Rejection stings. You put months into a paper, edit it until you can’t stand to look at it anymore, hit submit, and then a few weeks later you get a blunt email saying it is not going forward.
And here is the thing: it is often not because your research is bad. The most common reason papers get rejected has nothing to do with the quality of the work.
The wrong journal
You need to ensure that your manuscript or paper idea aligns with the journal’s scope! A misalignment is one of the most common reasons for submitted papers to be rejected by a journal.
That is it. The wrong journal.
You can have solid data, a clear argument, something that matters. But if the editor sees it does not fit the journal’s scope, style, or length, they will not even send it out for review.
Why it is not obvious
Journals publish long lists of guidelines. Word counts. Formatting. Scope notes. On the surface it looks straightforward. But there are unspoken rules behind all of that.
Impact factors. Open access. Editorial preferences. Rejection risks. Even the kind of papers they have published recently.
Nobody explains how to read between the lines. Students and early-career researchers are left guessing. Most find out the hard way, after a desk rejection.
The spiral of rejection
One rejection is bad enough. What usually happens is you immediately fire the paper off to another journal. Then another. Then another.
Each one wants something slightly different. Different formatting. Different cover letters. Different ways of explaining contribution.
Without a strategy, your paper can bounce around for months. Each submission comes with a new wait. Each rejection chips away at your confidence. It is exhausting and it makes publishing feel endless.
Why you were not taught this
This is the hidden curriculum of academia. Nobody sits you down and shows you how to pick a journal properly. You are just expected to know.
But unless someone actually teaches you what editors look for, how scopes work, or what rejection rates really mean, how would you know?
Avoiding desk rejection
The best way to avoid desk rejection is simple: think about your journal before you start writing.
Not after. Not once you have got 8,000 words down and a full draft ready to go. Decide early. Write with that audience in mind from the start.
It sounds easy. It is not. That is why this trips people up again and again.
Learning the unspoken rules
Choosing a journal is not just ticking off a checklist of word counts and reference styles. It is about understanding how editors think, how scopes are written, and how to position your work for the audience you want.
It is not lowering your standards. It is giving your paper the best shot at being reviewed and accepted.
A roadmap when you need one
This is exactly why we built How to Write and Publish a Successful Academic Paper.
It’s a step-by-step course with 31 concise lessons, a practical workbook, and lifetime access to a supportive community. One full unit is dedicated to journal strategy, so you do not waste months guessing where to send your work.
Rejection will always be part of academic publishing. But it does not have to be because you aimed at the wrong journal.
