Most of what makes a first submission daunting is not knowing what happens — the stages, the timescales, what the decisions mean.
None of that is difficult. It is simply unfamiliar, and it is entirely learnable in advance.
Before writing
- Agree authorship and order with everyone involved.
- Decide the target venue, since it affects length and framing.
- Read five papers from that venue.
- Read the author guidelines.
- Agree who drafts and who comments.
Writing
- Start with methods and results — easiest, since you did the work.
- Then the discussion.
- Introduction and abstract last, when you know what the paper says.
- Expect several drafts; this is normal.
- Get feedback on structure before polishing sentences.
Before submitting
- All authors have approved the final version.
- Guidelines followed exactly.
- Every reference verified.
- Declarations completed — funding, conflicts, ethics.
- A short cover letter stating what the paper contributes.
What happens next
- Administrative check, then editorial screening — days to weeks.
- Reviewer invitation, often the longest and most variable stage.
- Review, then decision.
- Months in total is normal, and long silence usually reflects reviewer-finding rather than anything about your paper.
The decision
- Accept as is — rare on a first submission.
- Minor revision — a good outcome.
- Major revision — also a good outcome; substantial work follows.
- Reject — this venue, this version. Most papers are rejected somewhere.
- Nearly every researcher's first paper was rejected at least once.
Handling the reviews
- Read once, wait a day.
- Sharp phrasing does not make a point wrong.
- Address every comment, including those you reject.
- Say where each change was made.
- Discuss the major points with co-authors before responding.
One thing worth remembering
A rejection means this venue, this version.
It is the normal experience of nearly everyone publishing research, and treating it as a verdict on the work — or on yourself — is the one response that reliably makes things worse.
Câu hỏi thường gặp
What should be done before writing?
Agree authorship and order, decide the target venue since it affects length and framing, read five papers from it, read the author guidelines, and agree who drafts and comments.
In what order should a paper be written?
Methods and results first as the easiest since you did the work, then discussion, with introduction and abstract last when you know what the paper says.
What happens after submission?
Administrative check and editorial screening in days to weeks, reviewer invitation which is longest and most variable, then review and decision — months in total is normal.
What do the decisions mean?
Accept as is is rare, minor revision is a good outcome, major revision is also good with substantial work following, and reject means this venue and this version.
How should rejection be understood?
As meaning this venue and this version — it is the normal experience of nearly everyone, and treating it as a verdict reliably makes things worse.
