Going over a journal's word-limit in an R&R?

In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:

Do revise-and-resubmits have to respect the same initial word limit? Or is there some leeway (10% over?)?

Good questions. I've heard anecdotally that it can be fine to go a little over a journal's limit, and another reader submitting the following reply:

yes, add 10% in the R&R ... I have done it ... but it should be done because one is addressing concerns of referees.

Still, it might be good to hear from other readers. I did it for the first time recently, with a paper that was ultimately accepted at a good journal. But in general, I like to avoid anything (like going over a limit) that might give referees or editors an excuse to reject, so for the most part I try to stick to word-limits.

What say you all? Do you go over word limits in R&Rs? If so, is 10% a good rule of thumb? Or, has this backfired for anyone?

Comments

[Getting good at cutting those words]

Ask the editor!

I have had the experience of being explicitly told that I could not go over the word limit in responding to the comments and so had to cut other content to get everything in. I would not like to have taken the chance and just gone over. I have also had the experience of having a paper returned (with resubmission allowed, thankfully) for being over the word limit by only a few hundred words (my word count actually disagreed with theirs, but I wasn't in a position to argue)—so I don't think you can assume no one will notice.

[Michel]

It's almost always okay, yes. In my experience, you're usually explicitly told when it's not.

One possible exception is JAPA: I had an R&R that went over, and I noted as much when resubmitting it. It was rejected a couple of days later, and I subsequently learned that at least one of the original referees never saw it again (not was he told the outcome). I strongly suspect it was the word count that did it.

[Tenured Phil]

A bit over is fine. I've done it without pushback from the editors. I've also had a paper or two that went way over the word limit after and R&R. In those cases, I contacted the editor before resubmitting and got approval.

[academic migrant]

I think contacting the editor is the way. Some journals make this very explicit. AJP, for example, tells you your new word limit in the decision letter.