Writing your cover letter for journal article submission
When you submit a manuscript for publication in a journal, it may be a requirement to include a cover letter. A cover letter is a document that “…conveys vital information about the submission of a manuscript to the person in authority at the editorial office of the journal” (Barry, 2011: 293).
Writing a cover letter for journal article submission is an important method for promoting or ‘selling’ your manuscript to the journal editor, demonstrating the relevance and originality of your work, its fit within the journal and how and why it will be of interest to the journal’s readers. With the cover letter impacting initial perceptions of your work, it is worth dedicating time and dedication to the production of a persuasive, articulate and well-written accompaniment to your manuscript.
In this blog, I aim to address the most commonly asked questions relating to cover letters and offer some helpful hints and tips. Please note that this blog relates to cover letters sent with initial submissions of journal articles and not resubmissions or response letters sent to editors and reviewers, which are slightly different (for guidance, please see my separate blog).
Why do I need to include a cover letter?
When a journal editor receives a manuscript, they will often look first at the cover letter, the abstract and the conclusion to determine whether or not the manuscript fits with the scope of the journal. The cover letter is therefore a key component of the initial decision-making process regarding the publication of a manuscript and plays a key role in making a positive first impression.
The cover letter not only provides the journal editor with an overview of your work, its findings and its impact, but it also offers you an opportunity to demonstrate other important skills that the editor may be looking for. If the publisher has provided guidelines on the required content within cover letters and you have met these, for instance, or you have included specific details such as the editor’s name, then you are also demonstrating your desire and ability to fit your work to the journal’s goals and requirements, as well as diligence. This is likely to have a positive impact on the journal editor, improving your chances of getting to that next stage.
What should I include in the letter?
The aim of the cover letter is to facilitate your manuscript reaching the review stage of the publishing process, so it needs to be convincing and positively influence the journal editor’s decision. It also needs to demonstrate the significance of the paper, the contribution it makes and the impact it will have on the field.
Whilst each cover letter is unique and there will be different guidelines provided by each journal, it is possible to outline several core elements which tend to be expected by most journals (see, for instance, Springer and Taylor and Francis).
The cover letter should be concise and not usually more than one page (single-spaced). It should be presented much like a formal business letter and written in a polite, respectful and professional manner.
1. Editor’s name and date of submission.
One of the first things to look for is the editor’s name so that you can address them personally and also show that you have done your research. Begin by stating ‘Dear [editor name]’. Make sure you use their titles too, such as Dr or Professor. This is a good start to the cover letter.
2. The purpose of your letter and key details (including article type, manuscript title, author name and journal title).
The next paragraph should state that you are submitting a manuscript for consideration in the selected journal and include key details such as article type (whether a journal article, review article, research report or a feature article), your name and any other authors, the title of the article and the name of the journal.
3. An overview of the research on which your paper is based.
You can then address the research, its importance and its contribution. You might also like to mention any other relevant work you have had published or how your manuscript relates to other published articles in the journal. This paragraph should be concise and focused. It may be tempting to draw on your abstract for this material but try to avoid direct repetition. Aim to re-word and shorten your points for this part of the letter.
4. Why your manuscript should be published within the selected journal.
It is a good idea to demonstrate how your manuscript fits with the scope of the journal. You can usually find the journal’s Aims and Scope on its website, so take a look at these and highlight how your work corresponds to or fits with them. This will support your case for demonstrating your paper’s interest to the journal’s readers.
5. Statements required by the journal.
Most journals require the inclusion of a couple of different statements in the cover letter. These usually include a statement that indicates that your paper is original, has not been published elsewhere and is not currently being considered by another journal, as well as a statement confirming that you have no competing/conflicting interests.
Some journals require the inclusion of additional statements indicating, for instance, any previous contact you may have had with the journal, and some ask you to paste specific statements into your letter, so make sure that you check whether or not this is the case for your selected journal.
6. A list of potential reviewers.
Journals may also request the inclusion of possible reviewers for your work, so you may need to include several names and contact details. Check to see if this is a requirement of the journal to which you are submitting.
7. Concluding statement and contact details (as well as those of any co-authors)
You might like to thank the editor for considering your work for publication. You may also choose to include your contact details here. Whilst these will usually also be submitted during the application process, it is often expected that they will be included in the cover letter.
