What criteria to use when evaluating an invitation to be an editor from a legitimate publisher? Some academics receive invitations to join editorial boards or to act as a managing editor for a book or journal special issue frequently. Most of these invitations are spam, and many come from Beall's list publishers. When they come from legitimate publishers, however, what are your criteria for whether to accept? So far, I have:


Is it a journal I'd publish in myself?
Is it a book that I'd buy myself?
Do I have time?
Is it a topic I'm passionate about?
Have they committed to a print run (vs. eBooks only, which to me suggests a lack of commitment on the part of the publisher)?


Is there anything else that you consider?
I'd be wary of requests to join the editorial board of a journal that you must ask these questions. In many (legit) cases, one is asked to join the editorial board after having established a relationship with the journal. Two of my colleagues, after having been asked, remarked 'well, I'm already reviewing for them 3 times a month so why not make it official?'  If you haven't reviewed for, or published in that journal, it may not be worth your while.