Presubmission Inquiries: Problematic, Counterproductive, and Unnecessary

Excerpt

Academic publishing places many pressures on editors. Those pressures continue to mount, with one result being that this journal’s Editor now routinely declines presubmission inquires and asks authors to formally submit their manuscripts for proper evaluation. This editorial explains why the Editor discourages preliminary inquiries and why they are problematic, counterproductive and unnecessary. To assist authors, this editorial also highlights factors that lead to “desk rejects” and suggests that authors consider them as they seek review. The highlighted factors reveal potential pivot points in editorial decisions that, together, suggest the need for authors to use presubmission inquiries carefully and sparingly. …