Whilst this list addresses the most common elements of cover letters, make sure that you follow the guidelines offered by your chosen journal, as well as any formatting procedures and that you have fully checked the work for spelling and grammar errors.
Is there a specific layout or template I could use?
There are many templates available from various sources online, so take a look at what works best for the journal you are submitting your work to. Several publishers, such as Taylor and Francis, provide their own cover letter templates (see details below in ‘Where can I find out more?’).
You can use the template below to guide you and amend it in line with the journal requirements:
Editor name Author name
Position (e.g., Editor-in-Chief) Position
Journal name Contact details
Contact details
Date
Dear [name of editor],
I am writing to submit/I have the pleasure of submitting an original manuscript entitled [article title] by [author name] for consideration for publication as a [type of article] in [journal title].
The research upon which the current manuscript is based aimed to [discuss the aims and purpose], employing [provide concise details on methodology]. The findings indicated that [give a brief overview of key findings and their implications]. This is important as [state the significance of the work]. The research is an extension of previous publications which have addressed [give details of relevant published work if relevant]. The research offers [demonstrate the contribution].
I/we believe that the article is of particular relevance to the journal’s focus on [refer to Aims and Scope of selected article]. The paper explores an element previously touched on in the journal on [insert details if relevant], such as [title of relevant article and author] and [title and author], providing an alternative perspective/an original approach which [explain how your work differs to the previous works]. I/we believe that your readers will be particularly interested to discover [state what will be of interest – the findings/the methods used/ the approach].
I/We confirm that this manuscript is original and has not been published elsewhere. It is not currently being considered for publication by another journal. As the sole author, I approve the final version of this manuscript and confirm that I am accountable for all aspects of the work/All authors have approved the manuscript and agree with its submission to [journal name]. I/We have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
If you consider the current manuscript for publication, I/we believe that the following experts would serve as appropriate reviewers of my/our work [include if required]:
[Name of reviewer, title, contact details]
[Name of reviewer, title, contact details]
I would like to thank you for taking the time to consider my/our submission and I/we look forward to hearing from you in due course.
Yours sincerely,
Author name
Contact details
It is important to note that whilst templates are valuable for providing guidance on the kinds of information to provide in a cover letter, remember that originality is also important and will ensure that you stand out to the editor. You should also ensure that you always check the specific guidelines provided by the journal you are submitting to, as they may request additional details which are not documented in the above example.
Is there anything I should try to avoid?
Making the cover letter too long
Your letter should be focused and concise, providing a brief overview which is one page in length. Editors are busy and keen to determine the key issues as quickly as possible.
Repetition of the material in the manuscript
Whilst tempting, avoid pasting sentences from the manuscript into the cover letter, particularly from the abstract. Besides being repetitive, which the editor will establish when they read your abstract (often the next document that they read after the cover letter), the objectives of the cover letter and abstract are distinct. Whereas the purpose of the abstract is to provide a summary of the research aims, methods, findings and conclusions, the cover letter focuses on demonstrating the significance of your work for the specific journal.
Failing to include details outlined in the guidance
Journals often have their own requirements for cover letters, so try to ensure that you read these and include everything that they request.
Poor presentation and formatting, or spelling, punctuation and grammar errors
It is important to make sure that you have followed all of the formatting guidelines provided by the journal and that your work is well-presented. Proof-reading your work to remove any spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors will also demonstrate your professionalism and ensure that you make a good first impression.
Where can I find out more?
There is a lot of useful advice out there on writing effective cover letters and one of the most helpful places to look first is within the journals themselves. Most journals will provide detailed guidance on what they would like to see in their letters from potential authors, so ensure that you take a look at those and address all requirements.
There is some useful advice at Springer:
Taylor and Francis provide a template as well as an example cover letter:
You can also find useful information in the following sources:
Barry, D. (2011) ‘Cover letter and submission form preparation’ in R.J. Gladon, W.R. Graves and J.M. Kelly (eds) Getting Published in the Life Sciences. New Jersey: Wiley-Blackwell.
Nicholas, D. (2019) ‘How to choose a journal and write a cover letter’, Saudi Journal of Anaesthesia. 13(1) S35-S41.
I hope you have found this blog helpful in understanding the importance of the cover letter in the journal submission process and how to effectively construct your own cover letter.
Good luck!