More than 6 months ago I submitted a paper to a very prestigious journal in Mathematics. Honestly I did not expect it to make it past the managing editor, I thought to give it a try, and then submit to a journal in my field. Surprisingly for me it was assigned a manuscript number, and no news since. I am assuming it went to a reviewer.
Is it appropriate to inquire about the status of the paper, even though their online system clearly says that the submission is being processed? I don't want to look like a doofus that cannot read a website. The paper is rather short, under 15 pages, so while I understand that a rejection is likely, I perhaps expected a quick rejection so I can submit it elsewhere. At this stage, if a rejection is forthcoming, will I at least have a referee's report with, perhaps, helpful suggestions and comments?
Grateful for your advice!
Best Answer
It is perfectly okay to ask about the status of the paper. It often happens that referees and editors forget about their assignments and a reminder call is a right thing to do. You could ask the editor, but then be patient. It often takes about a year to get the reports. If this is a really prestigious journal, it is likely that the paper was sent to more than one referee and you will not hear from the editors until all the reports are in.