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Communicating with the journal editor1
One of the most common queries among authors is probably how to write an email to a journal editor? And it’s a valid query! During the manuscript submission process, authors usually communicate with in-house editors and reviewers who would first review the manuscript and return it to the author for revisions. The journal editor may see only the final version just before publication. However, a few important instances warrant direct communication with the journal editor, which then require you to know how to write an email to a journal editor; some of these are as follows:
- You need to submit a new version of your research paper with a few revisions (including changes in authorship) after already submitting the final edited and reviewed paper. This is an important subject because revisions aren’t usually approved after final acceptance.
- Your manuscript appears to be stuck in one stage of the review process for an unusually long time.
- You need to appeal an editor or reviewer’s decision regarding any aspect of your manuscript.
- You have concerns about the peer review process.
In this article, we focus on one such instance, that is, how to write an email to a journal editor when you need to submit a new version of your manuscript. Accepting revisions at this stage is generally frowned upon by journals; therefore, authors may be unsure of how to convincingly communicate with journal editors. We share a few tips on how to write an email to a journal editor and clearly communicate the issue when submitting a new version of your paper.
Why are submissions of new versions of research papers not encouraged by journals post-acceptance?
Once a manuscript is submitted by authors to a journal, the editorial review process commences with the team of editors and reviewers, statisticians, and peer reviewers beginning the editing and review of the manuscript. Timelines for each step are decided after discussion with the internal production team and the authors. Journals receive multiple submissions at a single time so the articles to be published in every issue are planned much in advance. During this editorial review process, the editorial office may contact the authors for any missing or additional information and submit the edited manuscript to the author to review the edits. At this time, the author can make as many revisions as needed and the production will still be on track. Usually, the timelines are so water-tight that there is not much room for delays, which is why after this entire process is completed a new version may not be accepted unless it is requested for by the journal itself.
In some rare instances, after final submission, authors may notice an error in the original submission, which would need to be corrected. In such cases, they would need to write an email to the journal editor explaining the reason for submitting the new version. It is important to note that the addition of any such changes, if accepted by the journal editor, would still need to be reviewed and this could potentially delay the publication. The article may then be planned for publication in another issue.
How to write an email to the journal editor to share an updated version of your work
If you need to write an email to the journal editor, please ensure the overall tone is polite and positive. Understand that a journal editor is very busy and therefore your email should be crisp and precise. Here are a few tips to keep in mind while writing an email to a journal editor regarding submission of a revised manuscript.
- Check the journal guidelines to see if they have any specifications regarding resubmissions. If they do, then these should be followed strictly.
- Follow email or letter format: Listed below are a few aspects that you should consider when figuring out how to write an email to a journal editor.
- Journal editor’s name: Ensure that the journal editor’s name is correctly mentioned and spelled. The name is usually mentioned in the About the Journal section on the website. It’s always advisable to use the name, but if not available, the letter could be addressed to “The Journal Editor,” or “Editor-in-Chief,” etc.
- Reason for re-submission: In the main part of the letter, make sure to include the title of your manuscript, the manuscript number or the identification number assigned at the time of submission, and the submission date. Briefly state why you need to resubmit the paper and the importance of the revised version. Will not publishing the revised version have any major repercussions? Are there changes in important sections like the Methods or Results? Is it a format change or a content or data change? What is the earliest when you could submit the revised manuscript? These aspects need to be mentioned clearly to help the editor make an informed decision about whether the changes are important enough to halt the publication process, postpone the timelines, and accept the revised manuscript. If the changes don’t appear of enough relevance or importance, the editor may decide to go ahead with publishing the original submission and then release a correction note.
- Closing: The closing of your email should be polite and not condescending. Authors can only request the journal editors to accept the revised manuscript by being as convincing as possible, but the final decision depends solely on the editor’s discretion.
- Use professional language: Irrespective of the context of your email, always use language that is professional, formal, and respectful. Your sentences should be clear and concise and should describe the context appropriately and accurately.
Thus, resubmitting an updated version of your already accepted research paper should only be considered if the revisions will make a substantial difference in the understanding of the study. In such cases, you will know how to write an email to a journal editor by covering the aspects mentioned above.
References
- D’Amore DM. How to successfully communicate with a journal editor. Published September 2021. Accessed December 20, 2022. https://www.letpub.com/How-to-Successfully-Communicate-with-a-Journal-Editor
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