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Part one of our 3-part series on the dos and don’ts of communicating with editors and reviewers.

A good cover letter is a crucial part of the manuscript submission package to Nature Methods . It is not simply an archaic form of communication that is becoming obsolete in a digital world; rather, it should be viewed as an opportunity to convey many important pieces of information about a paper to the editors.

Manuscripts submitted to Nature Methods must first pass an editorial evaluation stage, but as professional editors, we are not experts in every scientific field that the journal covers. Providing context for the paper in a cover letter not only can help the editors reach a quicker decision but also can sometimes tip the balance in favor of sending a borderline paper out for peer review.

Here are some practical tips for potential authors.

• Do give a brief, largely non-technical summary of the method. Explain how it will have an impact and why the method and its applications will be interesting to a broad biological audience. This can include more forward-looking information about potential future applications that authors may be reticent to share with reviewers or readers of their manuscript. Such a summary is especially crucial for highly technical papers, where the chance that the advance may not be fully appreciated by the editors is often higher.
• Do put the work in context. Briefly explain the novelty and the specific advances over previous work but be realistic about what the method can and cannot achieve. Many authors are hesitant to compare their work to previous methods for fear that it will appear to reviewers that they are putting down the contributions of other researchers. But editors may not be aware of the nuances of various approaches to address a methodological problem and are more likely to reject a paper without peer review when the advance over previous work is not clear. Authors should not hesitate to discuss freely in the cover letter why they believe method is an advance (most ideally, backed up with strong performance characteristics in the manuscript!).
• Do suggest referees. If the editors decide to send the paper for peer review, providing a list of potential referees, their email addresses, and a very short description of their expertise, can help the editor assign referees more rapidly. Of course, whether the editor decides to use any of the suggested referees is up to him or her. This is also the place to list researchers that you believe should be excluded from reviewing the paper. (Please note that the names of excluded reviewers should also be included in the relevant field of the online submission form.) The editors will honor your exclusion list as long as you don’t exclude more than five people; if you exclude everyone relevant in a scientific field such that the review process will not be productive or fair, the editor may ask you to shorten the list.
• Do tell us about any related work from your group under consideration or in press elsewhere. Explain how it relates, and include copies of the related manuscripts with your submission.
• Do mention any unusual circumstances. For example, known competition with another group’s paper, co-submission to Nature Methods planned with another group, or co-submission of a related results paper to another NPG journal, etc.
• Do mention if you have previously discussed the work with an editor. As editors, we meet a lot of researchers at conferences and lab visits and many papers are pitched to us. A brief mention of when and where such a conversation occurred can help jog the memory of why we invited the authors to submit it in the first place.

The DON’Ts:

• Don’t simply reiterate that you have submitted a paper to us and/or copy and paste the title and abstract of the paper. The cover letter should be viewed as an opportunity to present useful meta-information about the paper, and not tossed off simply as a submission requirement.
• Don’t go on for pages about what the paper is about and summarize all of your results. The editor will always read the paper itself so long cover letters are usually redundant. A one-page cover letter in almost all cases is sufficient.
• Don’t use highly technical jargon and acronyms. Explaining the advance in a general manner can go a long way in helping the editors reach a quicker decision; cover letters that are largely unreadable are of no help to the editors.
• Don’t overhype or over-interpret. While a description of why the method will advance the field is definitely appreciated, obvious overstatements about the impact or reach of the work do not help and can even reflect poorly on the authors’ judgment of the needs of a field.
• Don’t assume that going on about your scientific reputation or endorsements from others in the field will sway us. This is not pertinent to our editorial decision. Our decisions are based on whether we think the paper will be a good editorial fit for the journal, not on the laurels of the authors or because someone important in the field suggested that they submit the work to Nature Methods

And finally, a minor editorial pet peeve:

• Don’t address your cover letter to “Dear Sir.” This is antiquated language, not to mention often incorrect, given that two-thirds of Nature Methods’ editors are women. Stick to the gender-neutral “Dear Editor” in cases where you are not addressing a specific editor.

Don’t miss parts 2 and 3 of this series of posts covering rebuttal letters and appeal letters . We encourage questions, comments and feedback below. The editors will do their best to answer any questions you have.

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Cover letter for your manuscript

A cover letter can be used to help convey a work’s importance to the editors. It should also be used to highlight any potential issues such as related manuscripts currently under consideration in any other Springer Nature publication, as well as indicating whether you have had any prior discussions with a Springer Nature editor about the work described in the manuscript. Please use the cover letter to declare that the manuscript is not currently being considered for publication in any other journal and, if necessary, please include any reviewers you wish to recommend or exclude (including the reasons why). Finally, the cover letter is a good place to include any other issues or anything you were unsure of, that you have encountered whilst submitting your manuscript.

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How to Write a Cover Letter for Your Manuscript? Here are the Tips and Examples

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Table of Contents

A cover letter is often the first thing an editor reads when reviewing your submission. As your first pitch to the editor, the cover letter helps them gauge the suitability of your manuscript for publication in their journal. Imagine your work shaping the future of your field, gathering citations, and sparking discussions. A powerful cover letter is thus the first step to making that vision into a reality.   

In this article, we will guide you through the process of writing an effective cover letter and explain how you can get it right every time with examples. First, let us get started with the basics!  

Getting the Basics Right  

When writing a cover letter, it is crucial to address the editor by their correct and complete name¹ . If there are multiple co-editors, you can address your letter to the right person, based on their specialization or designated responsibilities. If unsure, it is okay to go with a more general salutation, such as “Dear Editors”¹ .   

Presenting your Research  

Provide a clear and concise title for your submission and specify whether it is an article, communication, review, perspective, or a manuscript belonging to some other category. If the journal guideline recommends, consider including a list of all authors in the manuscript.   

After covering the preliminary information, briefly explain your paper’s central theme or focus to give the editor an idea of its contents. Ensure this stays a brief outline, without going into too much detail.   

Conveying the Importance of Your Work  

How you communicate the impact of your work can make or break your cover letter. To make a strong impression on the editor, articulate the significance of your research clearly, emphasizing its relevance to the field. Additionally, show how your work aligns with the journal’s scope and mission.  

