The authors and their manuscript on one side and the reviewers and the checklist on the other are overseen by the editor. The authors should consider the editor a partner in the publishing process.
Read more
N. R. Gough, Authors and Editors, Partners not Enemies. BioSerendipity (11 June 2019) https://www.bioserendipity.com/authors-and-editors-partners-not-enemies/