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You have run your experiments, analyzed your data, and finished your manuscript, but now you are asked to write a cover letter for journal submission. How do you effectively convey your message in a cover letter? To understand how to gain the editors’ support for your paper, let us first discuss the role of this letter.
The cover letter is your first communication with the editors. As this serves as your first impression, you want to send a clear and concise message that highlights the novelty, validity, and significance of your manuscript. You also want to state why your manuscript would be a good fit for the journal. Keeping this letter concise and ideally to one page allows the editors to quickly review the highlights of your manuscript. Here are 10 steps we believe are important to follow when writing an effective cover letter (Table 1). We have listed examples to accompany each step; note that our examples are for illustrative purposes only.
1) Address the editor(s) formally by name in your cover letter
This information is found on the journal’s website and in the journal. Common mistakes we have seen is reporting the wrong editor(s) for submission or omitting an introduction. Though this cover letter is not published, it reflects poorly on the authors if there are incorrect editors listed or misspelled words.
Example:
Richard M. Peek, Jr., MD, and Douglas A. Corley, MD, PhD, MPH
Editors in Chief, Gastroenterology
Dear Drs. Peek and Corley:
2) Manuscript title and authors
Bolding your manuscript and listing the authors are essential parts of the cover letter.
Example:
We are submitting our original article entitled “Endoscopic and medical management of acute food impaction: A double-blinded randomized control trial” by Naik R and Inadomi J.
3) Methods
We recommend dedicating one sentence to your methods. Take this time to highlight key features if appropriate, such as novel techniques, prospective enrollment, and randomized, controlled studies, which are all generally viewed as stronger study designs than retrospective studies. Make sure you are truthful in your claims. Mistakes we have seen include making claims the group is the “first” or the “largest,” but our review of the literature disproves these statements. These are false claims and raise flags regarding the integrity of the science.
In this pragmatic, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study, our primary aim was to calculate the efficacy of endoscopic dilation and oral steroids to reduce recurrent dysphagia in individuals aged 20-49 years with eosinophilic esophagitis admitted with acute food impaction.
4) Results and key findings
We recommend dedicating a sentence to the key finding of this study. This allows the editors in chief to identify which associate editor should handle the manuscript and highlights the importance of the study, which will determine whether the associate editor will send your paper for external review.
Example:
We found that combined endoscopic dilation and oral steroid therapy at index food impaction improved quality of life and need for repeat dilation measured at 1-year follow-up, compared with sham dilation and placebo.
5) Novelty
The editors want to know the degree to which your paper is unique among other publications in the field. We recommend emphasizing the novelty of your study as compared with other published work. The focus of this should be how your manuscript adds to the literature and serves to advance the science in this field.
Example:
Our study is unique because we enrolled patients in a pragmatic fashion at time of admission for food impaction to the emergency department. This design allows implementation of our intervention in most clinical settings, where we expect our findings to translate broadly into reduced hospital admissions and repeat endoscopic interventions, as well as improved quality of life as documented by patient-reported outcomes.
6) Submission to other journals
Certain manuscripts are only part of the entire study, which can be because of interim results or prespecified secondary endpoints. It is important to state whether this manuscript or any part has been published elsewhere or parts of the study are in submission elsewhere.
Example:
Neither the entire paper nor any part of its content has been published or has been accepted elsewhere. This work has not been submitted to any other journal, and in case of acceptance of the manuscript, the copyright is transferred to Gastroenterology.
7) Journal fit
Not all journals have the same readership or focus. When submitting to the journals, please highlight why this manuscript fits this journal and its readership. When able, also recommend what section of the journal this manuscript should go to for review. This allows for expedited review process and shows you understand the journal’s readership and categories.
Example:
We believe our study will be of great interest to readers of Gastroenterology and suggest the manuscript section: “Clinical: Alimentary Tract.”
8) Influence of sponsors and conflicts of interest
Given the concern for potential conflict of interests in study design, data collection, or analysis, we recommend listing any important conflicts of interest or study sponsors. The entire list of conflicts of interest is typically included elsewhere, but a sponsored study or direct conflict should be listed to prevent any perceived influence from sponsors that may limit data integrity.
Example:
The study was supported by RDN-Gastro, a nonprofit private organization aimed to promote clinical and translational research in eosinophilic esophagitis. The RDN-Gastro organization receives support from the National Institutes of Health and the Emergency Department Eosinophilic Esophagitis Association.
