Q: How do I enquire with the editor about the delay in the proof?

Firstly, congrats on your manuscript being accepted! No doubt you put a lot of effort into it, and it is being rewarded.

Now, a timeline of a month for receiving the proof is quite the norm (as you can also read in this other query). Editors have to balance the work on accepted manuscripts with that on submitted and in-review/reviewed manuscripts. On your part, you could also check the different dates on recently published articles on the journal site to assess the time taken for the proof. If you don’t receive the proof in another week or so, you could then write to the editor asking about it. When doing so, you could also express your eagerness in seeing (and then sharing) your published article. The editor will surely understand your eagerness and respond satisfactorily to your query.

While you wait for the proof to arrive, you could be proactive and prepare for the proofing stage, to ensure there is no error in the final article. This is because, as you would well know, no change is usually allowed in a published article. You may refer to the following resources to prepare yourself for the proofing:

• What is the minimum number of comments to be included while proofing my paper?
• Can I replace an image at the proofing stage before publication?
• Can I make corrections in my research paper's figure during the galley proofs?

Again, congrats on your paper! And here’s to more such wins in the future!