Journal Guide
Publishing in Small: Fit, Timeline & Submission Guide
Small structures, big advances: nanotechnology and nanomaterials for applications
Should you submit here?
Submit if present nanomaterial showing practical utility. Be careful if material characterization alone insufficient.
Best fit if
Present nanomaterial showing practical utility
Not ideal if
Material characterization alone insufficient
Also compare
12.1
Impact Factor (2024)
~15-25%
Acceptance Rate
~100-140 days median
Time to First Decision
Readiness Scan
See whether your manuscript clears Small’s editorial screen.
Free 1 to 2 minute scan. Get a fit score, top issues, and the specific Small desk-reject patterns flagged before you submit.
Anthropic Privacy Partner. Zero-retention manuscript processing.
What Small Publishes
Small published by Wiley is the premier journal for nanotechnology and nanomaterials with emphasis on applications. With JIF 12.1 and Q1 ranking in Nanoscience & Nanotechnology and Materials Science, Small emphasizes functional nanomaterials and nanotechnology-enabled applications. The journal publishes research on nanoparticles, nanodevices, and nanoscale phenomena with demonstrated utility. Critically: Small values nanomaterials with functional performance. Pure characterization without application context is less competitive. The journal seeks papers showing how nanomaterials enable practical applications.
- Functional nanoparticles: tunable properties, responsive materials, smart nanoparticles
- Nanodevices: nanoscale transistors, memory, sensors, optical devices
- 2D materials: graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides, properties and applications
- Nanocomposites: enhanced mechanical, thermal, electrical properties
- Biomedical nanoparticles: drug delivery, imaging, therapeutics, diagnostics
- Energy nanomaterials: batteries, supercapacitors, photovoltaics, fuel cells
- Environmental applications: water treatment, air purification, remediation
- Photonics and plasmonics: optical properties, light manipulation, sensing
Editor Insight
“Small publishes nanotechnology with demonstrated applications. We seek nanomaterials enabling improved performance or new capabilities with clear practical value. The best papers combine novel nanoscale structures with functional advantages in real application contexts.”
What Small Editors Look For
Functional nanomaterial or nanodevice with demonstrated application performance
Present nanomaterial showing practical utility. Enhanced drug delivery? Improved battery performance? Novel sensing capability? Demonstrate performance in application context with quantified metrics.
Complete nanomaterial characterization with structure-function correlation
Thoroughly characterize nanostructure and measure functional properties under realistic application conditions. Show how nanoscale structure enables application performance.
Mechanistic understanding of how nanoscale structure enables function
Explain nanoscale effects. How do nanoparticles improve performance? What structural features are critical? Understanding mechanism stronger than empirical observation alone.
Device or system integration demonstrating practical application
Incorporate nanomaterial into working device showing application performance. Integration and system-level testing crucial for Small impact.
Clear advantages over conventional alternatives with cost-benefit analysis
Show nanomaterial performance exceeds or differs from conventional approaches. Address cost and practical feasibility. Economic viability matters for real-world adoption.
Why Papers Get Rejected
These patterns appear repeatedly in manuscripts that don't make it past Small's editorial review:
Nanoparticle characterization without application demonstration
Material characterization alone insufficient. Small expects functional demonstration. How do nanoparticles improve performance in real application?
Lab-scale testing without realistic application conditions
Ideal test conditions (pure solvents, controlled temperature) don't prove practical applicability. Test in realistic conditions proving real-world performance.
Marginal performance improvement without clear advantage
Minor improvements over conventional materials weak. Significant performance gains or enabling new function required.
Ignoring cost, manufacturability, or scale-up challenges
Practical adoption requires economic and manufacturing feasibility. Nano-enabled benefits must justify costs and complexity.
Weak comparison with existing solutions
Show quantitatively how nanomaterial outperforms or differs from conventional approaches. Direct comparison essential.
Does your manuscript avoid these patterns?
The Free Readiness Scan reads your full manuscript against Small's criteria and flags the specific issues most likely to cause rejection.
Insider Tips from Small Authors
Biomedical nanoparticles with demonstrated in vivo efficacy highly competitive
Nanoparticles showing improved drug delivery, imaging, or therapeutic efficacy in animal models are highly valued.
Energy-related nanoparticles for batteries, supercaps, or solar cells trending
Nanomaterials improving energy storage or generation performance align with sustainability priorities.
2D materials with novel properties and device applications competitive
Graphene, TMDs, and other 2D materials showing unexpected properties or enabling new devices receive strong interest.
Environmental remediation and water treatment applications valued
Nanoparticles for pollutant removal, water purification, or environmental remediation increasingly competitive.
Scalable synthesis and practical manufacturing crucial
Papers demonstrating scale-up potential and practical manufacturing feasibility more competitive than lab-scale only.
