I submitted an article to an academic journal about two months ago (not through a website but directly to an editor's email, because the submission via email is the required way) but received no confirmation of receipt.
What can I do? Can two months be considered enough to withdraw my submission?
This is a version of a very common question that cannot be answered without knowing more details than you should give. If you did not receive any communications from the editor, you should ask for a confirmation that your submission email has been received. You might also look into your spam folder, as acknowledgment responses can easily end up there.
It would be unfair to the journal to withdraw your submission without just cause, but you are legally allowed to change your mind.
At this point, you do not know whether the email with your paper was received, whether an acknowledgment has been sent and lost in your inbox, whether the editor has problems that prevented the editor from acting on the submission, or whether your paper is being actively reviewed.
Even journals with sophisticated editorial software manage to lose communications.
