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I submitted an article to one of the JAMA network specialty journals. I asked for my article to be referred to a second specialty journal if not deemed acceptable for publication by the first. However, the editor of the first journal did not send it out for peer review and thus it was not referred to the second specialty journal at all.

I still think my manuscript could be a good fit for that second journal. Does anyone know the policy for re-submitting since it was technically not reviewed by that second journal?

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  • How much time has elapsed since your submission?
    – Buffy
    Commented Mar 16, 2023 at 13:23
  • And, have you gotten a letter of rejection?
    – Buffy
    Commented Mar 16, 2023 at 13:35
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    Have you heard back at all? If not, then you need to withdraw your paper before resubmitting it elsewhere.
    – Dimitri Vulis
    Commented Mar 16, 2023 at 13:35

2 Answers 2

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If you have a clear statement from the editor/publisher that the paper has been rejected, then you can submit it anywhere you choose. Different journals, even with the same publisher, have different policies about what they will publish.

If you have formally withdrawn the paper with a written statement to the editor/publisher, then you can also submit it anywhere you choose. An email is all it takes.

But the rule is "one journal at a time". Editors frown (pretty deeply) if they learn you have multiple concurrent submissions. Don't go there.

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  • Thank you! This is very helpful insight.
    – gradstudent4life
    Commented Mar 16, 2023 at 19:01
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Broadly speaking journals aren't aware what other journals are doing, even if they're operated by the same publisher. In fact unless you are in the (very rare especially for large journals) case where the same employee is assigned to both journals, the second journal is not likely to even notice.

You can just submit your manuscript to the second journal.

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  • Not until you withdraw from the first journal or it is rejected.
    – Buffy
    Commented Mar 16, 2023 at 13:18
  • @Buffy it's already been rejected (desk rejected, in the case of the OP's paper).
    – Allure
    Commented Mar 16, 2023 at 13:29
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    @Buffy I'd interpret "didn't send out for peer review" to mean a desk reject. It's probably good to verify here since some of our visitors are confused about the process, but I don't think that applies here.
    – Bryan Krause ♦
    Commented Mar 16, 2023 at 13:46
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    My apologies - yes it's been desk rejected from the first journal.
    – gradstudent4life
    Commented Mar 16, 2023 at 19:01
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    "the second journal is not likely to even notice" Probably not. Sometimes there is a question during the submission process like "Has the manuscript been submitted to any other journal of [publisher] before?". Then of course you should answer the truth. Personally I usually would disclose the info of previous submissions with the same publisher in the cover letter, including some short remarks about improvements made to the manuscript in the meantime thanks to the previous constructive feedback, if appropriate.
    – Snijderfrey
    Commented Mar 17, 2023 at 15:23

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