1. What prompted your transition from academia to the publishing industry?

It was a serendipitous sign. As I was wrapping up my PhD thesis, I thought about what to do next. I had two options in mind: the first was to become a teacher, and the second was to do science communication. I had no idea where to start. Luckily, I got an interview call from a leading global publisher, they were setting up an editorial team in India. I gave the interview and was selected for the position. What began as a temporary arrangement has now spanned nearly a decade, and I absolutely love what I do.

2. Have you explored any other alternative careers outside of academia when you were doing your PhD?

I wasn’t eager to pursue a postdoctoral position right away. I was fascinated by science communication, but I had never applied for any positions in the field. Rather, teaching was a clearer option in my mind. I enjoyed tutoring MSc students during my PhD and was interested in teaching undergraduate students afterwards. 

3. What challenges did you face when you transitioned from academia to being a journal editor?

The job of an editor was a completely new experience for me, but it did use a lot of my strengths and experiences. Until now, I only knew about publishing papers, but after I started working with publishers, I got involved in many back-end processes. 

The process of article submission, peer review, and publication may seem very black and white from the outside. I realised that the process involves a hundred people and requires managing the expectations of internal stakeholders, researchers, and professors. The transition was difficult, but interesting. 

4. Can you talk about your responsibilities as a journal editor, and what would your typical day look like?

I am no longer working as a journal editor, but while I was working with a leading global publisher, I handled a couple of journals. Regular communication with the editorial board, especially with the editor-in-chief, looking at the back-end processes, and coordinating with the editorial office and production staff was part of my job. 

I was also involved in other things like a new journal takeover, setting up new sections for special issues, and looking into ethical issues such as handling retractions. We kept abreast of trending areas of research and designed the themes accordingly. 

5. What prompted your switch from the editorial section to the marketing role?

I feel very lucky to be part of the marketing team, as it is a very different sort of exposure. Before joining the marketing team, I was a Commissioning Editor with the STEM Books Editorial team at Taylor & Francis Group. Currently, I am responsible for the overall submission of articles from South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. I am working closer than ever with the researchers to understand the funding and research landscape, looking at which areas of research are growing. 

We are also focusing on research capacity building in India and Africa, collaborating with organisations such as the Association of African Universities. We assist these research groups by providing training in research publications, as a major issue in this region is low acceptance rates. We guide them in selecting the appropriate journal and making high-quality submissions, minimising the chance of desk rejection.

6. How does your typical day look in the marketing room?

My previous roles as an editor were external facing, where I was continuously conversing with academicians and authors. But in this role, there is a good balance between engaging with internal and external stakeholders. Now, I manage a team that requires substantial internal coordination and working with different verticals within the organisation. 

We do extensive data analysis to track how our articles perform across the research landscape, looking at the funding landscape, and understanding trends in research. 

My job involves a significant amount of management and strategising. 

7. How do the skills that you picked up during your PhD contribute to your jobs in the publishing industry?

I think they helped me immensely. When I was hired for my first role as acquisitions editor, my peers within the organisation perceived me as a completely new person with a different background, suddenly being put into an editorial front-facing role. I believe that my years of research training and experience in data analysis have equipped me with problem-solving skills that are useful in troubleshooting various issues. 

Academic publishing involves assessing the academic and funding landscape and engaging with researchers, which I did in my PhD. I think that is the biggest transferable skill I have. I am now working with pain points like APC (article processing charge) and article rejections that I experienced as a student, making them more relatable. 

8. What would your advice be to PhD students or those who have recently graduated and are exploring career options outside of academia or in the publishing industry?

Having a good understanding of available options helps a lot. I did my PhD a decade ago, and things were very different then. Now, we are more aware of careers outside of academia, often referred to as non-traditional careers. 

I think knowing exactly where your skills can take you opens many avenues. Connecting with people working in those areas also helps. When I saw the job description at Taylor and Francis Group, I tried connecting with editors working there to learn more about their work. After assessing it, I determined if I would be able to do the same. 

I think networking by attending conferences during my PhD helped me a lot. 

Back then, I had applied for the Welcome Trust Fellowship to attend a course on protein-protein networks at the Wellcome Sanger Institute . Though I didn’t get the grant, I decided to invest my own money in it and go there. That exposure helped me understand what PhD students from other regions and fields are doing. I suggest keeping your eyes and ears open and network. 

9. What was the most exciting moment in your career?

As I told you earlier, for the past year we have been working with research groups in Africa and India as part of our research capacity-building program. We teach them about journal article submissions, research integrity, and preparing them for a career in research. After talking to more than 12,000 researchers across these regions, we have received feedback indicating how much the participants appreciated the programme, and some even reached out to us to say that they have gained a lot. 

It feels very meaningful to help researchers in their early careers do better in their research and contribute to academia. Many of the students do get back with queries; sometimes I may not be able to answer them, but I try my best to help. 

10. What is the best advice you have ever received? 

The best advice I’ve received is to be open to feedback but also discerning about its source. Not all feedback is equal, and understanding where it comes from can make it more valuable. Evaluating feedback thoughtfully is far more beneficial than getting defensive. 

It takes real strength to receive and give feedback constructively, and doing so is key to growth.