Here are the top 10 reasons for rejection (based on peer-reviewed studies1,2 and journal recommendations3). While 3 of the top 10 reasons concern aspects that you need to tackle at the research stage itself (research question, study design, and sample size), 7 of these reasons can be eliminated with support from Editage’s publication experts.

Reference:
(1) Ehara and Takahashi (2007). Reasons for Rejection of Manuscripts Submitted to AJR by International Authors. American Journal of Roentgenology, 188: W113-W116.
(2) Pierson (2004).The Top 10 Reasons Why Manuscripts Are Not Accepted for Publication. Respiratory Care, 49(10): 1246–1252.
(3) McCann. Common Reasons for Rejection. Journal of Materials Chemistry, Author Guidelines.