Waiting for response from journal

[Myword]

What is the length of time for a journal editor to get referees for an article in humanities?

I am waiting over 4 months with no referees yet-- the article is a commentary on a prominent respected author in my field. Numerous reviewers should be available.  This journal was my first choice...but it may be my last in the future.  And it has not been submitted elsewhere. In the past, editor responded with answer within this time frame.

[Liquidambar]

I can't comment on the humanities, but this semester has been challenging for almost everyone.  One of my journal editors mentioned having difficulty finding reviewers lately.  They're being much more lenient about deadlines for reviews to be submitted, too.

[Parasaurolophus]

My experience is that it's usually pretty quick, but sometimes it isn't. Sometimes one gets found quickly, but then the editor struggles to find a second. And since the initial contact email usually gives them 2-3 weeks to decide, it adds up fast.

A couple of tippy-top journals in my field have a reputation for taking forever to find referees, and then taking forever to collect verdicts. Until recently, two were notorious for wait times of a year or more.

[polly_mer]

Have you tried contacting the editor and asking the question directly?

Four months does sound like a long time to me since I'm in fields where journals brag about their turnaround times that are less than four months from submission to publication (for the ones that pass review).  I once didn't check my email for the whole week between Christmas and New Year only to return to have an invitation on the 26th, reminders on the 28-30th, and a final email that my services were no longer required because I took too long to respond to the invitation.

However, as others have mentioned, getting reviewers this spring has sometimes been more difficult than other times.

[Sun_Worshiper]

Not in the humanities, but four months seems like a lot to find reviewers, even under the present circumstances.  I'd reach out to politely inquire.

Once a journal sat on a manuscript of mine for over a year without finding reviewers.  I reached out several times during the process (if you could call it a process) and ultimately withdrew the manuscript - which has now found its home in my file drawer.  I'm still mad and will never submit to this journal again.

[fleabite]

I submitted an article over six months ago—well pre-pandemic—and it is still listed as "waiting reviewer selection." Sigh. I just keep writing more articles.

On edit (having seen Sun_Worshiper's post): I hope I will not have to do the same. I made an inquiry in January, with no response. Given that the end of the semester was tough for a lot of people, I am waiting until June to inquire again.

[polly_mer]

Wow!  No wonder the journal I visited just today was bragging about an average of 59 days from submission to publication.

[traductio]

It's possible that it has been sent out to referees but the online system hasn't been updated yet.

But in my experience in the humanities, four months to go out to referees is par for the course. Sometimes it's nine months to a year before I hear back. (Although when I'm a reviewer, my turnaround time is always less than a month because it's cruel to sit on a paper for so long.)

[fleabite]

Well, it took seven months to get the reviewers' reports for an article of mine that is now in press, but the journal editor responded to my inquiry when I checked up on progress. I think that's the polite thing to do if a submitter has waited a reasonable amount of time (say, at least three or four months) and hasn't heard anything.

[delsur]

It's possible that it has been sent out to referees but the online system hasn't been updated yet.

But in my experience in the humanities, four months to go out to referees is par for the course. Sometimes it's nine months to a year before I hear back. (Although when I'm a reviewer, my turnaround time is always less than a month because it's cruel to sit on a paper for so long.)

This is exactly my experience, including acting fast as a reviewer in the hopes that others will do the same for me.

But after 4 months it's not unreasonable to ask/nudge the editor if the paper has been sent out to reviewers.

On a related note: what do people think about the turnaround time in the humanities after R&R? My experience in the past has been less than one month. But I submitted one two months ago that I am still waiting for. This is after it took nearly 9 months for the initial review. Should I keep waiting given the current situation or is it time to get in touch? [I have this unfounded fear that status inquiries can trigger rejections]

[Hibush]

Submitted a paper this past Sunday, on Tuesday I had a desk reject for needing an additional type of analysis--meaning the editor had put some thought into it. I appreciate the fast turnaround and clear instructions on what we need. That is what the good journals will do.

[Myword]

Yeah, I wrote back. Cannot contact the editor directly, only through his assistant, who works on another continent on other side of the world.   And I got no answer. I am tempted to send it elsewhere. but I have few choices.

[wellfleet]

If you make that choice, be sure to formally withdraw it from the first journal.

[Wahoo Redux]

Humanities here.  I've waited as long as 6 months for readers and then another couple of months before a decision.  I always remind myself that these people aren't paid and that withdrawal and re-submission may start the 9 month calendar all over again.   The better the journal the longer the wait seems to be, probably because of backlog.

Probably best to wait it out.

[Santommaso]

Humanities here also. Six months is not unusual in my field. At six months, I write to the editor and respectfully ask for an update about the status of my manuscript. My longest wait for a decision has been 18 months. If you are on a timeline for tenure or promotion, I see no problem with writing to the editor for an update.