Why Your arXiv Submission is Stuck: A Deep Dive into Delay Times

Counting ArXiv Delays

Frustrated by my arXiv submission being stuck on hold, I analyzed over 60,000 papers from 2015 to 2026 to find the cause. While overall delays haven't increased, I discovered that specific categories like cs.CY and physics.pop-ph face significantly longer waits, likely due to reclassification needs. This data reveals that your submission time depends heavily on your chosen subject category.

"So if you're submitting to a new arXiv subject, don't rely on the time to announcement being the same as you're used to."