Q: How long should I wait for the status to change from "Editor invited" to "With editor"?

Ideally, once a paper is submitted, it goes through an admin check by editorial assistants before it is assigned to an editor. Usually, a paper is assigned to an editor within a week or two after initial submission. However, some journals take longer to assign an editor.

This could be due to different reasons. Some journals have special screening editors who conduct the initial screening before the paper is assigned to an editor. This could be a possible reason for the delay. Another reason could be that the editor who is the subject area expert for your paper is already loaded with a lot of submissions, and therefore cannot accept the invitation to be the Associate Editor (AE) for your paper at the moment.

However, since it has been a month, you can write a polite inquiry to the journal asking when the status is expected to change to "With editor."

Related reading:

• How long does the status remain "With Editor" after initial submission?
• Why does the status date change while the status remains 'With Editor'?