Including a Formal Declaration  

Some journals require a set of declarations from you to ensure that your manuscript adheres to its ethical code and the larger ethical standards of scientific publishing. Here are the required declarations in a cover letter:  

• Originality of work:  
• Confirm that your work is original and has not been published elsewhere. This tells the editor your research is unique.  
• Conflict of interest statement:  
• Be clear about any potential conflicts of interest. This includes any personal, financial, or professional connections that might affect your research.  
• Funding source (if applicable):  
• Tell where your research funding came from, if any. This includes any support or grants from organizations.   

Including Personal Suggestions for Reviewers on a Separate Page (optional)  

If there is no part of the submission process that collects researcher suggestions for reviewers, and there are special requests from the researcher for reviewers (e.g., recommending the inclusion or suggesting the exclusion of a specific reviewer, etc.), you may also make a note about this in the cover letter.  

Combining these five points, here is a good example of a cover letter for researchers’ reference:  

(This image is intended to demonstrate the norms of formatting and tone of expression in a cover letter, it is to be used only by the researcher as a reference in writing² .)  

Conclusion  

A strong cover letter can go a long way in ensuring success for researchers looking to publish their manuscripts! Your cover letter is the opening act, setting the stage for how editors perceive your manuscript. So, look at it not as just another formality but as a crucial opportunity to make a strong impression.   

Understanding what to include, what is optional, and what is best left unsaid can be tricky. That is where our team of experts at Elsevier Language Services can step in. We will provide personalized recommendations and expert guidance to help you craft a cover letter that perfectly complements your manuscript. Reach out to us today to make a great first impression and embark on a successful academic journey!  

Reference  

• Nicholas, D. (2019). How to choose a journal and write a cover letter. Saudi Journal of Anaesthesia, 13(5), 35. https://doi.org/10.4103/sja.sja_691_18  
• Loyola University Chicago. (n.d.). JCSHESA Sample Cover Letter. https://ecommons.luc.edu/jcshesa/cover_letter_template.pdf  

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10 quick cover-letter tips for submitting scientific papers

This is more a list of don’ts than dos; there’s a serious blog post/editorial that needs to be written about how to write an effective cover letter, but for now, here’s a quick checklist for you all…

1. Send in a cover letter with your submission explaining why it’s as awesome as you think it is and why I should come to the same conclusion. It always puzzles me when there is no cover letter… this is your 10 minutes alone in a room with the editor, making your case for why she/he should care about the work.

2. This means not just copying the abstract of your paper and dropping it word-for-word into the cover letter. I’ll read the abstract when I get to the paper.

3. Ditto for the introduction paragraph(s) from the paper – these don’t belong in the cover letter either.

4. Ditto for the concluding paragraph(s) from the paper – you get the picture by now.

5. When your cover letter launches into the carefully reasoned explanation of why This Particular Journal is the most suitable forum for the publication of your paper, make sure the journal you’re actually submitting to is This Particular Journal otherwise you might look a bit silly. No editor should reject a manuscript based on an author revealing the Journal That Already Rejected My Paper in the cover letter, but you know what, it’s just polite to update your cover letter and it means that you don’t get the editor worrying about how closely you’ve been paying attention to the paper and the science itself (not just the cover letter).

6. Ditto the cover letter date. Why is the cover letter dated 5 weeks ago? Huh, weird.

7. If you’re going to refer to the editor of the journal by name in your cover letter, make sure you’ve got the correct editor name/journal name/journal office address combo.

8. Probably best to spend more time on why your work is so great than on why everyone else’s work in this area sucks.

9. If you’re going to give a list of particular sub-disciplines in your field where you think people will find your paper interesting (this seems to happen in chemistry a fair bit), explain *why* you think they will find the work interesting. It’s useless otherwise.

10. Suggest the names (and contact details) of experts who you think would be able to provide an impartial evaluation of the research described in your manuscript. Editors will almost certainly not choose a group of referees (there must be a better collective noun for ‘referees’ than ‘group’ – suggestions welcome in the comments) just from your suggestions, but they do provide a helpful starting point – it also makes it clear to the editor that you are aware of the community that is working in the areas of research described in your paper. Some journals allow you to name referees/nemeses who you’d rather we didn’t send your precious bundle of joy to – if this list gets too long or excludes everyone else who works in the same area, however, it tends to activate the big flashing red light (with really loud siren) installed in most editorial offices*. *Not really, but you get the point I hope.

BONUS: You remembered to update your cover letter and make sure it matches the journal that you are *now* submitting to. Did you update the supplementary information statement? You know, the one that often mentions a particular journal.

( UPDATED later in the day this entry was first posted to add a few more points following some Twitter conversation – also, for some great (tongue-in-cheek) examples of what not to do, look at #overlyhonestcoverletters !)

11. Do not leverage buzzwords, and avoid clichés like the plague. Your work is a paradigm shift ? Really? You’ve shifted paradigms? (Thanks to @jermynation for reminding me about this one on Twitter). And unless you’re actually talking about *the* Holy Grail (which I doubt you are), don’t go there (sub req’d).

12. Again, thanks to @jermynation for pointing out that celebrity endorsements from Professor Big Shot aren’t necessary in cover letters either. If Prof. Big Shot has told you that your work is amazing (and they really meant it), just keep your fingers crossed that the stars align and we send it to them to review.

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11 responses to 10 quick cover-letter tips for submitting scientific papers.

Nice collection of points, Stu.

However, I think that covers are overrated (and say so in my talks). The most important aspect of the letter is to provide context for the findings as well as their implications if these are not apparent from the manuscript.

To me, a good cover letter looks something like this: _________ Dear editor,

My colleagues and I would appreciate it if you would consider our work on [short sentence].

We show that [short summary paragraph].

We feel that our findings are important because [short paragraph on background and context].

Our results should have implications for [short paragraph that conveys how the findings are going to improve understanding, methodology or technology].

Thank you for your time.

Best regards,

Corresponding author _________

I often read the paper before I read the cover letter. In most cases, I then find the cover letter to be superfluous. Also, specifying formatting aspects (such as number of figures and word count) in the cover letter is (to me) useless, and I actually don’t mind it when authors forget to update letters submitted to previous journals or if they do not submit any.

When they are useful, cover letters convey a story that is not apparent from the manuscript, and one that doesn’t exaggerate the importance or implications of the findings.

