While there exists an extensive body of literature on Early Career Researchers (ECRs), there has been a notable lack of focus on the hurdles encountered by ECRs in social sciences at local universities when it comes to academic publishing. This study addresses this gap by conducting in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 15 Chinese university academics to explore the hindering factors affecting ECRs' scholarly publishing in CSSCI-indexed journals. The research is grounded in the conceptual frameworks of the halo effect and academic socialization. The findings reveal a myriad of hindering factors operating at different levels, including macro-level factors such as the dilemma of growing demand and shrinking supply in CSSCI-listed journals, the halo effect's impact on journal gatekeeping, and the insufficiency of constructive review feedback. Meso-level factors encompass the lack of academic mentorship and support, and the burden of teaching and administrative responsibilities. Micro-level factors involve inadequate speculative research skills, unfamiliarity with journal norms, diminishing confidence in research endeavors, and a shift in academic identity. To address these problems, academia, institutions, policymakers as well as academics need to take collective efforts to foster an environment that supports the growth and success of young social science researchers at local Chinese universities.