I published an academic paper—I won't go into details or specify the journal it appeared in, as countless academic journals allow publication, whether paid or not. Academia says that paying to publish in some journals is more of an insult to your academic work than an achievement. Some journals charge nominal fees for Open Access inclusion, while others demand exorbitant fees because they are leading journals that don't accept just any work. When they do, you have to pay (which sounds ridiculous). Then others will publish anything you write as long as you pay; it doesn't really matter because they don't read it (in any case, with artificial intelligence now, even those who do read won't read anymore).

And then there are academic journals affiliated with universities, which are usually free, but you need to have a good relationship with someone there, or they actually need to publish. In any case, none of that matters... The publishing process is a story with fantastical and sometimes frightening dimensions. Sometimes I wonder how things will change later as artificial intelligence advances. But we all need to be aware of something important: many things that may seem necessary or noble have disturbing commercial aspects. Unfortunately, that's the case.

But my point here isn't about that, because it's something you learn when you try to publish your first academic paper. It's about the strange thing that happens after you publish your first academic paper... A few days after publishing your first academic paper—and I mean not a long time, just a day or two—you'll receive an email from a publishing house offering to turn your paper into a book!

Doesn't that sound amazing?

The first thought that will flash through your mind is... Am I a genius?! Did I truly discover a new concept, or was my research so important and insightful that they want me to turn it into a book? Will I become famous or a prominent scholar?

But some questions will start swirling in your mind. In a world full of researchers and important topics, how could my topic and research paper, published just yesterday, garner so much attention so quickly? Did they actually read my twenty-page paper or more? Or perhaps they used artificial intelligence to determine the importance of my research and my own significance? (I expect this is what will happen in the future; artificial intelligence will decide if you have what it takes to be a researcher, if this profession even survives...!!) And while you're hesitating, another question pops into your head: Why me? Meanwhile, your supervisor, a professor, might not have received a similar email, even though he's your writing partner. You begin your research and, after a period of investigation, setting aside your pride and illusions, you discover that this publishing house preys on people like you (junior researchers) eager to finish or have finished their PhDs, enticing you to write a research book. This ends with you drained of money and losing both your funds and your academic reputation!

Why? Because the professional academic community knows about this publishing house!

You feel genuine disappointment when you realize you're just another person writing things that probably no one will read. Your pride softens slightly, and you receive another email from the same publisher, trying to provoke you with questions like whether you own the rights and other such matters, but no one discusses any real details!

You decide to ignore the email!

Then you receive another email from a different publishing house! And the dreams and illusions return... No... No... No... It really seems I've written something important. Another publishing house tells you they've read your research paper and are very impressed with it...

And you feel happy... I'm famous... They're clamoring for me... My topic is important...

When they tell you that because you're so brilliant and your research is outstanding, they're ready to publish any other research you do in this month's issue. They are eagerly awaiting your new paper because you're so amazing... for $100!!

And you feel disappointed...!!

The funny thing is, they try to convince you that they usually get 200 dollars, but for you, 100 dollars is enough because you're a brilliant researcher...!!

And what's worse is that the journal itself (this publishing house) has absolutely no connection to your field of research!!! Sadly, the academic field has become a place driven by money, points, and other factors. It is even sadder that you work hard to get an academic degree only to find yourself surrounded by people who try to exploit you or see you as someone who can be deceived. It is a disregard for your mind before it is an attempt to steal from you. We all want to grow up to be people who can change the world. We want to help understand the world or explain it to others. Not all sciences may seem equally important when compared to each other. In contrast, artificial intelligence may seem frightening and threaten everyone with elimination, but what is most important is knowing that you are trying to help make the world a better place. You want to accomplish something that many cannot or do not dare to accomplish. It is enough for you to be proud that you have reached this point.