Thanks for the comments Pep. Funnily enough, I think cover letters are massively underrated… when I get around to it, I’ll put up a post explaining what I think makes a good one.

This is useful at least in grasping an idea of what an editor looks for. I started to realize the importance of cover letters when I watched Episode 2 of the ACS “Publishing Your Research 101” videos a while back. The issue is, as seen by Pep’s comments, editors definitely differ on their importance/relevance. In the end, better to have a good letter that isn’t read than a shoddy letter that is read. I do like Pep’s aforementioned short format and will attempt that when the journal doesn’t require a laundry list of content in the cover letter (author names and positions, reviewer list, statement saying it’s not submitted elsewhere, yada yada yada)

A while ago I too submitted a CL with the wrong journal name on it; I forgot to update it. I was so ashamed to find out my mistake and I only did it after the paper was once again rejected. Although the editor didn’t mention it I’m sure my lack of proofing didn’t help my case. Good science defends itself, right? In my opinion making it good is not about coming up with great answers but with the right questions and that, to me, is the toughest part.

Best wishes

Well, this post has really made me think! I find this cover letter thing weird, but then I come from a discipline, psychology, where, as far as I know, they aren’t taken seriously. When I was an editor, I ignored cover letters completely because I felt what mattered was whether the paper was good – no amount of the author telling me so was going to influence that. I wanted to get to the meat of the paper. I can see a cover letter may assume importance for the kind of journal that triages stuff and rejects a lot without review, but I don’t usually mess with those journals. And the journal I edited (like most journals in my field) would send the majority of papers out for review unless they were real no-hopers. Also, when the paper is published, the cover letter won’t be there. So I reckon that you need the abstract to be the place where you make readers aware of what you’ve done and why it is important – that’s what determines whether people will read it once it’s published. Your post has been very helpful in making me aware that I need to start writing proper cover letters if I want to tangle with the high impact players, but I still find it odd that it should be seen as so important. The impression you give is that an ace paper could be sunk by a poor cover letter – I find this scary if true.

@deevybee – thanks for your comments. As you can see from Pep’s comment, even editors at Nature journals have very differing views of cover letters. I agree that for journals that send most submissions out to referees, the cover letter is not really all that important (your paper is likely getting sent out no matter what). I also take your point about the abstract being where the importance of the work is made clear, but our abstracts are limited to 150 words and so are typically concise and to the point (and that’s a good thing). It may well be different in other fields, but many chemistry papers can be quite dense and dry in terms of writing style (rightly or wrongly) and I often say that the cover letter is where the authors’ enthusiasm for the work can really shine through and can be expressed in something other than the dry scientific (and formulaic) language of the papers themselves. I don’t think a paper would be sunk by having no (or a poor) cover letter – we read every paper and judge them on their merits. Editors are, for the most part, human (if they’ve had enough coffee) and can sometimes miss the point of a paper or not see the significance of the work in the same terms as the authors – and this is what can lead to appeals. I think a good cover letter can focus the mind of the editor on the crucial aspects of the work; I don’t see that as swaying or biasing the editor, and every author has the same opportunity to write a cover letter. It’s maybe not a totally accurate analogy, but when I’m recruiting, it’s not just the CV that matters, it’s the cover letter too, that really helps me see the strengths and weaknesses of a candidate.

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Bunch of dopey talk, which does not account for a readers’/authors’ view, often by editors who have not made an impactful contribution to the scientific endeavor (i.e. “professional” editors). When I view journals that cater to a broad audience I likely find less than 10% of interest to any facet of my life. And what are impact factors, other than a measure of “mine is bigger than yours”, in what way do they represent anything truly meaningful? Of course, IF drives editors to “choose” the “best” or the “broadest impacting” science. http://occamstypewriter.org/scurry/2012/08/13/sick-of-impact-factors/ https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/11/05/editorial-says-journal-impact-factors-have-lost-credibility It is time scientists (and yes that does mean editors too!) to think of what science is really supposed to mean, and here are some hints: not metrics, or broad appeal, or h-factors. It is hardly a surprise then that many bright bulbs do not want to be in the sciences but prefer the more lucrative professions where the satisfaction is in the remuneration, which of course is more meaningful than any IF or h-factor. Food for thought?

Not entirely sure the above comment really has all that much to do with the post above, but hey, there you go.

Late last night/early this morning, after meticulously editing the ms, I sent what was probably my most important communication to date to my favorite journal (published several papers with previously). I just realized, in horror, that I’d left an old journal title on the cover letter (got the Editor name right, but forgot to change journal title – I use a template for all my CLs. It’s a competing journal, similar scope and format, eek!). Anyways, I cannot withdraw it to re-submit as it is being processed – should I send an email to the editor to apologize or wait for feedback? I am feeling very anxious as the work is very compelling and I’d hate to see it suffer at the hands of a cover letter, which it probably won’t but that’s what’s going on in my mind… ugh.

Even though I list all those things above, at the end of the day, the editor should be judging the work on its own merits, not on whether you got the journal name right in the cover letter. Let it be and see what happens.

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How to write a cover letter for journal submission

Download our cover letter template.

When you submit your article to a journal, you often need to include a cover letter. This is a great opportunity to highlight to the journal editor what makes your research new and important. The cover letter should explain why your work is perfect for their journal and why it will be of interest to the journal’s readers.

When writing for publication, a well-written cover letter can help your paper reach the next stage of the manuscript submission process – being sent out for  peer review . So it’s worth spending time thinking about how to write a cover letter to the journal editor, to make sure it’s going to be effective.

To help you, we’ve put together a guide to explain how to write a cover letter for journal article submission. You will receive cover letter instructions of what you should include and what you shouldn’t, and a word template cover letter.

Ready to submit?

Taylor & Francis Editing services has a high quality premium editing package to make you feel confident to submit.

Customized cover letter

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What should my cover letter include?

Before you start to write, please check the  instructions for authors  (IFAs) of your chosen journal, as not all journals will require one. You should also check the IFAs for any journal specific information on what to include. This may include a list of relevant articles written by you or your co-authors that have been or are currently being considered for publication in other journals.

Key points to include in your letter to the editor:

Editor’s name (you can usually find this on the journal page on  Taylor & Francis Online ).

Your manuscript’s title.

