How to Write a Cover Letter for Journal Submission
A strong cover letter introduces your paper to the editor, signals scope fit, and can increase your chances of being sent to peer review.
Most journals require a cover letter with manuscript submission. While not the primary factor in acceptance, a poorly written or missing cover letter is a red flag for editors and can contribute to desk rejection. A strong cover letter takes 30 minutes to write and signals professionalism, scope awareness, and respect for the editor's time.
What to include in your cover letter
A journal submission cover letter should contain these core elements:
- Address the editor by name if known (check the journal website)
- State the manuscript title and article type
- One sentence on why this paper fits the journal's scope and audience
- Two to three sentences summarizing the key finding and its significance
- A statement that the paper is original and not under review elsewhere
- Any required disclosures
- conflicts of interest, prior related work, suggested or excluded reviewers
- Your contact information
What NOT to include
Editors read many cover letters. Avoid these common mistakes:
- Lengthy summaries that repeat the abstract word for word
- Excessive praise for the journal ('your prestigious journal')
- Unsubstantiated claims about impact or importance
- Information that contradicts the manuscript (different author list, different title)
- Complaints about previous reviews of the same paper
Suggested reviewers
Many journals ask you to suggest 3-5 potential reviewers. Choose researchers who are active in your specific area, have no recent co-authorship or collaboration with your team, and are not from the same institution. Providing strong, non-conflicted reviewer suggestions shows awareness of your field and speeds up the review process.
A simple cover letter template
Dear Dr. [Editor name], I am pleased to submit our manuscript titled '[title]' for consideration for publication in [journal name] as an [article type]. This paper [one sentence on main finding and significance]. This work addresses [one sentence on the gap in the literature]. We believe this paper will be of interest to [journal]'s readers because [scope fit reason]. This manuscript is original, has not been published previously, and is not under consideration by another journal. All authors have approved the manuscript and consent to submission. [Any required disclosures.] We suggest the following reviewers: [names and institutions]. Thank you for considering our manuscript. Sincerely, [Corresponding author]
Frequently asked questions
Most journals require a cover letter. Even when optional, including one is strongly recommended. Some submission systems have a dedicated field; others ask you to upload a separate document.