As most of our readers know, I began my tenure as Editor in Chief of CRANIO at the beginning of 2022, having been hand-picked by Dr. Riley Lunn, founder and Editor in Chief from 1982-2021, to be his successor.
When Riley called and offered me the position, I agreed to consider the offer and flew from my home in Highland Park, IL (near Chicago) to CRANIO’s editorial offices in Chattanooga, TN to see the day-to-day operation of the Journal and decide whether I wanted to take the helm. After being wined and dined for 3 days and talking with Dr. Lunn and Donna Knauss, Managing Editor, I eagerly agreed to become CRANIO’s next Editor in Chief, with one caveat: I would only accept the position if Donna remained the Managing Editor. We had a good rapport, but equally as important, I knew from experience how dedicated Donna was to her job. I had worked with her as a reviewer, and prior to that, she had been an enormous help with a White Paper I had written. She [correctly] insisted I include references for many of the claims I had made, but when I added them, the rest of my references got messed up. I didn’t know how to fix the problem in the limited time I had and was rather distraught, but Donna graciously stepped in and fixed all the references for me.
In late January 2022, I purchased a new computer and printer and began working remotely on CRANIO with Donna. As we were gearing up for this new chapter in our lives, we received our contracts from the publisher, Taylor & Francis (T&F). They had previously indicated that, because CRANIO was not performing optimally, they would be reducing the fairly generous annual stipend they had been providing the Editor in Chief. We were not prepared, however, for how much they were reducing it. The stipend they were offering was considerably less than years previously, barely covering Donna’s salary (which was quite low) and the statistician’s yearly fees. This meant I would basically be working for free. Because Donna was now an independent contractor, she learned she would be paying astronomical taxes. And yet, because of our commitment to the journal, each other, and Dr. Lunn, we each signed our individual contracts for one year, ending December 312,022.
In early March, 2022, Donna flew up to Chicago to teach me the ropes of being CRANIO’s Editor in Chief. We worked out the logistics of our remote working relationship, which has gone very smoothly, thanks to her immense knowledge and guidance. We made a great team.
The publisher further told us they will reduce our stipend much more for the year 2023, leaving Donna no choice but to leave the job to which she has been dedicated for 13 years for more lucrative employment. I have been trying all year, unsuccessfully, to work with T&F in an effort to offer organizations, such as American Academy of Craniofacial Pain (AACP), the American Equilibration Society (AES), International College of Craniomandibular Orthopedics (ICCMO) among others, reduced subscription rates for their members. I have also provided links to CRANIO articles in social media to draw more attention to the Journal. We have provided the publisher with high quality manuscripts, editorials, and book reviews, never missing a deadline. We have done our part. I had hoped these efforts would be enough for T&F to change their minds and increase our stipend. But, alas, in spite of a 28% increase in usage (article downloads) from the 3rd quarter of 2021 to the same quarter in 2022, they were not swayed.
T&F will be turning over “most of” Donna’s responsibilities to their staff in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. They do not have anyone to take over the administrative work Donna did with the Alliance News listings, the Calendar, or the H. Clifton Simmons III, DDS Award for Excellence in Articles Published. Therefore, much to my dismay, as of the March 2023 issue, we will no longer be able to include these things in the Journal since I will have no administrative help.
I am determined, nonetheless, to continue the work Riley started, to provide cutting-edge scientific information to as many TMD, craniofacial pain, orthodontic, chiropractic, airway, sleep professionals, and others, as possible.
I am so grateful for Donna’s help this past year. I have loved the time I spent working with her and will miss our regular interactions immensely, though she will forever remain a friend. I absolutely could not have performed my job as CRANIO’s Editor in Chief during my first year in this role without her steady hand guiding me.