Name of the journal you are submitting to.

Statement that your paper has not been previously published and is not currently under consideration by another journal.

Brief description of the research you are reporting in your paper, why it is important, and why you think the readers of the journal would be interested in it.

Contact information for you and any  co-authors .

Confirmation that you have no  competing interests  to disclose.

Things to avoid:

Don’t copy your abstract into your cover letter, instead explain in your own words the significance of the work, the problem that is being addressed, and why the manuscript belongs in the journal.

Don’t use too much jargon or too many acronyms, keep language straightforward and easy to read.

Avoid too much detail – keep your cover letter to a maximum of one page, as an introduction and brief overview.

Avoid any spelling and grammar errors and ensure your letter is thoroughly proofed before submitting.

Click to enlarge your PDF on key information to include in your cover letter .

Cover letter template

If you need further help to write a cover letter for a journal, you can download and use our sample template as a guide.

You might find that the submission system for your chosen journal requires your cover letter to be submitted into a text box rather than as a separate document, but it is still a good idea to write a draft first to make sure you have included everything.

Always make sure to check the journal’s  instructions for authors  for any specific additional information to include.

Submission ready

Use our submission checklist  to make sure you’ve included everything you need to.

If you need more guidance, take a look at our other  information and resources to help you make your submission .

Rapid constructive feedback

Consider the Taylor & Francis Rapid Technical Review service to help you meet your deadline, through peer-review-like comments on your manuscript.

Related resources

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Guide to improve your submission experience

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What Editors Want

How to submit a journal article manuscript, what do journal editors want.

Journal editors evaluate all manuscripts that are submitted to their journal, select those which they consider to be suitable for the journal to send for peer review, and consider peer reviewers’ advice to make a final decision about what gets published. Therefore, it is important to know how they make their decisions.

Journal editors are busy and usually have to make an initial decision on the suitability of a paper quickly. When first faced with a manuscript they usually look at the cover letter, abstract, conclusion and references. They use this to judge whether the submission is in scope for the journal and of sufficient impact. Editors always aim to evaluate the novelty and significance of a paper against the expectations of the readership and the impact of the journal.

Journal editors want to publish good quality research that is of interest to their readers

Your submission is more likely to be accepted if it:

• Is within the scope of the journal
• Is novel and describes research that advances the field (see the tip in the right column about “mega” or “sound research” journals)
• Adds to an active research field
• Is carefully prepared and formatted with all required sections present
• Uses clear and concise language
• Follows ethical standards
• Your manuscript should relay a scholarly message that clearly explains the importance of the study.

TIP : Some journals describe themselves as “mega” or “sound research” journals, which means they accept and publish all articles that their reviewers and Editors deem to be methodologically sound, without regard to novelty or the amount of activity in their fields. These journals can often offer fast review due to skipping the evaluating for novelty phase. 

TIP : once you have written your manuscript get a colleague to read it and provide feedback on how the manuscript flows. If necessary rewrite your manuscript so it reads well and grabs the attention of the editor.

Cover letters

A good cover letter can help to “sell” your manuscript to the journal editor. As well as introducing your work to the Editor you can also take this opportunity to explain why the manuscript will be of interest to a journal's readers, something which is always at the forefront of an Editor’s mind. As such it is worth spending time writing a coherent and persuasive cover letter.

The following is an example of a poor cover letter:

Dear Editor-in-Chief, I am sending you our manuscript entitled “Article Title,” by Researcher et al. We would like to have the manuscript considered for publication in the Journal. Please let me know of your decision at your earliest convenience. With my best regards, Sincerely yours, A Researcher, Ph.D.

Instead, check to see whether the journal’s Instructions for Authors have any cover letter requirements (e.g. disclosures, statements, potential reviewers). Then, write a letter that explains why the editor would want to publish your manuscript. The following structure covers all the necessary points that need to be included.

• If known, address the Editor who will be assessing your manuscript by name. Include the date of submission and the journal’s name. 
• First paragraph: include the title of your manuscript and the type of manuscript it is (e.g. review, research, case study). Then briefly explain the background to your study, the question you sought to answer and why.
• Second paragraph: you should concisely explain what was done, the main findings and why they are significant.
• Third paragraph: here you should indicate why the readers of the journal would be interested in the work. Take your cues from the journal’s aims and scope. For example, if the journal requires that all work published has broad implications explain how your study fulfils this. It is also a good idea to include a sentence on the importance of the results to the field.
• To conclude state the corresponding author and any journal specific requirements that need to be complied with (e.g. ethical standards).

TIP : Most journals list their Editorial Boards on their website. You can check the Editorial Board for the chief Editor, and sometimes find the name of the Editor responsible for the specific section into which your work falls. 

TIP : All cover letters should contain these sentences:

We confirm that this manuscript has not been published elsewhere and is not under consideration by another journal.

All authors have approved the manuscript and agree with its submission to [insert the name of the target journal].

Submission checklist

Before submitting your manuscript, thoroughly check its quality one more time. Evaluate it critically—could anything be done better?

Be sure that:

• The manuscript follows the Instructions for Authors
• All files are in the correct file format and of the appropriate resolution or size
• The spelling and grammar are correct
• You have contact information for all authors
• You have written a persuasive cover letter

Peer review process

Peer review exists to ensure that journals publish good research which is of benefit to the entire scholarly community.

Sometimes authors find the peer review process intimidating because it can lead to the rejection of their manuscript. Keep in mind that revisions and improvement are part of the publication process and actually help raise the quality of your manuscript.

Peer review is a positive process

Peer review is an integral part of scholarly publishing that confirms the validity of the research reported. Peer reviewers are experts who volunteer their time to help improve the journal manuscripts they review—they offer authors free advice.

Through the peer-review process, manuscripts should become:

• More robust: Peer reviewers may point out gaps in your paper that require more explanation or additional experiments.
• Easier to read: If parts of your paper are difficult to understand, reviewers can tell you so that you can fix them. After all, if an expert cannot understand what you have done, it is unlikely that a reader in a different field will understand.
• More useful: Peer reviewers also consider the importance of your paper to others in your field and can make suggestions to improve or better highlight this to readers.
• Of course, in addition to offering authors advice, another important purpose of peer review is to make sure that the manuscripts published in the journal are of the correct quality for the journal’s aims.

