Q: Should I withdraw my manuscript if the journal editor recommends it to be submitted as Letter to Editor?

Detailed Question -

I submitted my manuscript as original article in a medical journal. After peer review, editor asked me to make major revisions and also said that I should revise manuscript in format of Letter to Editor. Should I withdraw my manuscript? He said that he could not accept manuscript as original article, however he could consider publication as Letter to Editor based on my response to reviewers.

2 Answers to this question
Answer:

The decision letter sent by the journal should mention the process for submitting as a Letter to Editor. Most journals require the authors to approve on the submission system if they are interested to submit the manuscript as a Letter to Editor. Once you visit the submission system, you should be prompted to agree to revise your submission. In this case, you do not have to withdraw the manuscript. Your manuscript will be placed in the submission system under ‘Submissions Requiring Revision’.

 

It is advisable to refer to the journal guidelines for submission of a ‘Letter to Editor’. Most journals require drastic reduction in the word count, figures and tables in the manuscript. Therefore, you must evaluate the advantages and disadvantages before submission.

 

Please note that the editorial decision is final with respect to the type of article that the journal is willing to consider. This is based on several factors such as the priority of the theme of the manuscript, the depth of analysis of results, the novelty and rationale of the study etc., which should be in line with the requirements of the journal readership. Hence, after careful consideration, the editors decide as to the type of article that they can accept.

 

Related reading:

Answer: Hello researcher,I faced similar situation with a journal. For my manuscript, one reviewer provided positive review but another reviewer provided strong negative review. I was asked for revision and I meticulously revised it. After few days, the editor requested me to submit the article as 'concise communication' or 'letter to editor'. I think, for my manuscript, the second reviewer provided still negative feedback for revised manuscript. To honor the feedback of the reviewer, the editor might be unable to accept the manuscript as original article. 'Letter to editor' may be decided at the level of editor. I eventually converted it according to editor's request and it was accepted immediately.