makes the final editorial decision after considering the reviewers’ recommendations.

Editors may provide developmental feedback to help authors refine their work prior to publication. At the end of each article, the editor(s) who reviewed and edited the manuscript are acknowledged to ensure transparency in the editorial process.

For regular journal content, editorial evaluation and decision-making are conducted through the Journal’s curated editorial peer review process, consistent with its educational mission and focus on mentoring authors. Research Reports follow a separate double-anonymous peer review process administered through Scholastica, with external reviewers selected for relevant subject or methodological expertise.

Submission-to-Publication Timeline

The Writer’s Camp Journal uses a continuous publication model supported by a curated editorial review process. Timelines vary by article type and the extent of revisions requested. Our typical ranges are:

Articles are published on a rolling schedule, with new content released weekly on Thursdays at 7 AM ET. Because The Writer’s Camp Journal emphasizes developmental editing and mentoring, authors may be invited to revise their manuscripts before acceptance. Timelines will be reviewed annually as the Journal grows.

Authorship Standards

The Journal follows COPE principles for responsible authorship.

Each contributing author must:

We do not permit:

Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria may be acknowledged.

Publication Integrity

We expect all submissions to be original and free of:

Reprinted Material

The Writer’s Camp Journal may occasionally republish articles that originally appeared elsewhere. All reprints are clearly labeled, fully credited to their original source, and published only with the author’s confirmation of rights or with permission from the original publisher.

Intellectual Property

Authors retain full copyright to their work. The Writer’s Camp Journal publishes all articles under the Creative Commons CC BY-ND 4.0 license, which allows others to share the published work with proper attribution but does not permit modification of the original content.

By submitting a manuscript, authors affirm that their work is original, does not infringe on the intellectual property rights of others, and that they have obtained necessary permissions for any copyrighted materials included in the manuscript. The Journal does not claim ownership over authors’ intellectual property and will never reuse, alter, or republish content without the author’s consent, except as allowed by the stated license.

The Journal’s role as publisher is limited to distributing the work under the agreed-upon license; intellectual property rights remain with the author.

Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) and Archiving

All articles published in The Writer’s Camp Journal are assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) to ensure persistent identification and citation of the scholarly record. DOIs provide a permanent link to each article and support reliable indexing, discovery, and citation.

To support long-term preservation and accessibility, final versions of published articles are deposited in Zenodo, an open-access research repository operated by CERN and supported through the European Open Science infrastructure. Zenodo assigns DOIs through DataCite, ensuring that each article has a stable and citable digital identifier.

Depositing articles in Zenodo provides long-term archiving and independent preservation of the Writer’s Camp Journal’s scholarly content. This approach ensures that published work remains accessible even if the Writer’s Camp website structure changes over time.

Post-Publication Discussion

The Writer’s Camp Journal encourages thoughtful, constructive post-publication dialogue. Readers may comment directly on article pages, and authors are welcome—but not required—to participate in these discussions. All comments are moderated to maintain a professional, respectful environment. Readers may also contact the Editor-in-Chief privately with questions or concerns.

When appropriate, The Writer’s Camp Journal may publish corrections, clarifications, or invited follow-up pieces to extend scholarly conversation and ensure accuracy. All post-publication updates are managed in accordance with COPE best practices.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools

Authors may use generative AI tools to support their writing only in ways consistent with the Journal’s full AI policy. AI tools must not generate or alter data, fabricate sources, or replace the author’s own intellectual contributions. Any permitted AI assistance must be used transparently and ethically, and authors must disclose any substantive AI involvement in the preparation of their manuscript.

Allegations of Misconduct

The Writer’s Camp Journal follows COPE-aligned procedures for addressing allegations of research and publication misconduct. Allegations may relate to submitted or published work and will be evaluated in accordance with applicable COPE guidance.

Concerns may include, but are not limited to:

Concerns about submitted or published work will be evaluated promptly and fairly. When appropriate, WCJ will follow relevant COPE guidance and may seek additional information from authors, reviewers, institutions, or other parties. Depending on the circumstances and outcome of the review, actions may include correction, expression of concern, retraction, or other appropriate editorial action.

Appeals Process

Authors who wish to appeal an editorial decision may contact:

Leslie H. Nicoll, PhD, MBA, RN, FAAN — Editor-in-Chief
📧admin@writers-camp.org

Appeals should include a clear explanation of the concern and any supporting information. The Editor-in-Chief will review the appeal and may consult with an Associate Editor or a member of the Editorial Board who was not involved in the original decision. Appeals are handled respectfully and in alignment with COPE best practices. Decisions made after an appeal are final.

If an appeal concerns a decision in which the Editor-in-Chief has a conflict of interest, the appeal will be referred to an uninvolved Associate Editor, Senior Editor, or member of the Editorial Board for independent review and resolution.

Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence or be perceived as potentially influencing their perspective of their work. 
Editors recuse themselves from handling submissions where a conflict exists.

Relevant disclosures will appear with published articles.

Corrections and Retractions

The Writer’s Camp Journal maintains the accuracy of the scholarly record.

All updates remain linked to the original publication for transparency.

Complaints Process

The Writer’s Camp Journal welcomes feedback from readers, authors, and reviewers. Individuals who wish to submit a complaint related to publication ethics, editorial procedures, or journal operations may contact:

Leslie H. Nicoll, PhD, MBA, RN, FAAN — Editor-in-Chief
📧 admin@writers-camp.org

Complaints will be reviewed in accordance with COPE guidance for transparent and ethical editorial management. When appropriate, the Editor-in-Chief may consult with Associate Editors or the Senior Leadership Team to ensure a thorough and fair response. All complaints are handled respectfully and confidentially.

If a complaint concerns the Editor-in-Chief, it will be referred to an uninvolved Associate Editor, Senior Editor, or member of the Editorial Board for independent review and resolution.

The Writer’s Camp Journal publishes content under a Creative Commons CC BY-ND 4.0 license.

Authors retain copyright and grant the Journal permission to publish the work.
Readers may share articles with attribution, but derivative works are not permitted.

Authors may archive their work in institutional repositories or on personal websites.

Advertising and Sponsorship

The Writer’s Camp Journal does not accept advertising or publish sponsored content.

If financial support or partnerships arise in the future, they will be clearly disclosed.

Commitment to Equity and Inclusion

We strive to use inclusive, respectful language and to publish content that reflects diverse perspectives, experiences, and voices in writing and publishing.

Authors are encouraged to review their manuscripts for inclusive language and ethical representation.

Contact and Concerns

Questions or concerns about editorial decisions, ethics, or Journal processes may be directed to the Editor-in-Chief:

📧 editor@writers-camp.org

All concerns will be reviewed respectfully and in accordance with COPE principles.

Last Updated: August 24, 2026