Different types of peer review

There are different forms of peer review used by journals, although the basis is always the same, field experts providing comments on a paper to help improve it. The most common types are

• Closed—where the reviewers are aware of the authors’ identities but the authors do not know who reviewed their manuscript.
• Double blind—in this case neither authors nor reviewers know each other’s identities.
• Open—where the reviewers are aware of the authors’ identity and the reviewers’ identity is revealed to the authors. In some cases journals also publish the reviewers’ reports alongside the final published manuscript.

You can learn more about the peer review process, including how to serve as a peer reviewer, in our forthcoming peer review tutorial. 

Next: Common rejection reasons

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• v.19(3); 2021 Jul

Scientific Publishing in Biomedicine: How to Write a Cover Letter?

Zahra bahadoran.

1 Nutrition and Endocrine Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Parvin Mirmiran

Khosrow kashfi.

2 Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, School of Medicine, City University of New York, New York, USA

Asghar Ghasemi

3 Endocrine Physiology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

A cover (covering) letter is a brief business letter introducing the scientific work alongside the submission process of a manuscript and is required by most scientific peer-review journals. A typical cover letter includes the name of the editor and the journal, date of submission, the characteristics of the manuscript, the importance of the work and its relevance to prospective audiences, declarations such as author agreements, conflicts of interest statement, funding source (s), and ethical statements. The letter also includes the contact information of the corresponding author (s) and may also include suggestions of potential reviewers. Spending enough time to draft an informative, comprehensive, and concise cover letter is quite worthwhile; a poorly drafted one would not persuade the editor that the submitted work is fit for publication and may lead to immediate rejection. Here, we provide a practical guide to draft a well-written, concise, and professional cover letter for a scientific medical paper.

The Cambridge dictionary defines a cover letter as “a letter that contains information about the thing it is sent with”. The cover letter is commonly known as a motivation letter submitted along with the curriculum vitae (CV) or a job application for employment ( 1 ) or academic position ( 2 ), and it is not clear why and how it was introduced into the scientific field ( 3 ). In scientific writing and publishing, a cover/covering letter is a letter to the editor’s target journal ( 4 ).

Providing a cover letter alongside the submission process is now required by most scientific journals. In fact, some high-quality and prestigious journals pay specific attention to the cover letter ( 3 ). Amongst the different steps of the publication process, the cover letter is the last step and is often overlooked ( 5 ). One of the most common complaints voiced by editors regarding submitted manuscripts is that the authors neglect to write a well-written cover letter, including a statement justifying the importance of their work ( 6 ). Missing this opportunity may have unintentional consequences, rejection without further consideration instead of being sent for external peer-review ( 5 , 6 ). Contrary to this view, some believe that the cover letter’s content overlaps with the manuscript’s abstract and gives mostly redundant information already found within the online submission system ( 3 ). The cover letter may also be a “misleading commercial advertisement” where it would not represent the content of the manuscript ( 3 ).

Although many editors may not read or seriously consider the cover letters of the submitted manuscripts ( 3 , 4 ), neglecting the importance of the cover letter may be a risk for the authors. Therefore, spending an adequate amount of time to write a coherent and persuasive cover letter is worth it. Following our previous publication on choosing a journal in a new series entitled Scientific Publishing in Biomedicine ( 7 ), here, we provided a practical guide to draft a well-written, professional, and concise cover letter needed to be accompanied by an original scientific paper, either with the initial submission or subsequently at revision/resubmitting stage. Since there are subtle differences in writing a cover letter for an original research paper versus a review article or an opinion, some points for drafting a cover letter for such papers are also discussed.

2. The Function of the Cover Letter

A cover letter is “a brief business letter”, which introduces the submitted manuscript to a prospective editor (s) ( 8 ). There are essentially two types of letters; the first is the one that is initially submitted with the manuscript (cover letter), and the second is when a revision is being submitted (revised letter). The first letter introduces the work at the initial manuscript submission ( 9 ), while the second one is needed following an invitation to revise and resubmit the manuscript. Here, the authors respond to the suggestions/criticisms of the reviewers ( 10 ). In this paper, “cover letter” and “second letter” refer to the first/submit letter and the revised letter, respectively.

A well-written cover letter is an effective tool for authors to sell their work to the journal editor and make a “good first impression”. A cover letter is a summary that highlights the main points, emphasizes the novelty, and communicates the potential implications of the submitted work ( 3 ). A cover letter allows the authors to persuade the editors regarding the novelty/originality and significance of the research in a less formal manner than in the manuscript itself ( 6 ). A well-written and informative cover letter helps the journal’s editor to be informed about the work and its significance. Regardless of the novelty and significance of the submitted manuscript, editors may miss those points without providing insights in a cover letter ( 5 ).

3. The Content of a Cover Letter

3.1. first cover letter (submit letter).

One point of view is that the cover letter’s content should be covered in the manuscript’s abstract ( 3 ). A typical cover letter includes the name of editor (s) and the journal, date of submission, the characteristics of the manuscript (i.e., title, type of the manuscript, e.g., review, original, case report), the importance of the work and its relevance to the readership of the journal, verification of the originality of the work, the authors’ confirmation that the manuscript is currently submitted only to this journal, declarations and ethical statements, suggested potential reviewers, and contact information of the corresponding author of the submitted work ( 5 , 6 ). Other manuscript characteristics, including the length and number of tables and figures, can also be indicated. If the manuscript belongs to a special issue or is being submitted upon an official invitation from the journal’s editorial office, it should also be addressed. The main contents of the first cover letter are described in Table 1 .

The most critical element of a cover letter is a “statement of novelty/significance/implication.” The authors are advised to carefully write a brief and concise description of their work’s impact toward communicating its significance ( 6 ). The authors are strongly advised not to copy the abstract into the cover letter and instead explain in their own words the significance of the work and the reason for submitting it to the journal ( 11 ). If this information is lacking, the editors may rely on the reviewers who may not appreciate the significance of the work and just focus on the technical issues rather than the scientific value of the work ( 5 ). Providing a clear and robust statement of novelty and significance would be more critical for editors and potential reviewers with diverse and interdisciplinary backgrounds ( 6 ).

