Journal Manuscript Preparation
Your finished paper, formatted and checked against the target journal’s rules before a desk editor sees it.
A surprising share of papers never reach a reviewer. They are returned by the editorial office within days, or declined by the editor after a quick read, for reasons that have little to do with the quality of the research: the wrong article type, an abstract over the word limit, figures in the wrong format, a missing ethics statement, or a paper that sits just outside the journal’s scope. Each of those costs weeks, and a desk rejection sends you back to the start with a different journal.
This service is for scholars whose paper is written and who have a journal in mind, or two or three candidates. We take the finished manuscript and prepare it for that journal: its author guidelines, its reference style, its figure specifications, its declarations, and the cover letter the editor reads first. Then we walk you through the submission system so nothing is lost at the last step.
This service focuses on preparation; the science stays as you wrote it. If the paper still needs structural work on its argument or results, that belongs under research paper writing support, and we will let you know at the start if we think it needs more work before submission.
Scope
What’s included
Each stage stands alone. If you have already chosen and verified your journal, start from formatting; if you only want a final check before pressing submit, take the last two.
Journal fit check
We read the journal’s aims and scope and a sample of its recent articles against your paper, confirm the right article type, and verify its indexing and website before you invest time formatting for it.
Formatting to author guidelines
Section order and headings, word and abstract limits, title page, line numbering, anonymised version for double-anonymous review, units, equations, and the journal’s LaTeX or Word template where one exists.
References and citation style
Conversion to the journal’s style (numbered, author–date or a house variant), with every in-text citation matched to the list and DOIs added where the journal asks for them.
Figures and tables to specification
File formats, resolution, dimensions, fonts and colour mode as the journal specifies; editable tables rather than images; separate files and captions where required.
Submission pack and cover letter
A cover letter addressed to the editor, plus whatever this journal requires: highlights, graphical abstract, author contribution (CRediT) statement, conflict-of-interest, funding and data-availability statements.
Submission walkthrough
A guided run through Editorial Manager, ScholarOne or the publisher’s own system from your account: metadata, file order, ORCID linking, and a check of the built PDF before you approve it.
Quality
How quality is verified
These are the checks every piece of work goes through before it reaches you.
Guideline checklist, line by line
We turn the journal’s current author guidelines into a checklist on the day we start, tick each item against your manuscript, and give you the completed list with the files.
Citation and reference cross-match
Every in-text citation is matched to an entry in the reference list and every entry to a citation. Orphans in either direction are fixed, and each reference is checked against its source.
Anonymisation audit
For double-anonymous journals, we check the text, self-citations, acknowledgements, file names and document properties for anything that identifies you or your institution.
Figure specification check
Each figure file is checked against the journal’s stated format, resolution and size, and viewed at final print size for legibility, as well as on screen.
Declarations complete
Ethics approval, consent, funding, competing interests, data availability and author contributions are checked for presence and consistency with what the paper says.
Final similarity report
You receive a similarity report on the final version, so you see the figure before the journal’s own check does.
Time
Realistic timelines
Our work on a finished manuscript is measured in days. What happens after you press submit is up to the journal.
| Stage | Typical time | Who controls it |
|---|---|---|
| Journal fit check | 2–3 working days | Us |
| Formatting, references and figures | 4–7 working days | Us; longer if figures need redrawing from source data |
| Cover letter and submission pack | 2–3 working days | Us and you, since you approve every statement |
| Submission walkthrough | One session | You, with us on hand |
| Technical check by the editorial office | A few days to two weeks | The journal, which may return the files for corrections |
| Editor’s decision to review or decline | 1–4 weeks, sometimes longer | The journal |
Desk rejection
Why papers are rejected before review
Editors rarely explain a desk rejection at length. These are the causes we see most often, roughly in order of how often they could have been avoided.
The paper does not fit the journal
The most common reason, and the least visible. A journal’s scope statement is broad, but its recent issues show what the editors actually publish. A methods paper sent to an applications journal, or a regional case study sent to a journal that wants general theory, will usually be declined however good it is.
The guidelines were not followed
Over-length abstracts, missing line numbers, a reference style from a different journal, a non-anonymised file for double-anonymous review. Individually minor, together they suggest the paper was rejected somewhere else and sent on unchanged.
The contribution is not stated
If the editor cannot find, in the abstract and the last paragraph of the introduction, what the paper adds, they will not assume it is there. A cover letter that only says “please consider our manuscript” does not help.
