Remove refers to deleting the submission entirely without any record visible on your menu or that of the Journal Editors, though they would be able to see that it had been removed via a report. This is possible only before the submission enters the Editorial Workflow, and once done it cannot be reversed.

1. To Remove your own incomplete submission entirely, the submission must be in one of the Author Main Menu folders:

   • Incomplete Submissions.
   • Submissions Sent Back to Author.
   • Submissions Waiting for Your Approval.
2. From the folder, click the 'Remove Submission' action link.
3. A warning appears, click 'OK to permanently delete your submission.
4. You will not be able to find the submission on your main menu again.

To Withdraw a submission means to retract the submission from consideration by the journal. The submission record remains in Editorial Manager and you will be able to see it from your author menu, and editors can see it when looking specifically or withdrawn submissions.

1. Log into your Author Main Menu.
2. Locate the submission in one of the folders:

   • Submissions Being Processed.
   • Revisions Being Processed.
3. Click 'Send Email'.

1. Customize the letter to request the submission be withdrawn from the journal,and explain why.
2. You should receive confirmation from the Journal Office when they have withdrawn your submission.

When the submission has been withdrawn, you can find it on your Author Main Menu under 'Submissions with a decision'; the status will be shown as 'Withdrawn'.

There is a retention period during which a withdrawn submission could be reinstated by the Journal Office upon request; after that period all files are deleted and only the basic metadata remains.

1. Log into your Author Main Menu.
2. Locate the submission in 'Submissions with a Decision'.
3. Click 'Send Email'.
4. Customize the letter to request the submission be reinstated, and explain why.

The Journal Office should respond to your email to let you know what they have decided.

• If they agree to reopen the submission it will appear in 'Submissions Requiring Revision'.
• You may be requested to submit as a new manuscript.

To Decline to Revise is a special kind of Withdrawal, possible only when you have been asked to revise a decision and have not yet fully submitted the revision. The submission is held in a temporary state where you could decide to reinstate the revision for some period defined by the journal (typically 7 days), and then it is Withdrawn.

1. Locate the submission in one of the following folders on your Author Main Menu:

   • Submissions Needing Revision
   • Revisions Sent Back to Author
   • Incomplete Submissions Being Revised
   • Revisions Waiting for Author's Approval
2. Click the link to 'Decline to Revise'.
3. A confirmation screen appears, click 'OK' to confirm.
4. The submission will move on your menu to 'Declined Revisions'.

Some number of days after you decline (typically 7) the submission will be withdrawn and move to the 'All Submissions With Decision' folder.

If you declined in error or you change your mind while the submission is still in 'Declined Revisions':

1. Open 'Declined Revisions'.
2. Click 'Reinstate Revision.
3. The submission will return to the folder it was in before you declined.