Before you resubmit that paper

In our previous blog, we discussed why does a manuscript get rejected by journals. It is part of the publication process and we all go through such experience at least once. Many researchers have faced initial rejections for their manuscripts; however, they did not give up, they eventually found the right journal and communicated their impactful research to the world. They demonstrated qualities such as persistence, resilience, and a willingness to learn from rejection which are crucial traits for successful publication.

Once you decide to publish the work after the initial rejection, the next step is to revise and resubmit the manuscript to another journal. Let’s go through some key steps and elements that one should keep in mind before resubmitting.

1. Chose the next journal wisely: You desperately want this manuscript to be published, however, while selecting the next best journal, make sure you don’t fall prey to the predatory journals and end up paying hefty amount which could have funded your research. As we discussed in our blog – “Why was my article/manuscript rejected?” some journals may recommend submitting to their sister journals. You can check if that is what will help your publication and if the outreach of the suggested journal meets your expectations.

2. Pre-submission queries: So, now that you have shortlisted the potential journals where you see your manuscript being published, it could a wise approach to reach out to the journal editor. Check with them if they are willing to consider your manuscript and if they have any prerequisites. There is a catch to this approach, some of the journals do not entertain pre-submission queries while some journals take ages to respond back to your queries. Patience and diligent follow-ups might be needed in certain cases.

3. Work on the cause of rejection: Read the feedback and comments from previous journal carefully and try to understand the real cause why your manuscript was rejected. If you feel addressing them before resubmitting to another journal will increase chances of acceptance or positive response, go ahead and address them. Revise the manuscript to eliminate the basic reasons so the reviewers from the next journal do not come back with same set of comments. There are some quick picks while some may require extensive work. Some may need you to redo the study or data analysis while some may require to present your data in more compelling manner.

4. Revise as per the new guidelines: When you change a journal, make sure you have formatted and shaped the manuscript as per their guidelines. You don’t want any unnecessary e-mail or round of review just because you haven’t formatted properly. You may have read those guidelines previously, however, it’s important to refer to them before you submit. Make sure that the tables, figures, and even the cover letter is updated as per the journal requirements.

5. Quality checks: Make sure to have the peer reviews and quality checks done before you submit the manuscript. Some basic steps like checking for abbreviations and references post revision becomes critical. While making the revisions, it is all likelihood that some changes that need to be incorporated at all other relevant places are missed or if any new abbreviations are introduced or some of the reference becomes obsolete. These checks will ensure that the submission is good to go and will not be questioned or commented for these obvious points.

Rejections are common in academia. Continue submitting your work to other journals and keep refining your research and writing skills. Use the opportunity to revise and resubmit as an experience to learn and grow as a writer.