diff --git a/submissions/forms.py b/submissions/forms.py
index 064a6615d24fe13bafa71f9c95c5970db939e64e..ecce7bf133c5e85cd7cf8ba9482745d4f707f3c8 100644
--- a/submissions/forms.py
+++ b/submissions/forms.py
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ class RequestSubmissionForm(SubmissionChecks, forms.ModelForm):
         self.fields['proceedings'].empty_label = None
         if not qs.exists():
             # No proceedings issue to submit to, so adapt the form fields
-            self.fields['submitted_to'].queryset = self.fields['submitted_to'].exclude(
+            self.fields['submitted_to'].queryset = self.fields['submitted_to'].queryset.exclude(
                 doi_label=SCIPOST_JOURNAL_PHYSICS_PROC)
             del self.fields['proceedings']
 
diff --git a/submissions/migrations/0044_auto_20181115_1009.py b/submissions/migrations/0044_auto_20181115_1009.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..7139126d8fb0582482a918c15959c8d1ddf28bc8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/submissions/migrations/0044_auto_20181115_1009.py
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+# Generated by Django 1.11.4 on 2018-11-15 09:09
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
+from django.db import migrations, models
+import django.db.models.deletion
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ('submissions', '0043_remove_submission_submitted_to_journal'),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name='submission',
+            name='submitted_to',
+            field=models.ForeignKey(on_delete=django.db.models.deletion.CASCADE, to='journals.Journal'),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/submissions/models.py b/submissions/models.py
index ea7c57afca1915791d04126dea38fe0b608c98f1..58acca54932f2fceb81313a167eb661b54918470 100644
--- a/submissions/models.py
+++ b/submissions/models.py
@@ -90,8 +90,7 @@ class Submission(models.Model):
     voting_fellows = models.ManyToManyField('colleges.Fellowship', blank=True,
                                             related_name='voting_pool')
 
-    submitted_to = models.ForeignKey('journals.Journal', on_delete=models.CASCADE,
-                                     blank=True, null=True)
+    submitted_to = models.ForeignKey('journals.Journal', on_delete=models.CASCADE)
     proceedings = models.ForeignKey('proceedings.Proceedings', null=True, blank=True,
                                     related_name='submissions')
     title = models.CharField(max_length=300)
@@ -441,12 +440,13 @@ class EditorialAssignment(SubmissionRelatedObjectMixin, models.Model):
             # Only send if status is appropriate to prevent double sending
             return False
 
-        EditorialAssignment.objects.filter(
-            id=self.id).update(date_invited=timezone.now(), status=STATUS_INVITED)
-
         # Send mail
         mail_sender = DirectMailUtil(mail_code='eic/assignment_request', instance=self)
         mail_sender.send()
+
+        EditorialAssignment.objects.filter(
+            id=self.id).update(date_invited=timezone.now(), status=STATUS_INVITED)
+
         return True