Q: Should I send a mail to the editor for a prolonged 'Awaiting Reviewer Assignment' status after minor revision?

Detailed Question -

Hi. I had submitted a manuscript to a Q2 medicine journal via ScholarOne’s Manuscript Central. 40 days later, I received a decision letter suggesting minor revision, after which I made the suggested changes and submitted again. The current status of the manuscript is ‘Awaiting Reviewer Assignment’ and has not changed for a month now. Should I be worried? And should I send a polite mail to the editor to ‘nudge’ him/her? I am a little bit worried that this nudge would annoy the editor and cause unwanted consequences. Thank you.

1 Answer to this question
Answer:

Hello Joyce – Welcome to the forum! First up, a suggestion for minor revision is a good one, as that means your manuscript has a pretty good chance of acceptance. However, the subsequent delay is no doubt troubling. So, let’s set your doubts at rest. :-)

Firstly, the status may not have changed for a month because either the Associate Editor (AE) or the peer reviewer(s) (or both) have not been available or are busy with other activities. A month is a long time for this situation, but it can happen.

Then, it’s quite fine to write to the editor seeking an update on the manuscript. As it is a minor revision, you have reason to be hopeful and would understandably wish to know the final outcome soon. So, go ahead and write to them. You needn’t worry about ‘causing unwanted consequences.’ Editors are quite used to receiving mails from authors, and it’s part of their responsibility to respond to them. In case you need any help with email templates, you may refer to this handbook: A practical handbook of templates for communicating with the journal

And for more information on journal delays and decisions, you may refer to the following resources:

Hope that helps. And hope you hear from them soon – especially positively. :-)

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