Timing Is Everything: How I Learned to Avoid Bench Rejection and Choose the Right Journal

When I first started submitting my research, I thought the hard part was writing the manuscript. I’d finish my draft, do a quick proofread, and send it off to the highest-impact journal I could think of. A few days later, the email would arrive—short, polite, and crushing: “Thank you for your submission, but we regret to inform you…”

It didn’t take long for me to realize I was stuck in what I call the “submit and reject” cycle. I’d send to one journal, wait for the inevitable bench rejection, reformat the manuscript for the next target, send it off, and repeat the process. Each time, I was losing not just time but also energy and confidence. It felt like my research was just bouncing around in a closed loop.

The turning point came when I decided to slow down and treat journal selection as seriously as I treated the science itself. Instead of rushing to submit, I started by scouting journals early—sometimes before I had even finished polishing the manuscript. I’d read their aims and scope carefully, browse through their most recent publications, and see if my work naturally fit alongside them. I also paid attention to who was on the editorial board. If none of their research areas came close to mine, I knew the match would be weak no matter how strong the paper was.

Timing turned out to be just as important as targeting. I noticed that submitting around major holidays or during big conferences often meant my paper would sit in limbo for weeks. Now, I aim for early in the week when the editorial flow is fresh. And if I see a call for papers or a thematic issue in my field, I jump on it, editors in those moments are actively looking for relevant work, and that changes the dynamic. I also started using tools I had previously ignored. Apps like Elsevier Journal Finder, Springer Nature Journal Suggester let me input my abstract and keywords to get a list of journals that actually fit my topic. They’re not perfect, but they dramatically cut down on mismatches.

Over time, I built a submission strategy that feels almost like a relay race. I keep a primary list of three journals in order of prestige and fit, and a secondary list of two or three reputable, well-scoped journals with faster decision times. If the first one rejects, I resubmit within 48 hours to the next on my list. This way, my manuscript is always moving forward rather than gathering dust on my hard drive.

Looking back, the biggest shift was understanding that publishing is not just about having solid science—it’s about getting that science into the right hands at the right time. Scope comes before prestige. Timing matters. Backup plans keep you sane. And the less time you spend bouncing between rejections, the more time you can spend doing what you actually set out to do: the research itself.

📌 My Streamlined Journal Submission Process

• Start journal scouting early – Research journals’ aims, scope, and recent publications before finalizing the manuscript.

• Check the editorial board – Look for editors with relevant expertise to increase the odds of interest.

• Assess scope before prestige – A perfect fit in a mid-tier journal often beats a mismatch in a high-impact one.

• Watch submission timing – Avoid major holidays, big conference periods, and late-week submissions.

• Monitor calls for papers – Special issues and thematic collections increase acceptance chances.

• Use journal matching tools – Try Elsevier Journal Finder, Springer Nature Journal Suggester, Jane Biosemantics, or Wiley’s Journal Finder.

You can create two journal lists

• Here an example:

  • Primary list: 3 journals in order of prestige and fit.

  • Secondary list: 2–3 reputable journals with faster decision times.

• Resubmit quickly after rejection – Aim to submit to the next journal within 48 hours to maintain momentum.

• Keep formatting adaptable – Prepare your manuscript so it can be easily adjusted for different journal guidelines.

• Track outcomes – Keep a simple spreadsheet of submissions, decisions, and timelines for future strategy refinement.