I was nursing my wounds from my latest manuscript rejection when the email arrived. I was about 2 years into my assistant professorship, with the tenure clock running at full speed, and the pressure to publish was immense. I knew that navigating rejection was part of the job, but I was also starting to wonder whether my study-a modest project designed to be feasible with the minimal lab space and skeleton crew of a new professor-would ever see the light of day. So when I received the email from a newly launched journal inviting me to publish with them, I saw a lifeline. That's when my troubles started.