Q: Should I withdraw my manuscript if the journal editor recommends it to be submitted as Letter to Editor?

The decision letter sent by the journal should mention the process for submitting as a Letter to Editor. Most journals require the authors to approve on the submission system if they are interested to submit the manuscript as a Letter to Editor. Once you visit the submission system, you should be prompted to agree to revise your submission. In this case, you do not have to withdraw the manuscript. Your manuscript will be placed in the submission system under ‘Submissions Requiring Revision’.

It is advisable to refer to the journal guidelines for submission of a ‘Letter to Editor’. Most journals require drastic reduction in the word count, figures and tables in the manuscript. Therefore, you must evaluate the advantages and disadvantages before submission.

Please note that the editorial decision is final with respect to the type of article that the journal is willing to consider. This is based on several factors such as the priority of the theme of the manuscript, the depth of analysis of results, the novelty and rationale of the study etc., which should be in line with the requirements of the journal readership. Hence, after careful consideration, the editors decide as to the type of article that they can accept.

Related reading:

• Should letters to the editor be checked for factual accuracy before publication?
• 6 Article types that journals publish: A guide for early career researchers
• How to communicate with the journal editor