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Every advice on query letters to editors on the status of a manuscript after months of silence says not to sound demanding, impatient, not to give the editor motive for disliking you, etc. I’ve got a manuscript on logic that’s barely over 2000 words, takes 25 minutes to read, and has supposedly been under review for 3 months. Is it ok if I mention how short the article is and how long it takes to read it in my query to the editor? If so, how would you phrase it?

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    Three months is not that long, be patient.
    – Azor Ahai -him-
    Nov 30, 2022 at 19:18
  • @AzorAhai-him- So, not even A letter?
    – user354948
    Nov 30, 2022 at 19:22
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    I would not send a letter after three months, no. But, I'm not in logic.
    – Azor Ahai -him-
    Nov 30, 2022 at 19:23
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    I'm in math (not logic), and I wouldn't send a message checking on even the shortest manuscript until at least six months.
    – Mark Meckes
    Nov 30, 2022 at 21:33
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    takes 25 minutes to read Does it also take 25 minutes to understand? If yes, then could it be too simple to publish? If no, then taking longer to review seems more plausible.
    – Allure
    Dec 1, 2022 at 1:58

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I wouldn't do that. The editor has seen the article and isn't under any misconceptions. Three months isn't actually very long for some things and there might be complexities that require deep understanding as there can be in math.

There are lots of reasons for delay, including finding suitable reviewers as well as the workload of those reviewers.

I'd suggest you relax for a while or make a query about progress without saying things that might seem offensive.

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    Maybe. Don't depend too much on the specific semantics of what a web process page means. Some reviewers might have later declined, some might have disagreed. The article is still in the system and not rejected. That is the important part.
    – Buffy
    Nov 30, 2022 at 19:29
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    Some things take years, yes, though it isn't the norm. Reviewers do it as a service to the profession, so they need to fit it into their normal work.
    – Buffy
    Nov 30, 2022 at 19:41
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    @user354948 I'm not in logic, but in my experience the time and effort it takes to review a paper is a complicated function that depends on whatever else I have going on, complexity of the paper, my familiarity with specifics of the topic, whether things are made explicit or left for me to work out, etc. Point is, it is far from simply proportional to the length.
    – Anyon
    Nov 30, 2022 at 19:45
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    You can make a query, just don't say things that might antagonize the editor. They might be as frustrated as you are, in fact.
    – Buffy
    Nov 30, 2022 at 19:55
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    @user354948 I'd hope it's straightforward to you if you wrote it, but that isn't the same thing as straightforward to someone else - maybe you've inadvertently used non-standard terminology, referred to something obliquely, written a step incorrectly yet each time you read it your mind substitutes the correct version. All of these things could make sometime take additional time to puzzle over something. Additionally, you cannot assume that any reviewer has nothing on their plate besides your paper, or that they give your paper the same priority you do.
    – Bryan Krause ♦
    Nov 30, 2022 at 21:20

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