--- name: aer-submission description: Use when running the final pre-submission audit for an AER, AER:Insights, or AEJ manuscript — length, format, cover letter, per-author disclosure statements, file packaging, and routing among the AEA journal family. Apply immediately before clicking submit. --- # AER Submission ## Overview The final submission audit catches the formatting and routing mistakes that produce avoidable desk rejections. AER's editorial office returns submissions for non-compliance with length, format, or policy requirements before the editor sees the paper — a turnaround that can cost weeks. This skill is the last gate. ## When to Use - Within 48 hours of submission - After every R&R, before resubmission - When the user is undecided between AER and AER: Insights as the final target - After a rejection elsewhere, when routing into the AEA family ## Hard Format Constraints | Item | AER | AER: Insights | |-------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------| | Abstract length | ≤ 100 words | ≤ 100 words | | Main text length | ~40 pages (11-pt, 1.5-spaced, 1" margins) | ≤ 7,000 words minus 200 per exhibit; ≤ 6,000 with five exhibits | | Maximum exhibits | No formal cap | 5; each exhibit reduces budget by 200 words | | Word-count basis | Page guideline includes figures, tables, references, and in-paper appendices | Main body, footnotes, endnotes, and in-paper appendices; excludes references, exhibits, and Supplemental Appendix | | File format | Single PDF for review | Single PDF for review | | Separate title page | None — title and byline on page 1 | Same | | Cover letter | Optional | Optional | | Submission system | ScholarOne (mc.manuscriptcentral.com/aer) | ScholarOne | **Manuscripts exceeding AER: Insights length are returned without review.** This is enforced automatically. ## Length Audit (AER) The 40-page guideline counts: - Main text - Footnotes - In-paper tables and figures - References - In-paper appendix The 40-page count does not include: title, abstract, supplemental appendix, online appendix. If over 40 pages: cut, then cut again, then move material to the online appendix. AER editors explicitly state that excessive online-appendix reliance is itself a desk-rejection signal. The supplemental appendix is for *additional* material, not for the main result. ## Length Audit (AER: Insights) Count main-body words including footnotes, endnotes, and in-paper appendices; exclude title, byline, abstract, acknowledgement footnote, references, exhibits, and Supplemental Appendix. Word-count discipline: - One exhibit costs ~200 words - Five exhibits leave 6,000 words - Zero exhibits leave 7,000 words If you cannot fit, the paper is an AER (or AEJ) paper, not an AER: Insights paper. ## Manuscript Structure ``` [Title] [Authors and affiliations] [Abstract — ≤ 100 words] [JEL codes] [Keywords] [Introductory paragraphs — NO heading "Introduction"] \section{Data} (or whatever the next titled section is) \section{...} ... \section{Conclusion} \bibliography{...} [Tables in numerical order] [Figures in numerical order] \appendix \section{...} (in-paper appendix only — short) ``` Move long appendices to a separate Supplemental Appendix file. ## File Package for ScholarOne Prepare in advance: 1. **Manuscript PDF** — single file: text + references + tables + figures + in-paper appendix 2. **Supplemental Appendix PDF** — optional, separate file 3. **Cover letter** — only if needed (see below); via form field, not separate document 4. **JEL classification codes** — primary and secondary 5. **Disclosure Statement PDFs** — one separate PDF per coauthor; if nothing to disclose, say that explicitly 6. **Coeditor conflict disclosures** — list any coeditor who has a personal or professional conflict 7. **Suggested editor** — optional, in form field 8. **AI usage disclosure** — required if AI software was used in drafting or editing; brief description If the paper has supplementary materials (videos, large datasets), provide URLs to a public repository. ## Cover Letter — When and How AER **does not require a cover letter**. Use one only to communicate substantive information: - **Conflict of interest** with a coeditor (e.g., recent coauthor, advisor, family member). Identify by name. - **Data access limitations** that the editor needs to know in advance (e.g., restricted data with specific replication arrangements). - **Previous submission history** to another AEA journal if relevant. If you include one, **keep it ≤ 200 words** and submit via the ScholarOne form field, not as a separate uploaded document. Do **not** use the cover letter to: - Pitch the paper's contribution (the abstract does that) - List the seminars where the paper was presented (the title-page footnote does that) - Argue against potential referees (this is counterproductive) ## Routing Decision: AER vs. AER: Insights vs. AEJ Run this decision tree before submission: ``` Is the contribution sharp enough to fit the AER: Insights word/exhibit formula? ├── Yes → Is it cross-subfield interest? │ ├── Yes → AER: Insights │ └── No → AEJ: Applied / Policy / Macro / Micro (by subfield) └── No → Does it have broad cross-subfield interest? ├── Yes → AER └── No → AEJ (most fitting) ``` Common mistakes: - Submitting a long-form paper to Insights "in case." Insights requires *brevity by design*, not by truncation. - Submitting to AER when the contribution is solidly within one subfield. AEJ acceptance is faster, cheaper, and similar in audience for many topics. - Treating the AEJ family as a fallback after AER rejection. The clock resets; conditional probability of acceptance is unchanged. Submit where the paper actually fits. ## Submission Fees AER charges a submission fee that scales with AEA membership status and country income group. Authors from low- and middle-income countries pay reduced or waived fees. Verify current fee schedule on the AEA submissions page before the corresponding author finalizes the form. ## Final Preflight Checklist - [ ] Abstract ≤ 100 words (run a word count, not a glance) - [ ] Main text within length limit (≤ 40 pages for AER; word-count for Insights) - [ ] No "Introduction" heading; introductory material starts on page 1 after title - [ ] All tables use booktabs rules; captions positioned correctly - [ ] All figures are vector (PDF / EPS); each has a notes block - [ ] References complete; in-text citations match bibliography - [ ] JEL codes selected (primary + secondary) - [ ] Disclosure Statement PDF prepared for each coauthor - [ ] Coeditor conflicts disclosed - [ ] AI usage disclosed if applicable - [ ] Replication package deposit started (not required at submission but plan it now) - [ ] If field experiment: AEA RCT Registry entry exists and is referenced - [ ] Author contributions and acknowledgements present in the title-page footnote - [ ] No tracked changes, no comments, no draft watermarks in the PDF - [ ] Single self-contained PDF; supplemental appendix as separate file - [ ] Corresponding author email and ORCID up to date ## After Submission - Expect 8-12 weeks to first decision for AER (median); shorter for Insights - Desk rejection: typically within 2-4 weeks - A "reject and resubmit" (rare) signals interest but requires substantial restructuring - Track via ScholarOne; do not email the editorial office for status before 12 weeks ## Handoff ```text TARGET VENUE: LENGTH AUDIT: FORMAT AUDIT: COVER LETTER: words> DISCLOSURE STATEMENTS: CONFLICTS DISCLOSED: REPLICATION DEPOSIT STATUS: READY TO SUBMIT: NEXT SKILL: ``` ## Anti-Patterns - Submitting a manuscript whose abstract is 108 words "but should be fine" - Including a 600-word cover letter that pitches the paper - Uploading the LaTeX source as the review PDF - Listing JEL codes that do not match the paper's content - Submitting an Insights paper at 7,800 words because it has only two exhibits — the formula gives ≤ 6,600 - Holding the replication deposit until "after acceptance" — the Data Editor delay is now part of the publication timeline