The statements are expected to answer the following questions: (1) why is the work important? (e.g., emphasizing a new measurement, a new diagnostic method or criterion, a newly discovered biological process); and (2) how does the work advance current knowledge in the field? The best approach to answer this question is by describing the current state of knowledge in the field and clarifying how the work provides an added value by answering a previously unanswered question, finding the solution to a problem, or improving existing methods ( 5 ). Checking the recently published papers on similar topics in the journal provides new insights for the authors to clarify in the cover letter as to how the manuscript follows the publication trends of the journal and will add something new that would be relevant to the trend ( 12 ).

The cover letter is also expected to emphasize why the manuscript will attract the journal’s readers ( 5 ). The authors also need to consider the journal’s Aims and Scope to underscore how the manuscript would fit within the journal’s scope and attract potential readers ( 13 ). Instead of stating simply that the manuscript is “of interest to the field” or “novel,” the authors should address specific aspects of the journal’s Aims and Scope statement, e.g., “We believe that this manuscript is appropriate for publication by [journal name] since it… [reference to the journal’s aims and scope] ( 11 ).

For a review, opinion, or a trends paper, emphasizing the timeline and novelty is needed, as stated by Sacristán, the editor of trends in molecular medicine: “The synthesis and conceptual advance should be particularly stated in terms of what is new and has been trending in the field for the last one to five years”. She also recommends that the authors need to provide a future perspective beyond the main take-home message of the manuscript for a trends paper and take a strong and novel stance on a hypothesis or idea for a cover letter of an opinion manuscript ( 14 ).

The cover letter must contain some predefined statements, including the “author agreement” statement ( 13 ). An “author agreement” is a statement to confirm that “all authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript being submitted” ( 8 ). Furthermore, “the authors warrant that the manuscript is their original work, has not received prior publication and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere” ( 8 ). Some journals may request the corresponding author to confirm that he/she will take responsibility for informing co-authors of editorial decisions, reviews received, and any changes or revisions made; additionally, the editor (s) should be informed about any closely related manuscript (s) simultaneously submitted for consideration to the same or another journal ( 15 ). The authors also should declare if any part of the submitted work has been previously published elsewhere, even as an abstract ( 16 ); e.g., “there is some overlap in the content of the introduction section, which we have noted in the text”.

Depending on the journal’s policy, other statements, including “conflict of interest statement”, “funding source declarations”, and “permission note”, may also be required to be included in the cover letter ( 8 , 11 ). As indicated by Elsevier, a conflict of interest statement, known as a disclosure statement, is a declaration from the author that “there is no financial/personal interest or belief that could affect their objectivity”. The publisher emphasizes that the authors should declare and state the potential conflict’s source and nature in cases where a conflict of interest exists. A funding source declaration is defined by the publisher as “a declaration of any funding or research grants (and their sources) received in the course of study, research or assembly of the manuscript”. Elsevier also defines the permission note as a statement that declares that “permission has been received to use any material in the manuscript such as a figure, which is not original content” ( 8 , 17 ). Other statements like “Statement of English native editing” may also be added.

Furthermore, informing the editor (s) regarding any information that will support the submission (e.g., original or confirmatory data, supplementary materials, relevance, topicality) can be helpful ( 8 ). Other operational information, typically provided within checkboxes of the journal’s submission system, is not required to be included in the cover letter ( 5 ).

3.2. Second Cover Letter

The second cover letter, which accompanies the revised version of the manuscript, must be a model of clarity and must address every issue posed by the editor and reviewers ( 10 ). If the revised manuscript is sent for the second round of peer-review, the reviewer (s) will see the letter. The content of the header and footer sections of the revised letter is similar to that of the submitted cover letter. The letter should be directed to the editor as addressed in the first letter unless the authors are informed that a new editor will process the revised version ( 10 ). The first paragraph should start with an “expression of polite gratitude”, e.g., “we would like to thank you for the opportunity to revise and resubmit our manuscript.” The “manuscript ID” or “identification number,” usually assigned by the journal in the first submission, should be addressed in the first paragraph ( 10 ).

The second paragraph usually “signals attention to the reviewers’ comments” by providing an explicit reference to the comments made by the reviewers and the editor. Furthermore, it may contain a positive statement regarding the results, methodology, conclusions, etc., in which case the authors need to acknowledge reviews’ insights ( 10 , 18 ). For example, “We sincerely appreciate all the valuable comments and suggestions made, which helped us improve the revised version of our manuscript” or “we found the reviewers’ comments helpful in guiding us to revise the manuscript.” Such statements will help the authors in creating a polite, formal tone throughout the letter. The paragraph should be followed by providing the editor with a roadmap or a summary of the revisions, addressing “the response to comments attachment.” A point-by-point response to the specific comments of the reviewers must be provided. If the authors disagree with a point raised by a reviewer, a rebuttal or counterstatement may be in order. A scientific and polite approach should spell out why the authors disagree, never losing sight of the reviewer’s opinion ( 19 ).

The footer section (closing salutation) of the letter returns to polite formalities, using statements like “we hope that the revised version of our manuscript is now acceptable to the reviewers, and suitable for publication in the [name of journal], we look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience” ( 10 ).

4. Organization

Although it is not a rule, the cover letter’s content can be organized within a cover letter header (opening salutation), three main paragraphs (the body of cover letter), and a cover letter footer (closing salutation), as described in Table 1 .

The cover letter should be initiated by addressing the editor (s) and the target journal; however, the author’s affiliation and contact information may also be included at the top of page ( 4 ). The name of the editor (s) can be easily found on the journal’s information page. If it is known, the authors must address the editor who will receive the manuscript and handle the peer-review process ( 13 ). If there are several co-editors, the person the author feels has the most appropriate background, and specialty of the topic should be addressed. In cases where such information is lacking, authors can mention all editors by name or address the letter to “dear editors” ( 12 ); however, it has been recommended to avoid writing “dear editor” ( 16 ). Also, the submission date and the journal’s name where the manuscript will be submitted are required ( 13 ).

In the first paragraph of the cover letter body, to introduce the submitted work, the title and the type of manuscript, authors’ name, journal name, and manuscript length are presented ( 4 ). In addition, it is mentioned that whether the manuscript is submitted upon an invitation or belongs to a special issue. The importance of the study, including novelty, potential implications, and its take-home message, are addressed in the second paragraph of the cover letter body. In addition, it is explained why the work would be attractive for journal readers. The third paragraph of the cover letter body includes some statements including authorship agreement, conflicts of interest, funding source, and ethical considerations. If required, potential reviewers are also suggested here.

