On Rejection #1: I am Glad that My Paper is Desk Rejected

Rejection is never easy, but desk rejection, in particular, can be a blessing in disguise.

Rejection is an inevitable part of academic life. Whether you are a doctoral student, early career researcher, or even a seasoned academic, receiving a rejection email from a journal can feel like a gut punch. For many, it feels like a personal failure—a sign that their hard work isn’t appreciated, and even worse, a reflection that they might not be suited for a career in academia. In this blog series, "On Rejection", I aim to help you rethink rejection, and see it not as a career obstacle but as an opportunity for growth. In this first post, we will dive into one of the most misunderstood aspects of rejection: the desk rejection. By the end of this post, I hope you will understand why you should actually be glad when your paper is desk-rejected.