SHOULD YOU REVISE A MANUSCRIPT IF YOU’RE GOING TO SUBMIT ELSEWHERE?

1ST BLOG FROM TAIWAN: This blog is being posted from Taipei. Time-wise, they're a bit ahead of Eastern U.S. time. In fact, it's almost Christmas here. The lights are going up as I type. Haha. After a 27-hr flight, I'm slightly punchy. Anyway, it's blog time. Back to rejection!

TWO TYPES OF REJECTION DECISIONS
If the editor’s decision is: “the manuscript is inappropriate for the journal,” which may occur before the review process, he or she may suggest other journals that are more appropriate. This decision usually occurs very quickly. Over the past 6 months, I’ve received those rejections within 24 hours of submission thanks to the miracle of “electronic rejection.”

If the manuscript is sent out for review, the editor may decide: "rejected without the option to resubmit." In this case, a thoughtful editor or reviewer may also suggest other journals if they find merit in the paper and expect you will revise it.

A VISIT TO TOTAL REJECTION-LAND!
Now what do you do? You have a manuscript that’s been whacked as inappropriate or with buckets of changes to be made.

You have several choices available. Pick one of the following:

A. Send the manuscript to your recycle bin
B. Send out the manuscript to a “more appropriate” journal without any changes
C. Revise the manuscript based on the editor’s and/or reviewers’ feedback and then send it out to another journal
D. Put it on the backburner and refocus on a different manuscript
E. Refill your prescription meds quickly
F. All of the above

Most frequently, I will choose “B” or “C,” depending on the manuscript, and “E.” (A little pharmaceutical humor.) On only one occasion did I elect “D,” to rewrite a manuscript a year later after rejection and do not resubmit. It was finally published.

CONSIDER REVISION
If you can correct the flaws that one set of reviewers found, you’ll be one up on the next band of reviewers from the next journal. Unless the comments were totally inappropriate or unfounded, think about them carefully and decide which ones suggest the need for legitimate changes. Then make them.

If you don’t try to improve the quality of your manuscript before submitting elsewhere, you may end up with many of the same criticisms and rejection again. You’re back at square one. You haven’t progressed and the manuscript is still inadequate for publication. Use all of the FREE feedback you get from editors and reviewers. Their comments on the quality of your work will improve your writing and the meaningfulness of your contributions.

COPYRIGHT © 2010 Ronald A. Berk, LLC