9) Suggestions for editors and reviewers
It is helpful to suggest potential associate editors to handle your manuscript. Similarly, suggesting potential reviewers (and providing their email addresses) who are experts in the field and understand your research topic can enhance the quality of reviews. Soliciting reviewers who you know may seem like a recipe for friendly reviews; however, this is a flawed assumption because sometimes these reviewers are more rigorous in their comments.
Example:
Preferred Associate Editor: John M. Inadomi.
Preferred Reviewer: Rishi Naik (Rishi.D.Naik@vumc.org); expertise in esophageal motility.
10) Do Not Review list (optional)
Unfortunately, not all review processes for all journals are created equal. For particular topics, you may wish to ensure your data are not compromised through the review process. Some journals will have the option for selecting reviewers who you prefer not review your manuscript and this request should be respected in the review process.
Example:
Nonpreferred reviewers: Rishi D. Naik (Nashville, TN).
In summary, the cover letter should be viewed as an opportunity to highlight the significance of your manuscript and reasons why your manuscript should be published in the journal. Highlighting the innovation, validity, and importance of your manuscript using this systematic approach will allow the editors and reviewers to more effectively evaluate your paper. Being truthful about potential conflicts of interest and sponsorships will also be appreciated by the editors. Good luck with your future submissions!
Dr. Naik is a gastroenterology fellow, department of gastroenterology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn., as well as fellow editor of Gastroenterology. Dr. Inadomi is the Cyrus E. Rubin Chair, professor of medicine and head, division of gastroenterology, University of Washington, Seattle, as well as associate editor of Gastroenterology. Dr. Naik and Dr. Inadomi have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
You have run your experiments, analyzed your data, and finished your manuscript, but now you are asked to write a cover letter for journal submission. How do you effectively convey your message in a cover letter? To understand how to gain the editors’ support for your paper, let us first discuss the role of this letter.
The cover letter is your first communication with the editors. As this serves as your first impression, you want to send a clear and concise message that highlights the novelty, validity, and significance of your manuscript. You also want to state why your manuscript would be a good fit for the journal. Keeping this letter concise and ideally to one page allows the editors to quickly review the highlights of your manuscript. Here are 10 steps we believe are important to follow when writing an effective cover letter (Table 1). We have listed examples to accompany each step; note that our examples are for illustrative purposes only.
1) Address the editor(s) formally by name in your cover letter
This information is found on the journal’s website and in the journal. Common mistakes we have seen is reporting the wrong editor(s) for submission or omitting an introduction. Though this cover letter is not published, it reflects poorly on the authors if there are incorrect editors listed or misspelled words.
Example:
Richard M. Peek, Jr., MD, and Douglas A. Corley, MD, PhD, MPH
Editors in Chief, Gastroenterology
Dear Drs. Peek and Corley:
2) Manuscript title and authors
Bolding your manuscript and listing the authors are essential parts of the cover letter.
Example:
We are submitting our original article entitled “Endoscopic and medical management of acute food impaction: A double-blinded randomized control trial” by Naik R and Inadomi J.
3) Methods
We recommend dedicating one sentence to your methods. Take this time to highlight key features if appropriate, such as novel techniques, prospective enrollment, and randomized, controlled studies, which are all generally viewed as stronger study designs than retrospective studies. Make sure you are truthful in your claims. Mistakes we have seen include making claims the group is the “first” or the “largest,” but our review of the literature disproves these statements. These are false claims and raise flags regarding the integrity of the science.
In this pragmatic, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study, our primary aim was to calculate the efficacy of endoscopic dilation and oral steroids to reduce recurrent dysphagia in individuals aged 20-49 years with eosinophilic esophagitis admitted with acute food impaction.
4) Results and key findings
We recommend dedicating a sentence to the key finding of this study. This allows the editors in chief to identify which associate editor should handle the manuscript and highlights the importance of the study, which will determine whether the associate editor will send your paper for external review.
Example:
We found that combined endoscopic dilation and oral steroid therapy at index food impaction improved quality of life and need for repeat dilation measured at 1-year follow-up, compared with sham dilation and placebo.
5) Novelty
The editors want to know the degree to which your paper is unique among other publications in the field. We recommend emphasizing the novelty of your study as compared with other published work. The focus of this should be how your manuscript adds to the literature and serves to advance the science in this field.
Example:
Our study is unique because we enrolled patients in a pragmatic fashion at time of admission for food impaction to the emergency department. This design allows implementation of our intervention in most clinical settings, where we expect our findings to translate broadly into reduced hospital admissions and repeat endoscopic interventions, as well as improved quality of life as documented by patient-reported outcomes.
