I am the editor of a student-edited journal at a graduate school. We extended a publication offer to an author that has published with the journal in the past, and with whom I do not wish to burn any bridges. The normal process of an offer goes like this:
(1) extend the offer,
(2) author either accepts or rejects,
(3) send copyright agreement,
(4) author signs and returns copyright agreement,
(5) we edit and publish the article.

http://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/40732/ramificati...

I would rephrase it, rather than use a noun