system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Is it acceptable to ask for an extension on a paper draft for a journal?

For the first time in years, I've had a lot of upheaval and am just drowning. I need a little more time for a paper I'm working on, but I'm a little afraid to ask. Is it ok to ask for this, or is it better to just do my best and give what I can by the deadline?
gpt
I would politely write the editor to explain that you're a little behind and need some more time. It'd be good to be specific about how much time (e.g. will submit in a week), especially if you think it would make a material difference in the quality of the paper. I've done this for article reviews and submissions before and they're usually cool as long as you're clear and don't abuse their patience (like asking again and again).