6) Submission to other journals
Certain manuscripts are only part of the entire study, which can be because of interim results or prespecified secondary endpoints. It is important to state whether this manuscript or any part has been published elsewhere or parts of the study are in submission elsewhere.
Example:
Neither the entire paper nor any part of its content has been published or has been accepted elsewhere. This work has not been submitted to any other journal, and in case of acceptance of the manuscript, the copyright is transferred to Gastroenterology.
7) Journal fit
Not all journals have the same readership or focus. When submitting to the journals, please highlight why this manuscript fits this journal and its readership. When able, also recommend what section of the journal this manuscript should go to for review. This allows for expedited review process and shows you understand the journal’s readership and categories.
Example:
We believe our study will be of great interest to readers of Gastroenterology and suggest the manuscript section: “Clinical: Alimentary Tract.”
8) Influence of sponsors and conflicts of interest
Given the concern for potential conflict of interests in study design, data collection, or analysis, we recommend listing any important conflicts of interest or study sponsors. The entire list of conflicts of interest is typically included elsewhere, but a sponsored study or direct conflict should be listed to prevent any perceived influence from sponsors that may limit data integrity.
Example:
The study was supported by RDN-Gastro, a nonprofit private organization aimed to promote clinical and translational research in eosinophilic esophagitis. The RDN-Gastro organization receives support from the National Institutes of Health and the Emergency Department Eosinophilic Esophagitis Association.
9) Suggestions for editors and reviewers
It is helpful to suggest potential associate editors to handle your manuscript. Similarly, suggesting potential reviewers (and providing their email addresses) who are experts in the field and understand your research topic can enhance the quality of reviews. Soliciting reviewers who you know may seem like a recipe for friendly reviews; however, this is a flawed assumption because sometimes these reviewers are more rigorous in their comments.
Example:
Preferred Associate Editor: John M. Inadomi.
Preferred Reviewer: Rishi Naik (Rishi.D.Naik@vumc.org); expertise in esophageal motility.
10) Do Not Review list (optional)
Unfortunately, not all review processes for all journals are created equal. For particular topics, you may wish to ensure your data are not compromised through the review process. Some journals will have the option for selecting reviewers who you prefer not review your manuscript and this request should be respected in the review process.
Example:
Nonpreferred reviewers: Rishi D. Naik (Nashville, TN).
In summary, the cover letter should be viewed as an opportunity to highlight the significance of your manuscript and reasons why your manuscript should be published in the journal. Highlighting the innovation, validity, and importance of your manuscript using this systematic approach will allow the editors and reviewers to more effectively evaluate your paper. Being truthful about potential conflicts of interest and sponsorships will also be appreciated by the editors. Good luck with your future submissions!
Dr. Naik is a gastroenterology fellow, department of gastroenterology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn., as well as fellow editor of Gastroenterology. Dr. Inadomi is the Cyrus E. Rubin Chair, professor of medicine and head, division of gastroenterology, University of Washington, Seattle, as well as associate editor of Gastroenterology. Dr. Naik and Dr. Inadomi have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
You have run your experiments, analyzed your data, and finished your manuscript, but now you are asked to write a cover letter for journal submission. How do you effectively convey your message in a cover letter? To understand how to gain the editors’ support for your paper, let us first discuss the role of this letter.
The cover letter is your first communication with the editors. As this serves as your first impression, you want to send a clear and concise message that highlights the novelty, validity, and significance of your manuscript. You also want to state why your manuscript would be a good fit for the journal. Keeping this letter concise and ideally to one page allows the editors to quickly review the highlights of your manuscript. Here are 10 steps we believe are important to follow when writing an effective cover letter (Table 1). We have listed examples to accompany each step; note that our examples are for illustrative purposes only.
1) Address the editor(s) formally by name in your cover letter
This information is found on the journal’s website and in the journal. Common mistakes we have seen is reporting the wrong editor(s) for submission or omitting an introduction. Though this cover letter is not published, it reflects poorly on the authors if there are incorrect editors listed or misspelled words.
Example:
Richard M. Peek, Jr., MD, and Douglas A. Corley, MD, PhD, MPH
Editors in Chief, Gastroenterology
Dear Drs. Peek and Corley:
2) Manuscript title and authors
Bolding your manuscript and listing the authors are essential parts of the cover letter.
Example:
We are submitting our original article entitled “Endoscopic and medical management of acute food impaction: A double-blinded randomized control trial” by Naik R and Inadomi J.
