Image Enhancement

Pennsylvania CPA Journal Gains Increased Exposure through Reprints

Pennsylvania CPAs are the intended audience for the stories that appear in the Pennsylvania CPA Journal, but it has become increasingly clear that they are not the only people who are benefiting from the information found in the articles published in PICPA’s flagship publication. Through reprints of Pennsylvania CPA Journal material, individuals from several accounting societies, universities, and organizations across the country are experiencing the value of the contributions of PICPA members.

Since May 1, 2006, Pennsylvania CPA Journal has granted 62 reprint permission requests. This is an increase of 16 reprint permissions from last year, a previous high. What is even more amazing is that the 2006-2007 Pennsylvania CPA Journal four-issue cycle does not end until April 30, 2007. In other words, with a month left to receive reprint permission requests, that number should become even higher.

The Pennsylvania CPA Journal has always attracted a sizeable amount of reprint requests, but two factors played a major role in increasing that number over the past two years. First, J. Stephen McNally, chair of the Editorial Board, made one of his major objectives to “proactively pursue an increased amount of reprints by other media outlets.” As a result, PICPA established several new procedures, one of which required all features published in the Pennsylvania CPA Journal to be distributed to major local and national outlets for possible reprinting. This practice has led to high-profile placements in AccountingWeb, Accounting Today, and the AICPA Web site.

The second factor for the rise in Pennsylvania CPA Journal exposure was a step taken by another state society. In 2004, the Massachusetts Society of CPAs proposed the establishment of a database for the sharing of stories among the numerous, state-based CPA societies. Upon the completion of each issue, PICPA submits its pieces to the Massachusetts database. Once the stories are posted, all societies have the ability to peruse the articles and, if they find something suitable, contact the appropriate society for permission to reprint. As a result of this database, the Pennsylvania CPA Journal has become a resource for CPAs across the country. For example, PICPA authorized a total of 26 reprints among nine different state societies in 2006-2007.

National publications and fellow state societies are not the only groups who come to PICPA in search of reprints. Frequently, an author’s employer will seek out permission to reprint their employee’s work, since publication in the Pennsylvania CPA Journal is regarded as a sign of expertise. Colleges and universities also reprint stories as teaching aids in the classroom. PICPA has even granted reprint permission to book companies, which insert articles straight into the textbook.

At each Pennsylvania CPA Journal annual Editorial Board meeting, an informal contest is held to determine the most reprinted article for that particular year. Last year’s winner was “Hard Climb is Done, But Trek Continues: Sarbanes-Oxley in Year Two and Beyond.” The piece, which was written by Pennsylvania CPA Journal Editorial Board members J. Stephen McNally and David D. Wagaman, was reprinted by five different organizations. While there are several leaders this year, we still have a month left, and, if recent trends continue, a sizeable amount of requests to fulfill.

If you would like to share your expertise by writing for the Pennsylvania CPA Journal, contact the managing editor at whayes@picpa.org. For more information on guidelines and requirements, visit www.picpa.org/journal.