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Inspired by a conversation with @MelissaKrug1 , a thread: things nobody taught me about academic publishing in grad school. (And please add your own tips!)
1. Desk rejections are almost never about the quality of your writing. They're usually about fit. (Or a glut of submissions or a shortage of reviewers or both.)
2. Fit: Who and what are you in conversation with? If you don't know where to submit, look at your bibliography. Do most of your sources come from 1 or 2 journals? Look to see what else they're publishing on the topic before you submit.
3. Fit, continued: Your cover letter matters; it's not a formality. Point the editors to why you're speaking to work published in their journal. Make it easy for them to see why you fit!
4. Fit, part 3: Some journal editors are self-aggrandizing assholes. The vast majority are not, and they're doing a massive amount of unpaid work. But if you get a MEAN comment, the problem is them - not you.
5. Reading reviews: if reviewers' comments conflict directly, it's ok to reach out to the editor and ask what to prioritize. If reviewers are mean or unprofessional, it's *definitely* ok to reach out to the editor.
