Q: Why is the status of my paper "With editor" with a note saying "Managing Guest Editor"?

Detailed Question -

I have submitted my paper to an Elsevier journal. After a round of revision, the status is "With editor" with a note saying "Managing guest editor."This has lasted for almost two months now. What shall I do next? Shall I write to the editor or wait? Thank you!

1 Answer to this question
Answer:

Larger journals with high submission volumes typically have several Managing Editors (MEs) who report to the Editor-in-chief (EiC). The MEs are usually responsible for assigning Associate Editors (AEs) for the submissions. In your case, the ME is a guest editor. The Elsevier website mentions that guest editors are responsible for special issues. Thus, it is possible that your paper is going to be considered for a special issue of the journal. From the status of your paper, it is clear that it has not yet been assigned to an AE. Ideally, this should not take two months. However, since it has been assigned to a guest editor, there is a possibility that the paper will be handled by the guest editor himself/herself . I think it is best to write to the journal for more clarity.

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