How does a Journal Publication Service differ from direct Journal Submission?
Sept 25, 2025
Are you confused which one is best? Here we provide an A to Z comprehensive explanation about the journal publication service and direct journal submission. Very sure, after reading this blog, you have a clarification on which one is suitable for you. Journal publication service and direct journal submission are different types of approaches to publishing a research paper, each has its unique process, potential challenges, and benefits. Many scholars have a question about what the difference is between a journal publication service and direct submission.
📑 Table of Contents
- What is Journal Publication Service?
- Advantages and disadvantages of the Journal Publication Service
- What is direct Journal Submission?
- Advantages and disadvantages of direct Submission to a Journal
- Difference between the journal publication service and direct journal submission
- When to use the journal publication service
- When to use direct journal submission
- What Are the Hidden Challenges of Direct Journal Submission for First-Time Authors?
Journal Publication Service
Journal publication service is a platform that assists scholars in preparing, formatting, and submitting their manuscripts as per the guidelines of specific journals. Journal publication service will offer editing, formatting, journal selection, and submission assistance, and also provide peer review and plagiarism checks. The publication service can identify a suitable journal according to the research topic and scope.
Direct submission to a journal
Direct journal submission is scholars independently submit their research paper to a journal without any service guidance. The writer selects the journal and prepares the manuscripts according to the journal's submission guidelines and submits it directly to the online journal submission system. The writer is fully responsible for writing the cover letter, formatting requirements.
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Journal Publication Service
Advantages:
Journal publication service can save your time, as they will handle the whole submission process from initial formatting, revision, and final acceptance.
They will offer professional support such as topic selection, editing, formatting, selecting a journal, and writing according to journal guidelines.
They will improve the quality of manuscripts and provide peer review, plagiarism checks, and proofreading services, which increase the chance of acceptance rate.
Disadvantages:
Some journal publication services charge an unaffordable price, always check before choosing a publication service that the journal publication service is trustworthy.
Some services provide predatory or low-quality journals for their profit.
Zonduo is one of the best affordable price services, there are no hidden charges, and provides a high-quality and original journal publication service.
Advantages and disadvantages of direct submission to a journal:
Advantages:
You can avoid spending money to format a journal.
The writer manages the entire process and communicates directly with the journal editor, and they feel confident to write their manuscripts on their own.
Disadvantages:
If there are any errors in formatting or journal selection, it may lead to higher rejection.
It requires a significant effort to research a journal, format manuscripts, and manage the submission process.
Lacking editorial, proofreading, and formatting support.
The difference between the journal publication service and direct journal submission:
| Journal Publication Service | Direct Journal Submission |
|---|---|
| Provide professional editing, formatting, and journal selection service. | The writer should format their journal as their own, which can be challenging without experience. |
| Saves time by handling formatting, submission logistics, and sometimes revisions, allowing authors to focus on research. | Requires significant time and effort from the author to format, submit, and manage the peer review process. |
| Reputable services screen for predatory journals, but some less reliable services may push authors toward low-quality or predatory journals for profit. | Authors must independently verify the legitimacy of journals, which can be risky if they are unfamiliar with predatory publishing practices. |
| With less direct control, the service manages all processes | Everything should be under the writer's control. |
When to use the Journal publication service
If you are new to publishing journal
Are you confused about where to start and unsure about structuring your paper.
If you are near in deadline.
If you are targeting a high-impact journal or need a professional editing service to meet standards.
If you are not confident in selecting a journal.
When to use direct submission to a journal
If you have experience with academic publication and are familiar with the journal submission process, publication standards, and formatting requirements, you can choose the direct submission process.
If you want to avoid expensive charges for the journal publication service, you can choose direct submission. If you are a beginner, direct journal submission is not suitable for you.
If you manage the aspect of the submission process, such as selecting the journal, formatting the manuscript, writing the cover letter, and communicating directly with the editor.
If you know how to use resources like DOAJ, Web of Science, or Scopus to find reputable journals in your field and avoid predatory publishers, direct submission allows you to use.
Note: If you are unsure or your only concern is the high cost of service charges, you can select an affordable and high-quality journal publication service.
What Are the Hidden Challenges of Direct Journal Submission for First-Time Authors?
New writers may find it difficult to understand and adhere to these guidelines, such as formatting (font size, citation style, word limits), supplementary materials (data availability statements), and structure (abstract, keywords), running the risk of being rejected for failure to follow.
Selecting the right journal that aligns with the manuscript’s scope, audience, and impact factor is difficult without experience. New writers may target overly competitive journals or, worse, predatory journals that exploit inexperienced researchers.
Novices may not recognize predatory journals, which mimic legitimate ones but lack rigorous peer review and charge high fees. Without guidance, first-time authors may fall for misleading marketing or fake impact factors.
First-time authors may overestimate the readiness of their manuscript, overlooking issues like unclear writing, weak arguments, or insufficient literature review. Without professional editing, language errors (especially for non-native English speakers) can lead to rejection.
Journals that are too competitive or more harmful, predatory journals that take advantage of young scholars, may be the target of new writers.
Conclusion:
Deciding between journal publication service and a direct journal submission based on experience and publishing goals. Journal publication service provides a lifeline for first-time authors. Both have advantages and disadvantages. Choose what you want after knowing this information. Always choose a trustworthy journal publication service like Zonduo. Affordable, timely delivery, and publication in a highly reputable journal.