We propose the use of spectral phase conjugation to compensate for dispersion of all orders, self-phase modulation, and self-steepening of an optical pulse in a fiber. Although this method cannot compensate for loss and intrapulse Raman scattering, it is superior to the previously suggested midway temporal phase conjugation method if high-order dispersion is a main source of distortion. The reshaping performance of our proposed scheme and a combined temporal and spectral phase conjugation scheme in the presence of uncompensated effects is studied numerically. (C) 2003 Optical Society of America.