Interpreting Politeness in Manuscript Rejections letters Using a Pragmatic and Stylistic Theory

Manuscript rejection has become a growing concern due to the increasing emphasis on publishing in highly cited journals. Many manuscripts are rejected for reasons explicitly stated or unstated by editors, journals, or reviewers. In these rejections, polite forms have been instrumental in helping editors communicate with authors. This paper surveys manuscript rejections, politeness, and academic discourse, drawing on theories, contributions, and related works. Two manuscript rejection letters were randomly chosen and analysed using Brown and Levinson’s politeness theory and Leech and Short’s stylistic approach. Analysis shows that editors have been keen to use politeness not only to mitigate the consequences of rejection but also to develop further connections with authors. Finally, the paper proposes several tips that can help authors, editors, journal reviewers, early-career researchers, and second-language researchers examine the significance, effects, and consequences of manuscript rejections, develop their publication skills, and expand their insights into future work.