Can I change the corresponding author after submission?
Sometimes yes, but only to another already-listed author — not to add someone new. Publishers vary. Wiley allows changing the corresponding author to an already-listed co-author, especially to become eligible for institutional agreements. Elsevier, Springer Nature, and Taylor & Francis also generally allow this. Changing to a co-author not on the original list is treated as an author-list change, which requires justification and journal approval.
Detail
Why authors want to change
Most common reason: the original corresponding author moved institution and lost access to their submission email. Second most common: to become eligible for a transformative agreement or country-based APC waiver. Third: personal circumstances (illness, sabbatical).
What is usually allowed
Changing to another already-listed author. Wiley states this explicitly for its Read and Publish agreements. Elsevier follows a similar policy. The new corresponding author assumes all administrative responsibility.
What is treated as author list change
Adding a new person and naming them corresponding. Removing an author. Changing the author order significantly. All these require journal approval, usually with written justification from every author. Some journals reject such changes after peer review starts.
The waiver-driven change
If you realise post-submission that a different corresponding author would qualify for a waiver, you can request the change. Publishers vary in strictness. Some ask why. Some verify the new corresponding author actually has the claimed affiliation.
A trap: verification lag
At Wiley since 7 June 2025, APC coverage requests are provisional until verified after acceptance. If you change the corresponding author to gain waiver eligibility, and the verification finds the new person's affiliation doesn't qualify, you owe the full APC.
Corresponding author vs. co-author: who it affects
A corresponding-author change is not just an administrative update — at most publishers it is the single decision that determines whether a fee waiver applies at all. Co-authors' countries are usually irrelevant; the corresponding author's status is what publishers check. The rule differs by publisher:
| Rule | Publishers |
|---|---|
| Corresponding author only | Wiley, Taylor & Francis, Springer Nature, Sage, Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, MDPI |
| All authors, same group | Elsevier |
| All authors, or most on request | IOP Publishing |
| All authors, lowest tier wins, one failure voids it | IEEE |
| Institution, not the author | PLOS |
| All authors, plus where the research was done, plus funding status | BMJ |
Source: publisher-policies.json, checked 5 August 2026. Full detail per publisher: which author counts for a waiver.
FAQ
Can I add a brand-new co-author as the corresponding author?
No — naming someone who was not already on the author list is treated as an author-list change, not a corresponding-author change. It needs journal approval and, usually, written justification from every author.
Does the corresponding author have to be one of the original listed authors?
Yes, for it to count as a straightforward corresponding-author swap. Naming someone not already on the author list turns it into an author-list change, which is reviewed more strictly.
What happens if the new corresponding author's eligibility fails verification?
At Wiley, APC coverage requests have been provisional until verified after acceptance since 7 June 2025. If verification finds the new corresponding author does not qualify, the full APC is owed.
Do all publishers handle corresponding-author changes the same way?
No. Wiley, Elsevier, Springer Nature and Taylor & Francis generally allow a change to an already-listed author, but publishers vary in how strictly they verify the reason given and the new author's eligibility.