Angewandte Chemie International Edition Review Time: How Fast Is It Really?

Decision cue: If you need a yes/no submission call today, compare your draft with 3 recent accepted Communications from Angewandte Chemie and only submit when scope, novelty, and claim strength line up.

Related: How to choose a journal • How to avoid desk rejection • Pre-submission checklist

Angewandte Chemie International Edition is one of the fastest high-impact chemistry journals. If you're submitting a Communication, the flagship short-format paper that most chemists associate with the journal, you can realistically expect a first decision within a month. That speed is unusual for a journal with an impact factor of 16.9.

Here's what the timeline actually looks like at each stage.

Timeline at a glance

Total time from submission to published article for a Communication: typically 6-12 weeks. For Articles, 3-5 months.

What makes Angewandte Chemie fast

Three things drive the speed. First, editors at Angewandte Chemie make quick desk decisions. The journal desk-rejects roughly 40-50% of submissions, and those rejections come fast, often within a week. If your paper doesn't fit the scope or lacks sufficient novelty, you'll know quickly.

Second, the reviewer pool for chemistry is large and responsive. Unlike niche journals that struggle to find reviewers, Angewandte Chemie can draw from a deep network of established chemists who treat a review request from this journal as a priority.

Third, Communications are short. Four pages maximum, plus supporting information. Reviewing a 4-page paper takes less time than reviewing a 12-page full Article, and reviewers know that going in.

What slows things down

The most common delay is revision turnaround. If reviewers ask for additional experiments, that's on you, and in synthetic chemistry, running new reactions can take weeks or months. Angewandte Chemie typically gives authors 4 weeks to submit a revision for Communications and 8 weeks for Articles, but extensions are possible if you contact the editor.

Reviewer availability can also cause delays. Summer months (June through August) and late December through early January tend to slow things down across all journals.

If your paper falls at the boundary between fields, say a materials chemistry paper that needs a physics reviewer, finding the right expertise takes longer. Cross-disciplinary submissions at Angewandte Chemie average about a week longer to first decision.

What authors can control

Write a strong cover letter. Angewandte Chemie editors read cover letters carefully. A clear, specific explanation of why your work is novel and significant helps the editor make a faster desk decision, whether that's sending it to review or rejecting it. Vague cover letters that just summarize the abstract waste everyone's time.

Suggest good reviewers. Provide 3-4 qualified reviewers who've published in your area recently and aren't your collaborators. Editors use these suggestions, and having viable options ready speeds up reviewer recruitment.

Keep the manuscript tight. Communications that creep past 4 pages get sent back for reformatting. If your paper needs more space, submit it as a full Article from the start.

Respond to revisions quickly. If you can turn around a revision in 1-2 weeks instead of using the full 4-week window, the editor will process your resubmission faster. Many authors don't realize that quick turnarounds signal seriousness to editors.

When to worry

If you haven't received a decision after 6 weeks for a Communication, something is likely wrong. Contact the editorial office. Common reasons for unusual delays: a reviewer hasn't responded, the editor is waiting for a third opinion, or your paper got reassigned to a different editor.

For full Articles, 10 weeks without a decision is the threshold where a polite inquiry is appropriate.

Don't email every week. One inquiry after the expected timeline has passed is enough. Editors juggle hundreds of manuscripts, and frequent emails don't speed things up.

Faster alternatives if speed matters

If your work is time-sensitive and you need a decision faster than Angewandte Chemie can deliver:

Chemical Communications (ChemComm): Typical first decision in 2-3 weeks. Lower IF (4.3, JCR 2024) but very fast for short communications in chemistry.

Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS): Similar prestige, but slightly slower, typically 4-6 weeks to first decision. Worth it if your paper fits JACS scope better.

Nature Chemistry: Faster desk decisions (often within days), but if sent to review, the process takes 4-8 weeks. Higher bar for acceptance.

ACS Central Science: Open access, fast turnaround (3-4 weeks), and growing in prestige. Good option for interdisciplinary chemistry.

If your priority is pure speed over impact, Chemistry: A European Journal (same publisher, Wiley-VCH) processes papers in 3-5 weeks with a lower selectivity bar.

Sources

• Wiley-VCH editorial policies and Angewandte Chemie author guidelines (March 2026)
• Clarivate Analytics, Journal Citation Reports 2024 (JIF 16.9, 5-Year JIF 16.4, Q1, Rank 15/239 Chemistry Multidisciplinary)
• Author experience data from SciRev and academic forums
• How to avoid desk rejection