Mistakes to avoid in publishing

As the editor in chief of ACI Avances en Ciencias e Ingenierias, I have seen a fair number of faux-pas. If you want to improve your chances at getting your paper accepted for publication, avoid the following mistakes:

• Not using the paper template: Of course, there are journals that use the “your paper, your way” approach, but most journals have a template of what they want your paper to look like. The template is not there to bug you, the template is there to guide you on the sections your paper needs to have (such as, for example, a data availability statement).
• Not having quality figures: If your figures are blurred or hard to read, it will stand out to the editor. Make sure your figures are clear, sharp, add value to the paper, and are easy to interpret without having to read all details in the paper.
• Not having your data: If you have generated a graph, and you don’t have the data underlying the graph, that is a red flag for an editor. You may simply have deleted your data (but really, why would you?), or you may be claiming authorship of work that is not yours.
• Replying to the observations of reviewers with “OK”: If you reply to the comments of the reviewers, you should first type a reply to the comment, and then indicate where you implemented the change in the text. If you did not address the comment, you should have a compelling argument as to why you did not address the comment.

Which other publishing mistakes should authors avoid?