PRL Submission Preflight (prl-submission)

When to trigger

• "Submitting tonight" — the last check before the upload button
• You are unsure which files the APS submission system expects
• You need to confirm the manuscript passes the automated length check
• You want a single gate before handing off to peer review

Pre-submission checklist

Length and format

• Manuscript passes the current APS automated length check (body + figures + equations + references; verify the limit)
• Prepared in REVTeX (the APS LaTeX class) or an accepted format
• Submitted in the Letter article type, not a regular article
• Abstract within the current length limit and self-contained
• Figures embedded for review; production-quality source files ready
• SI units, consistent significant figures, defined notation throughout

Files

• Main Letter source (LaTeX/REVTeX) + a compiled PDF
• All figure files at production resolution (vector for line art)
• Supplemental Material as a separate file, clearly labeled
• Cover letter (see prl-cover-letter)
• Bibliography / .bib file as required

Classification and metadata

• Subject area / editor track selected accurately
• Current APS subject classification applied (verify the scheme in use)
• Title, abstract, and author list entered consistently with the manuscript
• Funding / acknowledgments handled per APS instructions
• Any required statements (data availability, ethics if applicable) present

Authors and integrity

• All authors meet authorship criteria and have approved submission
• Corresponding author and contact details correct
• ORCID / affiliations complete
• Originality / not-under-consideration-elsewhere confirmed
• Prior arXiv / conference version disclosed
• Competing-interest statement if required

Referees

• Suggested referees entered (see prl-referee-strategy)
• Opposed referees entered with brief, professional rationale

Self-consistency

• Every "see Supplemental Material" pointer resolves
• Figure/equation/reference numbering continuous and matching in-text callouts
• SM figures/tables use the S-prefix and are cited from the body
• The Letter stands alone without the SM (cross-check prl-supplementary)

Submission-system notes

• Submit through the APS editorial system; verify the current portal URL and account requirements on the PRL author page.
• The automated length check runs at submission — fix overages before uploading (use prl-length-management).
• Keep the SM as a distinct upload, not appended to the Letter PDF.
• Review is single-blind with subject-area / divisional editor tracks; the classification you pick steers which desk triages the Letter.
• Fees are no blocker under the subscription route: the page charge is optional, CC-BY open access carries an APC (~$2,700 — confirm live), and SCOAP3 covers eligible high-energy-physics Letters.

Night-before dry run

Run this sequence the evening before, not at the upload screen:

1. Clean compile. Build the REVTeX source from scratch in a fresh directory to catch machine-local dependencies.
2. Length estimate. Apply the current APS formula — body, figures by printed area, equations, references — and leave a margin below the limit.
3. Pointer audit. Confirm every "Supplemental Material" mention maps to real SM content, and no S-prefixed item goes uncited.
4. Metadata dry-fill. Draft the portal fields in a text file so the live session is transcription, not composition.
5. Freeze. No content edits after the dry run; any change reopens the length check and pointer audit.

Desk-return triggers to eliminate

Anti-patterns

• Discovering an over-length only when the automated check rejects it
• Uploading the SM glued onto the end of the Letter PDF
• Wrong article type (regular article instead of Letter)
• Broken "see SM" cross-references after last-minute trimming
• Outdated subject classification or missing required statements
• Forgetting to disclose a prior arXiv version

Output format

【Length check】pass (per APS formula) / fix
【Format】REVTeX / accepted; article type = Letter?  yes / fix
【Files】Letter / figures / SM / cover letter / bib — all present?
【Classification】subject area + current scheme applied?  yes / fix
【Authors】criteria, ORCID, originality, prior-version disclosure
【Referees】suggested + opposed entered?  yes / fix
【Stands alone】yes / fix
【Next】await reports → prl-revision; plan referees → prl-referee-strategy

Attached resources

• templates/checklist.md — full pre-submission self-check across length / format / files / classification / authors / referees / self-consistency
• templates/manuscript_template.md — Letter skeleton (title, abstract, body sections, figure/equation/reference budgeting, SM outline)
• ../../resources/external_tools.md — REVTeX/LaTeX, figure tools, data repositories, and physics computation packages

Portal URL, length formula, classification scheme, and required statements are volatile — verify all on the official APS / PRL author page before submitting.