The Small Submission Process
Manuscript preparation
Prep6,000-8,000 words with 6-8 figures. Include nanoparticle/device synthesis, complete characterization, application testing in realistic conditions, performance comparison, mechanistic discussion, and practical feasibility. Supporting: detailed synthesis, characterization spectra, application testing data.
Submission via Wiley system
Day 0Submit at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/16136829/. Required: manuscript emphasizing application performance and practical significance, figures showing nanostructure and functional performance, cover letter highlighting advantages.
Editorial assessment
1-2 weeksEditor assesses nanomaterial novelty and application significance. Papers lacking functional demonstration or application context face lower priority. Selective desk rejection ~35-45%.
Peer review
100-140 days2-3 nanomaterial experts assess novelty, characterization rigor, application performance, and practical significance. First decision 100-140 days.
Revision and publication
Revision: 4-8 weeksRevisions often request additional application testing or comparison data. Publication 2-4 weeks after acceptance.
Small by the Numbers
| 2024 Impact Factor | 14.9 |
| 5-Year Impact Factor | 15.4 |
| Acceptance rate | ~15-25% |
| Desk rejection rate | ~35-45% |
| Median first decision | ~120 days |
| Open access option | $4,000 USD |
| Publisher | Wiley |
| Founded | 2005 |
Before you submit
Small accepts a small fraction of submissions. Make your attempt count.
Start with the Free Readiness Scan. Unlock the Full Review from $49, with local pricing shown before checkout. If you need deeper submission planning, choose the Submission-Ready Dossier. The full report is calibrated to Small.
Article Types
Full Paper
6,000-8,000 wordsNanomaterial with complete application demonstration
Short Communication
3,500-4,500 wordsBrief significant nanomaterial discovery
Review
8,000-12,000 wordsNanotechnology topic review (usually invited)
Landmark Small Papers
Papers that defined fields and changed science:
- Nanoparticle drug delivery systems (2000s+) - improved therapeutic efficacy
- 2D materials and heterostructures (2000s+) - graphene and beyond
- Nanoscale electronics and memory (2000s+) - miniaturization limits
- Energy storage nanoparticles (2010s+) - improved battery performance
- Biomedical imaging nanoparticles (2010s+) - enhanced diagnostic capability
Preparing a Small Submission?
Get pre-submission feedback from reviewers who've published in Small and know exactly what editors look for.
Run Free Readiness ScanNeed expert depth? See Expert Review Options
Primary Fields
Related Journal Guides
- Publishing in Nature
- Publishing in Advanced Materials
- Publishing in ACS Nano
- Publishing in Journal of Materials Chemistry A
- Publishing in Nano Letters
Latest Journal-Specific Guides
- Submission guideSmall Submission Guide: What Editors Want, What to Fix, and When to SubmitSmall is not a generic nanomaterials journal. This guide shows what the journal actually wants, what makes a paper feel incremental, and what to fix before you submit.
- Desk rejectionHow to Avoid Desk Rejection at Small in 2026Small editors look for functional nanomaterials with real application evidence, strong benchmarking, and a credible structure-function story.
- Review timelineSmall Review Time: What Authors Can Actually ExpectSmall is selective and broad across nanoscience, so the real timing question is not just speed. It is whether the paper is strong enough to avoid a quick fit rejection.
- Acceptance rateSmall Acceptance Rate: What Authors Can UseWiley currently lists Small's acceptance rate as 31%. The better submission question is whether the nanoscale dimension genuinely drives the science and the function story is strong enough.
More Guides for This Journal
- Impact factorSmall Impact Factor 2026: 12.1, Q1, Rank 14/187Small impact factor is 12.1 with a 5-year JIF of 12.5. Q1, rank 14/187. Comparisons, trend, and submission guidance.
- Publishing costsSmall APC and Open Access: What Wiley Charges for Micro/Nanoscience PublicationSmall charges ~$5,000-$5,500 for open access. Compare Wiley DEAL coverage, waivers, ACS Nano, Nano Letters, and Nanoscale.
- Manuscript prepResponse to Reviewers for Small: How to Write a Rebuttal That Clears Revision (2026)How to write a point-by-point response to reviewers for Small, the Wiley nanoscience journal, where the nanoscale advance and benchmarked performance, not extra characterization, decide whether a revision clears.
- Publishing guideMajor Revision at Small (Wiley): What It Means, Next StepsIf Small (Wiley) sent your manuscript back as a major revision, here is what the decision means, your revision window, how the Wiley professional editor and original reviewers re-review the nanomaterial novelty and application performance, and how to write the point-by-point response that survives a second round.
Ready to submit to Small?
A desk rejection costs months. Get expert feedback before you submit, from scientists who know exactly what Small editors look for.
Avoid Desk Rejection
Get expert pre-submission review before you submit to Small. 3-7 day turnaround.
Manuscript Rejected?
Expert revision help to strengthen your manuscript and resubmit with confidence.
Reviewer Response Help
Get expert guidance crafting your response to Small reviewers.
Need field-expert depth? See Expert Review Options