Not sure whether this is common practice, but in the journal to which I am submitting a manuscript (JMEMS), I have to choose an editor. I am not 100% sure whether this is a mandatory requirement, but it seems like there are over 40 editors.
I know some of the editors have good relationships with my advisor. For this paper, I am solely responsible for publishing the paper. My advisor is not helping me much, and I have not directly submitted paper before.
The journal also doesn't mention who is in charge of what research areas. I can possibly guess, but I will have to do a lot of legwork to figure out the best match.
How critical is choosing the correct editor? Is it best to choose editors who know my advisor?