Q: Is it okay to send the EiC a draft of my paper during pre-submission inquiry?

Detailed Question -

I wrote a pre-submission inquiry and the Editor-in-Chief replied as follows: "Can you send me a draft to take a look at?" You always recommend not to send the manuscript in a pre-submission inquiry. What do you think about sending him a draft? Is it a risk?Note: the journal is "Pharmacoeconomics."

1 Answer to this question
Answer:

I find it strange that the editor would ask for a draft of the paper during the pre-submission inquiry. Reputable journals would never do that. It's the norm of the academic publishing industry to not send/ask for the entire manuscript during pre-submission inquiry. The purpose behind pre-submission inquiries is that the editor would not have to spend time going through the entire manuscript. Sending a draft of the manuscript would defeat that purpose.

I don't think you should send a draft of your paper to the editor. If the journal turns out to be a predatory one, it would be a great risk. I would suggest you check the journal website carefully and confirm that it is not a predatory journal before you continue your interaction with them.

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Think Check Submit- The checklist that helps you choose a reliable journal