Q: Shall I contact the editor for an update? My manuscript status has remained “Required Reviews Completed” for almost 1.5 months.
I submitted my manuscript to Elsevier mid-May and the required reviews got completed by mid-August. However, there is no update on my manuscript even after 1.5 months. Shall I go ahead and ask the editor for an update? If yes, then what shall I say politely?
I understand your concern; awaiting decision on your manuscript can be a diifficult, especially if you have a publication timeline. That said, several journal take 3 to even 6 months to reach a decision about a manuscript. Some journals mention the average decision time, so you can the journal website to see if they mention a timeframe. I would suggest waiting for a few weeks more given the average timeframe of many journals, and if you do not receive a response even then, you can send the journal an email addressed to the Editor-in-Chief inquiring about the status of your manuscript.
I wish you success with the publication of your manuscript.