How to Format a Manuscript for Submission (and Why It Gets Desk-Rejected)

A desk rejection is a decision made before peer review, and in most cases it is not about the science. Editors reject at the desk for one of three reasons: the paper does not fit the journal's scope, the submission is incomplete, or the manuscript is so far from the house format that handling it would take more time than it deserves. The first is a selection problem. The other two are preventable.

This checklist covers what editors actually check, the formatting mistakes that cause the most desk rejections, and the order to fix them.

What editors check first

1. Article type. Is this a research article, a brief report, a review or a case study, and does the journal publish that type?
2. Scope. Does the abstract address a question the journal's readers care about?
3. Completeness. Are the cover letter, declarations, ethics statement, data statement, figures and supplementary files all present?
4. Guidelines compliance. Word limit, reference style, figure format, blinding if the journal is double-anonymous.
5. Ethics and integrity flags. Plagiarism, duplicate submission, image manipulation, missing consent.

Only after these does the editor read for quality.

The manuscript structure

The formatting mistakes that cause desk rejection

• Wrong reference style. It looks careless and creates work for the editorial office.
• Word count over the limit. Editors enforce limits; do not assume the abstract or references are excluded unless the guidelines say so.
• Figures at the wrong resolution or in the wrong format. A screenshot of a plot is not a figure.
• Blinding errors. A double-anonymous journal that receives an unblinded file sends it back.
• Missing line numbers or page numbers. Many journals require them.
• Tables as images. Typeset tables must be editable text.
• Unreadable supplementary files. If a reviewer cannot open it, it does not exist.
• A title that does not match the submission form. Small mismatches trigger queries.

References and house style

Use a reference manager and choose the journal's style before writing, not after. Check for retracted references and incomplete metadata. If the journal requires DOIs, ensure every entry has one. Reference errors are rarely the reason for rejection on their own, but they contribute to the impression that the manuscript was prepared carelessly.

Figures and tables

Figures should be legible at print size, with labelled axes, units and consistent fonts. Tables should not duplicate the text. Every figure and table needs a caption that explains it without the main text. Check the journal's colour policy and whether colour costs extra (rare now, but not universal).

The submission package

Before uploading, confirm you have:

• The manuscript file in the required format and, if anonymous review applies, the blinded version.
• A title page with author details if the journal separates it.
• The cover letter (see our cover letter guide).
• The reporting checklist (CONSORT, STROBE, PRISMA, ARRIVE or CARE) if the design requires one.
• Ethics approval, consent and registration numbers.
• The data and code availability statement, with repository links.
• All figures and supplementary files in the required formats.

Why this matters more than ever

Editors handle more submissions than they can send to review. A complete, compliant submission signals that the authors are professional and the paper is ready. That signal influences the desk decision before any reviewer reads a word. The author guidelines guide explains how to read the guidelines properly, and why manuscripts get rejected covers the content-level causes.

A 30-minute pre-submission routine

1. Open the author guidelines and check every bullet against your files.
2. Verify the word count, reference style and blinding.
3. Read the abstract and title as if you were the editor: do the claim and the scope match?
4. Confirm every declaration and repository link works.
5. Check the figure files at 100% zoom.
6. Upload, then download the compiled PDF and read it once before submitting.

Thirty minutes of checking routinely saves six weeks of desk-rejection delay. If you have not chosen the journal yet, start with the free journal finder and shortlist by scope, quartile and access type before formatting.