Pre-Submission Preflight (jf-submission)

When to trigger

• "We're submitting tomorrow" — the last check before the submit button
• Unsure which files and statements the AFA portal expects
• Unsure about the submission fee tier or whether a cover letter is needed

ACCURACY NOTE: fees, limits, and editor lists change. Verify current specifics on afajof.org/submissions before submitting. Fee tiers and the editor masthead were re-verified 2026-06-22 against the live AFA pages (amounts unchanged; current Co-Editors confirmed below); the JF Submission Guidelines PDF is Rev. March 12, 2024.

Submission logistics (JF-specific)

• JF submissions go through the AFA's online submission system (afajof.org/submissions); the fee is paid by credit card (Visa / MasterCard / Amex) as part of the submission.
• Tiered submission fee by author economy and AFA membership (high-income: AFA member $400, non-member $525; middle-income: $100 / $150; low-income: no fee). All authors must reside in a low/middle-income country to qualify for the reduced/zero tier.
• Refund policy: a flat $200 is returned on a desk rejection (high-income; not for resubmissions of previously rejected papers); the entire fee is refunded if the first decision takes more than 100 days. Applies to the first submission only.
• Editor: Antoinette Schoar (MIT), with Co-Editors Kogan, Lewellen, Philippon, and Sunderam (Adi Sunderam replaced Urban Jermann on 1 July 2025) and 50+ Associate Editors, plus a Data Editor (Hong Ru) — masthead confirmed on afajof.org/editorial-board 2026-06-22; re-verify before submission.

Cover letter (JF norm — usually skip it)