Dynamic Subspace

I received the quoted email below (posted with permission) from Professor Masood Raja, someone I consider a trusted friend and advisor at Kent State, regarding the very questionable practices of Academic Exchange Quarterly.  If you’ve experienced anything like this, please let me know or contact Professor Raja through his website linked below.  

I just want to share this with you and see if any of you have had any such experiences with this journal that sells itself as a representative journal of people like us.

A few months ago I sent an article to the Academic Exchange Quarterly (AEQ). Last week I got my reviewer’s reports asking for revisions, a normal practice for all refereed journals. I revised the essay as per the reviewers remarks and sent it back. Today I got another message from them. The message stated that my essay needed further revisions, which is also usually an accepted practice with academic journals. The message said that my essay will be accepetd for their summer issue after I had revised it AND after I have paid $132.00 redactory fee!

So here is how I read this message: Your essay is good enough to be accepted after further revisions, but we need $132.00 dollars to do that. Now, I understand that sometimes when we make changes after the final proofs have been approved, it costs more to the publishers to make any changes. My book contract with Oxford clearly states that if I ask to make changes in approved proofs, I will have to bear the costs. But in this case, the essay is still in consideration stage. Furthermore, the journal does not provide any complementary copies to the authors, but expects them to buy their copies. This really sounds like a scam to me.

Does anyone of you find this exceptionally mercenary and unfair? Of, course I decided to withdraw my essay: why publish with a journal that wants money to publish your article anyway. But my fear is that this journal sells itself as a premium academic journal, and does it in our name. Has anyone else experienced this at their hands, and if so is there anything we can do about it?

Thanks for a patient reading.

Masood A. Raja, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Postcolonial Literature and Theory
Department of English
Kent State University
Editor, Pakistaniaat: http://pakistaniaat.org
Personal Webpage: http://masoodraja.com

UPDATE:

After what I believe to be a lengthy deliberation on the part of AEQ, at least according to the traffic logs on this particular post, the publisher of AEQ, Steve Pec, asked me to post the following end-run around email (sent to myself, Professor Raja, English Department Chair Ron Corthell, and Graduate Studies Coordinator Raymond Craig) in rebuttal to Professor Raja’s email of concern about practices at AEQ.  N.B.:  my response to Mr. Pec’s email is available here.

Jason W. Ellis,  PhD Student, English Literature
Kent State University
Owner of http://dynamicsubspace.net/
&
Masood A. Raja, Ph.D.,   Assistant Professor,  Department of English
Kent State University
Editor, Pakistaniaat: http://pakistaniaat.org

Dear  Mr. Ellis  &  Dr. Raja:
This is in reference to your  blog “Academic Exchange Quarterly’s
Publishing Scam”
You could have avoided posting false information made by  Dr. Raja  if
you would  verify facts.
http://dynamicsubspace.net/2009/02/27/academic-exchange-quarterlys-publishing-scam/
AEQ attempted  to post   clarification  but it was  rejected by your
blog.   Hence the following:

Dr. Raja chose  not to mention that he has failed to revise properly
(submission  #4302-9l  Teaching
Salman Rushdie’s Shame) even after   multiple assistance from  the
journal…   Redactory fee option
is clearly  stated on   journal’s submission page, entry #7 When
reviews are completed….
http://www.rapidintellect.com/AEQweb/rufen1.htm     Said fee is due
“after AEQ positive review and
your decision to revise…” http://www.rapidintellect.com/AEQweb/karte9.htm
Dr. Raja was never able to revise properly hence  his submission was
rejected.   Regarding
“ the journal does not provide any complementary copies to the
authors, but expects them to buy their copies. This really sounds like
a scam to me.”  Please read entry #13 This journal does not offer page
proofs         http://www.rapidintellect.com/AEQweb/rufen1.htm
Plus, you may want to read   Why  fees?
http://www.rapidintellect.com/AEQweb/redfee.htm

Requesting  that you share with  your  blog readers   AEQ  response
(exactly as it is written),
 we wish you the best in your search for  publishing scams…  and  in
your  attempt to please your professor.

A note to  Dr. Raja,  after reading your  text on   your student’s
blog,  we at AEQ  understand your  difficulties in  comprehending
reviewers’  comments.    However, we are not sure whether it  is
academically proper and  ethical for you to use your student to vent
dissatisfaction with AEQ negative evaluation of your submission.
Your apology to AEQ  (posted to aforementioned   student’s blog)
will put said matter to rest…

BTW  over  a dozen of Kent State University professors have  published in AEQ
without any difficulties.  See listing under  Ohio  - Kent State University
http://www.rapidintellect.com/AE/8indekg.htm

Sincerely,
Steve Pec, Publisher
Academic Exchange Quarterly (AEQ)
Email:  aequarterly@gmail.com
http://www.rapidintellect.com/AEQweb/
COPY
Ron Corthell, Chair
Ray Craig, Graduate Coordinator