3) Methods
We recommend dedicating one sentence to your methods. Take this time to highlight key features if appropriate, such as novel techniques, prospective enrollment, and randomized, controlled studies, which are all generally viewed as stronger study designs than retrospective studies. Make sure you are truthful in your claims. Mistakes we have seen include making claims the group is the “first” or the “largest,” but our review of the literature disproves these statements. These are false claims and raise flags regarding the integrity of the science.
In this pragmatic, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study, our primary aim was to calculate the efficacy of endoscopic dilation and oral steroids to reduce recurrent dysphagia in individuals aged 20-49 years with eosinophilic esophagitis admitted with acute food impaction.
4) Results and key findings
We recommend dedicating a sentence to the key finding of this study. This allows the editors in chief to identify which associate editor should handle the manuscript and highlights the importance of the study, which will determine whether the associate editor will send your paper for external review.
Example:
We found that combined endoscopic dilation and oral steroid therapy at index food impaction improved quality of life and need for repeat dilation measured at 1-year follow-up, compared with sham dilation and placebo.
5) Novelty
The editors want to know the degree to which your paper is unique among other publications in the field. We recommend emphasizing the novelty of your study as compared with other published work. The focus of this should be how your manuscript adds to the literature and serves to advance the science in this field.
Example:
Our study is unique because we enrolled patients in a pragmatic fashion at time of admission for food impaction to the emergency department. This design allows implementation of our intervention in most clinical settings, where we expect our findings to translate broadly into reduced hospital admissions and repeat endoscopic interventions, as well as improved quality of life as documented by patient-reported outcomes.
6) Submission to other journals
Certain manuscripts are only part of the entire study, which can be because of interim results or prespecified secondary endpoints. It is important to state whether this manuscript or any part has been published elsewhere or parts of the study are in submission elsewhere.
Example:
Neither the entire paper nor any part of its content has been published or has been accepted elsewhere. This work has not been submitted to any other journal, and in case of acceptance of the manuscript, the copyright is transferred to Gastroenterology.
7) Journal fit
Not all journals have the same readership or focus. When submitting to the journals, please highlight why this manuscript fits this journal and its readership. When able, also recommend what section of the journal this manuscript should go to for review. This allows for expedited review process and shows you understand the journal’s readership and categories.
Example:
We believe our study will be of great interest to readers of Gastroenterology and suggest the manuscript section: “Clinical: Alimentary Tract.”
8) Influence of sponsors and conflicts of interest
Given the concern for potential conflict of interests in study design, data collection, or analysis, we recommend listing any important conflicts of interest or study sponsors. The entire list of conflicts of interest is typically included elsewhere, but a sponsored study or direct conflict should be listed to prevent any perceived influence from sponsors that may limit data integrity.
Example:
The study was supported by RDN-Gastro, a nonprofit private organization aimed to promote clinical and translational research in eosinophilic esophagitis. The RDN-Gastro organization receives support from the National Institutes of Health and the Emergency Department Eosinophilic Esophagitis Association.
9) Suggestions for editors and reviewers
It is helpful to suggest potential associate editors to handle your manuscript. Similarly, suggesting potential reviewers (and providing their email addresses) who are experts in the field and understand your research topic can enhance the quality of reviews. Soliciting reviewers who you know may seem like a recipe for friendly reviews; however, this is a flawed assumption because sometimes these reviewers are more rigorous in their comments.
Example:
Preferred Associate Editor: John M. Inadomi.
Preferred Reviewer: Rishi Naik (Rishi.D.Naik@vumc.org); expertise in esophageal motility.
10) Do Not Review list (optional)
Unfortunately, not all review processes for all journals are created equal. For particular topics, you may wish to ensure your data are not compromised through the review process. Some journals will have the option for selecting reviewers who you prefer not review your manuscript and this request should be respected in the review process.
Example:
Nonpreferred reviewers: Rishi D. Naik (Nashville, TN).
In summary, the cover letter should be viewed as an opportunity to highlight the significance of your manuscript and reasons why your manuscript should be published in the journal. Highlighting the innovation, validity, and importance of your manuscript using this systematic approach will allow the editors and reviewers to more effectively evaluate your paper. Being truthful about potential conflicts of interest and sponsorships will also be appreciated by the editors. Good luck with your future submissions!
Dr. Naik is a gastroenterology fellow, department of gastroenterology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn., as well as fellow editor of Gastroenterology. Dr. Inadomi is the Cyrus E. Rubin Chair, professor of medicine and head, division of gastroenterology, University of Washington, Seattle, as well as associate editor of Gastroenterology. Dr. Naik and Dr. Inadomi have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
