Q: Why is my manuscript still "Under consideration" even though it has already been 19 days?

In the case of a desk rejection, authors are notified within the first few days. It appears that your manuscript might have passed the initial screening for basic requirements by the handling editor. Perhaps, the subject editor assigned requires more time for assessing the manuscript. If the manuscript status has been showing “under consideration” for a long time, there are a couple of possibilities: reviewers might be getting shortlisted, reviewers may not have been invited yet, or invited reviewers may not have accepted the invitation.

You might also want to check what the different statuses displayed by the journal are, e.g., does it specify “peer reviewer assigned,” “peer review complete,” etc., as separate steps? The following resource provides insights into manuscript status tracking: Tracking your manuscript status in journal submission systems

Further, please note that the manuscript status might not always be updated instantly. Glitches in the system at the journal’s end could be another possibility. We would recommend waiting for about a week or two. If there is no change after that, you could politely inquire via email about the status, mentioning your concerns about no change in the status.

Related resources:

• Keep calm and wait: A guide to understanding journal statuses [Handbook]
• What does the status “under consideration” mean?
• How do I write an inquiry to the editor about a delay in the decision on a revised manuscript?

Hope this helps. All the best for your submission!