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Writing a cover letter

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The cover letter is where you can speak directly to the Editor who will be assessing your article. It’s an opportunity for you to frame your manuscript and explain why it’s a good fit for the journal you’re submitting to. It can be tough to figure out what you should write in a cover letter, so we’ve got a few tips for you.

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Cover letter DOs

  1. DO refer to the ‘About the journal’ page: Your cover letter is where you can start to convince the Editor that your manuscript should be accepted for publication. Read the ‘About the Journal’ page (or the 'Aims and scope') and explain what makes your article a good fit for the journal. Don’t be afraid to draw direct quotes from relevant sections of the journal website or refer to previously published articles that you feel that your manuscript builds on or is similar to.
  2. DO mention why you chose to submit to the journal: Go back to the research you did before deciding to submit to this journal. What made it stand out above the others? Were there any specific things that made you want to submit to this publication? One sentence should be sufficient and you shouldn’t include more than one. The Editors will be more interested in why your paper is right for their journal than why their journal is right for your paper. If an Editorial Board member (or anyone else connected with the journal) recommended that you submit, you should definitely highlight that.
  3. DO keep it short: Editors receive a lot of submissions to assess. And that’s usually in addition to doing their own research, writing manuscripts, teaching, supervising, reviewing and much more. Be considerate of the Editor’s time and keep your cover letter short and to the point.
  4. DO address it to the relevant person: It’s always good to address the cover letter to the Editor who will be reading it. That shows that the letter has been written for that journal and helps to convey your interest in publishing there specifically (as opposed to just wanting your paper to be published anywhere). If you’re unsure of who will be considering your manuscript, it’s fine to address the letter to all of the lead Editors (‘Dear Dr A, Professor B, and Dr C’) or to the whole Board (‘Dear Journal of X Editorial Board’).
  5. DO check if the journal has cover letter requirements: Some journals will ask you to answer specific questions in your cover letter. Others may require that you provide a list of preferred reviewers. Check the Author Guidelines or Submission Guidelines to make sure that your cover letter meets all of the journal’s requirements.
  6. DO note any non-preferred reviewers: Is there anyone who should not review your manuscript due to a conflict of interest? This is where to let the Editors know. It’s important to note, you should not simply list anyone who disagrees with you. People who strongly disagree with you can often be the best reviewers (as they will highlight weak points in your argument that you can then address and strengthen). If anyone has commented on a previous draft or is included in your acknowledgements, they should not review your manuscript. Editors will generally avoid inviting reviewers from your institution, so you don’t need to list your supervisor and colleague. It is helpful to note anyone from outside of your institution though.

Cover letter DON'Ts

  1. DON’T use a template: It can be tempting to write a template cover letter and just change the title of your article and the name of the journal before each submission. Doing this means that you will lose out on a chance to explain the merits of your paper directly to the Editor though. It is fine to have a very loose template to make sure that you cover all of the key points noted above, but you should write bespoke text for each submission.
  2. DON’T be too informal: Your tone should be respectful and formal. Avoid contractions and colloquialisms. Your cover letter introduces both you and your work to the Editor, so a professional tone is strongly advised.
  3. DON’T rewrite your abstract: The cover letter should mention what your manuscript is about, but don’t go into too much detail. Try to keep your summary of the manuscript to a single sentence and focus more on explaining why it fits the journal’s aims.

Where to now?

Writing a cover letter | Edinburgh University Press