More than 6 months ago I submitted a paper to a very prestigious journal in Mathematics. Honestly I did not expect it to make it past the managing editor, I thought to give it a try, and then submit to a journal in my field. Surprisingly for me it was assigned a manuscript number, and no news since. I am assuming it went to a reviewer. 


Is it appropriate to inquire about the status of the paper, even though their online system clearly says that the submission is being processed? I don't want to look like a doofus that cannot read a website. The paper is rather short, under 15 pages, so while I understand that a rejection is likely, I perhaps expected a quick rejection so I can submit it elsewhere. At this stage, if a rejection is forthcoming, will I at least have a referee's report with, perhaps, helpful suggestions and comments? 


Grateful for your advice!



Inquiring about the status of a submitted paper
It is perfectly okay to ask about the status of the paper. It often happens that referees and editors forget about their assignments and a reminder call is a right thing to do. You could ask the editor, but then be patient. It often takes about a year to get the reports. If this is a really prestigious journal, it is likely that the paper was sent to more than one referee and you will not hear from the editors until all the reports are in. 


