aer-submission

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

TARGET VENUE: <AER | AER:Insights | AEJ:...>
LENGTH AUDIT: <pass / fail with details>
FORMAT AUDIT: <pass / fail with details>
COVER LETTER: <none / drafted, <n> words>
DISCLOSURE STATEMENTS: <complete / missing>
CONFLICTS DISCLOSED: <list / none>
REPLICATION DEPOSIT STATUS: <planned / drafted / complete>
READY TO SUBMIT: <yes / no — with blockers>
NEXT SKILL: <none — submit | aer-rebuttal once decision arrives>

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