Q: If I pay the additional printing costs, would a longer paper be accepted?

Firstly, it’s interesting that you are submitting to a peer-reviewed journal for the first time. Perhaps, before this, you have submitted at the university level or at conferences. Also, it’s interesting that you seem to be submitting to a purely print journal, though of course, it could also have an online version.

Anyway, coming to your query, it’s not clear if you need to pay the printing costs now (during submission) or later (if/when your paper is accepted). It should be later, but you should probably check the author guidelines again. If they insist on you paying now, you should probably proceed with caution, as this may be a predatory/bogus journal.

To answer your query, there is no guarantee that if you pay the printing costs (whether now or later) that your paper will be accepted. Acceptance depends on several factors, such as a match with the journal’s scope, the novelty of your research, and the quality of your paper/writing. Some of this is decided by the journal editor/s (internally), but the main parts (novelty and quality) are determined during the peer review (externally), if the editor decides to send your paper for peer review.

Here is what we suggest, based on the information you have provided (such as your willingness to pay an extra amount for acceptance) and without necessarily promoting our services too much. If it works for you, and especially as you are close to finishing the manuscript from our side, it may help to have your manuscript reviewed/edited by a service such as ours. We have various types and levels of service, all of which are aimed to help increase your chances of acceptance. You can evaluate if the cost of a service you are interested in is about the same as the extra cost you are willing to pay for the printing, and make a judicious choice. You may look at our various services here: Editage Editing Services

As you are submitting to a peer-reviewed journal for the first time, here are a few relevant resources that you may refer to:

• A journal editor's insight into what happens post manuscript submission
• Most common reasons for journal rejection
• Tips to avoid journal rejection [Free e-book for researchers]

Hope that helps. All the best for your (first) submission!