Within the closing salutation, the authors can appreciate the editor for taking the time to read the cover letter and considering the submitted work for potential publication.

5. Some Practical Tips: The Length, and Dos and Don’ts

The authors need to spend plenty of time crafting their cover letters. They are advised to avoid too many details and keep it within one page (less than 200 words), like an introduction or a brief overview ( 4 , 11 ). The authors should check the guide for authors and cover letter suggestions provided by the journal, including all the requirements, e.g., specific disclosures, statements, and potential reviewers. Some publishers (e.g., Springer, https://www.springer.com/gp/authors-editors/journal-author/cover-letters/1398, Taylor & Francis, https://authorservices.taylorandfrancis.com/publishing-your-research/making-your submission/writing-a-journal-article-cover-letter/) provide sample cover letters that the authors can use. Figure 1 provides a sample for a cover letter.

If the authors address previously published papers in the cover letter, then appropriate citation should be considered. The authors should carefully check the letter for any spelling and grammatical errors ( 11 , 20 ). They should make sure that they correctly spell the name of the journal’s editor (s) ( 4 ). Being careless regarding the editor’s name or the change of a journal’s name in a cover letter of a resubmitted manuscript, can be embarrassing and make a bad impression ( 4 ). It is suggested that the cover letter be written on the authors’ institutional letterhead to display professionalism and reliability ( 20 , 21 ).

5.2. Don’ts

When authors suggest a number of potential reviewers, they should avoid suggesting their friends and colleagues, as this would be viewed as a conflict of interest. Collaborators whom the authors have published with in the past five years should not be suggested either; an editor may easily be informed of such associations by a quick search of PubMed or other databases ( 22 ). The authors should avoid using complex sentence structures, jargon, and acronyms and keep the text straightforward and easy to read ( 11 , 20 ). The authors should also avoid including unrelated personal information or glorifying their past research papers or any of their academic accolades ( 20 ). They must not be rude towards the editors or complement the editor’s accomplishments ( 4 ). The novelty statement should not exaggerate or overstate the findings of the work; furthermore, any conclusion stated should be completely supported by the data provided in the manuscript ( 23 ). Finally, authors are recommended not to write a generic cover letter that could be used for any manuscript and could be sent to any journal ( 21 ).

6. Conclusion

In summary, a cover letter should highlight the novelty, importance, take-home message, and goodness-of-fit of the manuscript to the journal. These are critical information that can persuade an editor that the submitted work merits publication consideration in the journal. The cover letter should not be general but should be custom-written for the target journal. Although the submitted manuscript may usually pass through the peer-review process and get published regardless of the cover letter, a well-written, informative, and concise cover letter increases the chance of gaining acceptance.

Authors' Contribution: Study concept and design, Zahra Bahadoran and Asghar Ghasemi; Drafting of the manuscript, Zahra Bahadoran, Parvin Mirmiran, and Asghar Ghasemi; Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content, Khosrow Kashfi and Parvin Mirmiran.

Conflict of Interests: The authors have no conflict of interest.

Funding/Support: This study was supported by the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (grant number 28127).

What a Cover Letter for Journal Submission Should Include

When you have been editing, re-editing and proof-reading your manuscript multiple times, it’s easy to forget that there is another thing you should do before you submit it: writing a cover letter. A question that my clients often ask me is: What should cover letters for journal submissions include and what do journal editors absolutely not see in there?

To answer these common questions, I chatted about cover letters with a friend of mine, Dr. Paul Woods. He is an editor with the journal Nature Astronomy and receives cover letters every day.

Paul, why are cover letters for journals so important?

Cover letters are a place for direct communication to the editor dealing with your paper, and they are not seen by reviewers, so they’re a perfect place for frank and open communication.

That sounds like an opportunity one shouldn’t miss out on. What mistakes do authors make in their cover letters?

There are no really critical mistakes, but, for instance, I don’t need to see the abstract, I can read it in the manuscript. Same holds for an author list with their list of affiliations (unless the authors have opted for double-blind peer review). Never ever just copy-paste the entire paper in the cover letter… Yes, some people do this.

How to write a cover letter for journal submission

It’s good to know what not to do. So, how can authors do it right and use the space in a cover letter in the best way?

I would like to see a concise summary of the work that has been performed. One or two paragraphs are ideal. In Nature Astronomy, the author is also required to indicate how the work or the results make an improvement over previous work, that is, other refereed papers in the literature. More specialist journals might not have this strict requirement. The authors can be explicit here – I appreciate things like “Our results are more robust than XXX et al. because they didn’t do any completeness tests, whereas we perform these in a couple of ways (see Methods section).”

Why do you recommend to point this out?

Knowing these things not only helps me to assess the impact of the work, but also to spot whether the reviewers have fully appreciated the level of advance that the current paper makes.

Is there anything else authors should write in their cover letter?

I like to see suggestions for good referees who will appreciate the topic and importance of the work. But don’t give a list of colleagues and collaborators… Editors do check! On this note, I also welcome suggestions for referees to avoid because of some professional conflict.

The cover letter is also the right place to communicate relevant information of organisational nature. For example, if there are time pressures or restrictions on the publication of the manuscript. Do mention if there is a companion manuscript with which publication has to be synchronised. Nature Astronomy doesn’t do series, but if your manuscript is part of one, it might be useful to tell the editor in the cover letter.

Thank you very much for all these insights, Paul.  

  For more tips to increase your chances to get accepted in a high-impact journal, click here .

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Cover letter for your manuscript

A cover letter can be used to help convey a work’s importance to the editors. It should also be used to highlight any potential issues such as related manuscripts currently under consideration in any other Springer Nature publication, as well as indicating whether you have had any prior discussions with a Springer Nature editor about the work described in the manuscript. Please use the cover letter to declare that the manuscript is not currently being considered for publication in any other journal and, if necessary, please include any reviewers you wish to recommend or exclude (including the reasons why). Finally, the cover letter is a good place to include any other issues or anything you were unsure of, that you have encountered whilst submitting your manuscript.

