Microbiology Spectrum

This journal has been undergoing a transformation for the past two years, and it is hard to say what the future holds. However, it is quite unseemly for certain groups (fans of a so-called high impact factor journal) to be so excited. As for discussing the value for money, I would advise against investing in any of ASM's journals. They have a low value for money. How about the value for money of mBio? What about AEM? These journals have the lowest impact factors among those with similar submission difficulties. If you want to chase impact factor, it is better to submit to STE and JHM instead... ASM is a giant in the microbiology field, so be careful not to shoot yourself in the foot.

Speaking solely about the journal itself, currently it focuses on the generalizability of research ideas and methods, meaning it aims to provide effective ideas and methods for the scientific community, rather than innovation (gimmicks, new data). It may be relatively easier to get published in this journal in order to increase its impact factor, but the future is uncertain.

Not a very pleasant submission experience.
The research direction is insect-associated microbiota, and the experiment was conducted meticulously. After being rejected by mbio, it was submitted elsewhere.
The review process took 84 days, and there was no response regarding the first review result. Despite sending two reminders during this period, there was still no reply.
I have decided to withdraw the submission and submit to another journal.
Usually, the first decision received by neighboring research groups is relatively fast and can usually be completed within a month. However, the process of checking published articles also delays some initial reviews.
Currently, the number of submissions has increased, and this journal, which is also under ASM, does not specify the review cycle on its homepage. It is estimated that the speed may gradually slow down in the future.