Publications update

More than a year ago, ACSESS finalized the partnership with Wiley Publishing to share responsibility for marketing and sales of the ASA, CSSA, and SSSA publications as well as the production and hosting of our digital content. Since then, the ACSESS Publications team managed the conversion and digitization of more than 1,450 journal issues, 36 years of magazine issues, and more than 330 book titles with Wiley. We also developed 17 new web pages for our family of publications in addition to coordinating our launch on the Wiley Online Library and deactivated the ACSESS Digital Library online platform.

We are finally beginning to see the end of the transition in the distance, but it has not been without a few hurdles and roadblocks along the way. Recently, the coronavirus pandemic forced the Publications Department staff and our partners at Wiley to work from home beginning in early March. Through preparation, hard work, and a little luck, articles continued to be published online and Wiley produced and delivered print magazines with minimal delay. Understandably, the journals provided flexibility and extensions of deadlines to meet the needs of our authors through the crisis. Currently, staff members are working to fine-tune new editorial and production processes to minimize unavoidable delays associated with major business changes.

We appreciate your ongoing support and patience during our lengthy transition and the disruption introduced by the pandemic. Our revised best practices will make us better prepared to meet Society strategic planning goals for the journals and allow for increased proactivity within our publishing program.

One of the top benefits to our members, CSA News magazine, along with Crops & Soils magazine (for our certified professionals), has received feedback from readers praising the new redesign and content. Starting with the February issue, CSA News began working with Wiley to produce short one-minute videos to accompany each issue's cover story. These videos are posted to our social media channels and are embedded into the article itself to draw readers in and promote the content to wider audiences.

This year, our goal is to publish 5 to 7 new books and launch an effort with Wiley to coordinate development and acquisition of future titles. Wiley's marketing team is also continuing to implement action plans for each journal to build awareness and usage. Later this year, ACSESS and Wiley staff plan to review usage, research trends, and other data to identify opportunities to assist journal editors with growth and development of the journals.

Another of our goals for 2020 is introducing new awards to authors of outstanding articles and expanding recognition of volunteer peer reviewers and editors. We are almost halfway through the year, but we have much more to accomplish. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA have a history and tradition of quality publishing, and I invite you to join us and become involved in your Society publications. Consider volunteering as a peer reviewer or editor, and most of all, think of our journals first when it is time to publish your research.