Declarations or approvals are missing
Studies with human participants or animals need ethics approval details; many journals now require a data-availability statement and funding information. Missing items can stop a paper at the technical check.
Similarity is too high
Journals run their own similarity checks. Overlap with your own thesis or conference paper can trigger questions even when the text is yours, so disclose prior versions in the cover letter where relevant.
A word on the submission systems
Many journals use Editorial Manager or ScholarOne Manuscripts, and some publishers run their own systems. They all build a single PDF from your uploaded files, and that PDF is what the editor sees. Check it page by page before approving: missing figures, garbled equations and wrong file order are common and entirely preventable. Reference styles are covered in our APA 7 and IEEE guides if you want to check your own.
Pricing
How pricing works
Preparation for a clean, short paper with a common reference style is a small job; a long paper with many figures, a LaTeX template and a double-anonymous version is a larger one. We quote a fixed price after seeing the manuscript and the target journal’s guidelines, and the quote is agreed in writing before any work starts.
Submission fees and article processing charges, where a journal has them, are paid directly by you to the publisher. Our invoice covers only our own work.
What the quote depends on
- Length of the manuscript and number of figures and tables
- Whether the journal requires a LaTeX or Word template
- Size of the reference list and how far it is from the target style
- Extra items the journal asks for, such as highlights or a graphical abstract
- Whether you need reformatting for a second journal later
Every quote includes
- A written scope listing exactly what will be delivered
- A fixed price agreed before any payment
- Payment in stages, tied to delivery
- Revision rounds stated in the scope
Process
How it works
Free consultation
A call or message with a specialist in your subject. We review your material and say plainly whether we are the right fit.
Written scope and quote
You get a written scope, a timeline and a fixed price. Work and payment begin once you agree to it.
Staged delivery
Work arrives in stages you review, each with a similarity report where text is involved. You pay stage by stage.
Revisions and hand-over
Revision rounds are included. At the end you get the final files, and an explanation of anything you’ll need to defend.
Keep reading
Guides and related services
Writing a cover letter for journal submission
What editors actually read in a cover letter, a template, and a worked example.
How to spot a predatory journal
A checklist to run before you submit anywhere — and what to do if you’ve already submitted.
IEEE citation and formatting guide
Numbered citations, reference examples for every common source type, and figure and equation conventions.
Responding to Reviewer Comments
A point-by-point response letter and a revised manuscript that gives the reviewers what they asked for.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can you guarantee the paper won’t be desk-rejected?
We remove the technical and presentational reasons for a desk rejection, and tell you clearly if the paper looks like a better fit for a different journal. Whether the work goes to review is the editor’s decision.
Can you submit the paper for us from your account?
The submission is made from the corresponding author’s own account, because that is who the journal holds responsible and contacts about the paper. We guide you through the system step by step while you stay signed in to your own account.
Can I send the paper to two journals at once to save time?
Journals require that a manuscript is under consideration at only one journal at a time, and simultaneous submission can lead to rejection from both and a report to your institution. Submit to one journal, wait for the decision, then move on if needed. If you are rejected, reformatting for the next journal on your list can be quoted in advance.
Who should I suggest as reviewers?
Researchers who work on your topic, have no conflict of interest with you, and whose contact details are their real institutional addresses. Suggest independent researchers rather than colleagues, co-authors or addresses you control; manipulated reviewer suggestions have led to large numbers of retractions. We can help you identify suitable names from the literature.
Can you add a senior researcher as co-author to improve my chances?
Authorship reflects contribution: every author must have contributed to the research and approved the paper, and our team’s role stays outside the author list. Editors assess a paper on its content, and improper authorship is treated as misconduct.
Someone offered “acceptance within two weeks” if I submit through them. Should I?
It is worth checking carefully first. Peer review in an indexed journal runs on the schedule of its editors and reviewers, so a third party is not in a position to set a date. Our guide to spotting predatory journals lists what to check, and we will check a specific journal for you free of charge.
Is my manuscript kept confidential?
Yes. Your manuscript is handled only by the person preparing it, is used only for your project, and is deleted on request once the work is done. We are happy to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
Do you check the English as well?
We correct obvious errors as we format, but manuscript preparation is not a full language edit. If the paper needs substantial language work, we will say so at the consultation and scope it separately, so you pay only for what you need.
Talk it through with a specialist for free
Send us where you are and what you need. We’ll reply within one working day with clear advice, a written scope and a fixed quote. No obligation.
Book a free consultation