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Cover letters

Competition for publication space and for editors’ attention is very high. A good cover letter will help “sell” your manuscript to the journal editor. It is not enough to send a manuscript to a journal editor like this:

Dear Editor-in-Chief, I am sending you our manuscript entitled “Large Scale Analysis of Cell Cycle Regulators in bladder cancer” by Researcher et al. We would like to have the manuscript considered for publication in Pathobiology. Please let me know of your decision at your earliest convenience. With my best regards, Sincerely yours, A Researcher, PhD

Instead, check to see whether the journal’s Instructions for Authors have any cover letter requirements (e.g., disclosures, statements, potential reviewers). Then, write a letter that explains why the editor would want to publish your manuscript:

Common phrases:

• Please find enclosed our manuscript, “[manuscript title]” by [first author's name] et al., which we would like to submit for publication as a [publication type] in [name of the journal].
• To our knowledge, this is the first report showing…
• We believe our findings would appeal to the readership of [journal name].
• Please address all correspondence to:
• We look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

All cover letters should contain these sentences: We confirm that this manuscript has not been published elsewhere and is not under consideration by another journal.

All authors have approved the manuscript and agree with its submission to [insert the name of the target journal].

Formatting your manuscript

Submission checklist

Before submitting your manuscript, thoroughly check its quality one more time. Evaluate it critically—could anything be done better?

Be sure that:

• The manuscript follows the Instructions for Authors
• All files are in the correct file format and of the appropriate resolution or size
• The spelling and grammar are correct
• You have contact information for all authors
• You have completed online registration for the submission process for your target journal
• You have written a persuasive cover letter

--- Commentary ---

Original URL: http://www.springer.com/authors/journal+authors/journal+authors+academy?SGWID=0-1726414-12-837810-0

Picture Remarks: Wrong URL, leads to Discussion and Conclusions instead of Cover letters.

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• Published: 18 September 2024

Tips for submission success

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Nature Astronomy is a selective journal whose editors examine submissions for advances in scientific understanding, robustly supported conclusions and broad relevance. Here we expound upon these criteria to help authors maximize their publication chances.

Submissions to Nature Astronomy are the highest that they have ever been. Numbers in 2023 outdid the pandemic-stricken year of 2020, and this year’s submissions total promises to increase upon last year’s. As this requires the editorial team to be increasingly selective about which submissions are published, now seems like an opportune time to remind potential submitters of what we are looking for.

The details of the full editorial process can be found on the Nature Astronomy website, but here we will focus on the initial editorial screening step for submissions. (It is worth a brief aside to emphasize that editors are not overly concerned with the appearance of submissions, for instance, the formatting or the level of English; we are primarily concerned with the content of manuscripts.) The first editorial assessment, as stated in our website, comprises of checking a submission for “the degree to which it advances our understanding of the field, the soundness of conclusions, the extent to which the evidence presented — including appropriate data and analyses — supports these conclusions, and the wide relevance of these conclusions to the journal’s readership.” What does this mean in practice, for authors? Let us examine this statement piece-by-piece.

The first clause, “the degree to which [a submission] advances our understanding of the field” has two key aspects. One is novelty. Our editors are looking for new results that reveal to us something that was not already known about the Universe. Confirmatory or replicatory studies are very important for the robustness of science and are at the core of the modern scientific method, but they are not part of Nature Astronomy ’s purview. Novelty is not sufficient on its own; the advance proposed by the work must also be significant enough, as indicated by the word “degree” in the statement. This is possibly the hardest part of the initial assessment for editors, as ‘significant’ is a subjective term: it depends on the specific context of each particular study and need not be strictly limited to the science contained in the paper. The discovery that the TRAPPIST-1 planets are locked into a resonant chain rather than non-commensurate orbits is a significant advance, because it strongly constrains the origin and evolution of exoplanetary systems. But so is a cosmological simulation that has been optimized to run in a matter of seconds rather than days, or observations that resolve the centre of the galaxy at parsec-scales compared to previous-best kiloparsec resolution.

Editors examine a submission for “the degree to which it advances our understanding of the field, the soundness of conclusions, the extent to which the evidence presented…supports these conclusions, and the wide relevance of these conclusions to the journal’s readership.”

The final clause of the statement, “the wide relevance of these conclusions to the journal’s readership”, means that the findings of the study should be broadly interesting. We do not require results to be of interest to all scientists — such a condition is more relevant to Nature — or even to all astronomers, considering the wide extent of the field, but we do look for results that will motivate and intrigue other astronomers and planetary scientists studying similar topics. For instance, a successful paper on exoplanets should be relevant to a breadth of exoplanetologists, not just those studying a specific exoplanet or a specific atmospheric or interior process.

The second and third clauses, “the soundness of conclusions, the extent to which the evidence presented…supports these conclusions”, are often considered together. Speculative work rarely makes it to publication in Nature Astronomy . Main conclusions in a submission must be supported by evidence, be it observational, theoretical, numerical, or experimental, or a combination.

Once a paper overcomes this first hurdle, it undergoes a rigorous peer-review process that most authors will be familiar with from submissions to other journals. One significant difference is that Nature Astronomy editors typically appoint 2–4 referees to a submission, which provides a more rounded view of a submission and is less susceptible to stochastic fluctuations in opinion. Reviewers are asked to primarily consider the scientific or technical aspects of a study, but we also encourage them to consider the same suitability criteria as editors. Reviewers may come to different opinions about the suitability of the submission — different to each other and different to the handling editor. Our editors keep an open mind and weigh up the merits, drawbacks and limitations of a submission, before making a post-review decision.

We hope that this review of our criteria will help to 'demystify' the editorial process in the journals of the Nature Portfolio, which can sometimes be seen as opaque and arbitrary. If a paper is not taken forward to publication in Nature Astronomy , it is not a reflection of the quality of the work nor of its worth, but merely an imperfect fit to our rather stringent editorial guidelines. Fortunately, the astronomy journal landscape is generally of high quality and robust, and a good paper will surely find a satisfactory publication venue somewhere. Indeed, we often include our own suggestions for suitable journals in our decision letters to authors.

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Tips for submission success. Nat Astron 8 , 1069 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-024-02379-5

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Published : 18 September 2024

Issue Date : September 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-024-02379-5

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