By Leslie H. Nicoll, PhD, MBA, RN, FAAN
Camp Director, Writer’s Camp

When I introduced Writer’s Camp to Nursology readers in May 2025, I had a clear idea of what I wanted: a place where nurses and nursologists could learn the work of writing, reviewing, editing, and publishing without feeling that they had to know all the rules before they came in. I also wanted it to be useful and enjoyable. A camp ought to have room for questions, good company, and the occasional laugh.

Since then, a lot has happened at camp. I hope you’ll allow me a little bragging.

For the author with a first manuscript

Perhaps you have a project, a practice insight, a theory question, or a dissertation chapter that deserves a wider audience. Where do you begin? Manuscript Success walks through the publishing process, from choosing an idea and a journal to preparing a manuscript and responding to reviewers. It is practical guidance, offered in manageable pieces. The 11-article series received a 2026 APEX Grand Award for Publication Excellence in the Writing Series category. I’m proud of that recognition, especially because the series was made for people who may be taking their first steps into scholarly publication.

The Nursing Journals Directory can help you explore possible homes for your work. And the articles in The Writer’s Camp Journal offer guidance on the decisions authors face along the way. In addition, we have a roster of Editorial Consultants who are available to support you, if you need a little more help to get the job done.

For the author who has been around the trail

Experience brings different questions. How do you work well with coauthors? What feedback should you accept, challenge, or set aside? How do you make a paper stronger without sanding off the idea that made it worth writing? Our Counselors—experienced authors, editors, educators, and scholars—take up questions like these in articles, conversations, and Trail Packs. A Trail Pack brings together published work, a new essay, and other media so readers can see how a scholarly idea travels and develops.

The Writer’s Camp Journal is a quarterly, open-access publication with articles appearing throughout the year. It welcomes contributions from authors who share our educational mission. That includes established scholars with hard-earned lessons to pass on and emerging scholars with fresh questions to ask. If you have an idea for an article for the Writer’s Camp Journal, please reach out. I always welcome new authors!

For peer reviewers and editors

Good peer review takes more than a willingness to say yes to an invitation. Our 14-article Summer of Peer Review examines what reviewers actually do and the judgments they make. The self-paced Qualified Peer Reviewer credential adds a knowledge assessment and an authentic review practicum evaluated by a Writer’s Camp Counselor. It gives people a way to learn the work and demonstrate their competence.

Editors have their own questions, many of which arise in the middle of a busy workday. The Working Guide to Editorial Systems begins with those real questions: How should I recruit reviewers? What authority do I have? When should a manuscript be rejected without review? Experienced editors offer concise, decision-focused guidance. Article introductions are open to everyone; full entries are available by subscription.

We have also built an editorial education pathway: learn to review through the credential; learn how editing works in Foundations of Editorial Practice; and learn to lead in Journal Systems & Governance. The ten live Foundations sessions run from September through December 2026 and can be taken as a complete course or individually. Journal Systems & Governance follows in January 2027. These are choices for different points in a career, not a sequence of prerequisites.

Come sit by the campfire

Our monthly CAMPOREES bring people together for conversations about scholarship, publishing, and the profession; recordings live in the CAMPOREE Theater. Some Writer’s Camp resources are free and open access, while courses, credentials, and the full Working Guide have fees. You can start by reading an article and following your curiosity.

Nursology and Writer’s Camp share a conviction that nursing knowledge matters and deserves to be developed, examined, and communicated well. Whether you are drafting your first article, helping a colleague find a stronger argument, reviewing a manuscript, or making decisions for a journal, there is room for you at Writer’s Camp. Bring your questions. We’ll put the coffee on. And our camp dog, Verb, is here to support you with his favorite motto: Hot keyboard. Cold water. Ready to Rumblewrite.