The cover letter is your chance to lobby on behalf of your manuscript. The letter is far from just a formality and should be written with the same care as your manuscript’s text (if not more). Ultimately, your cover letter is designed to influence the decision of the editor to send your manuscript out for peer review. Sometimes great science will be reviewed regardless of the cover letter, but a well written cover letter is useful for the vast majority of scientists who want to make their research stand out. American Journal Experts wishes you the best of luck with your research!

1. Information for authors:
© 2012 American Journal Experts, LLC

2. Outline
 The goal of a good cover letter
 The structure of a good cover letter
 Other tips
 Sample cover letter

3. The goal of the cover letter
 Lobby for your paper
 Good fit for the journal
 Of interest to the journal’s readers
 No conflicts of interest that would be a barrier
 Get the editor interested in your paper
 Move your paper from “rejected without
review” to “sent out for review”

4. Write carefully
 Many authors rush to finish the cover letter
during the submission process
 Remember that the cover letter may be the
only thing that the editor reads
 Give it the same effort you gave your manuscript

5. Outline
 The goal of a good cover letter
 The structure of a good cover letter
 Other tips
 Sample cover letter

6. Structure of a cover letter
 Business letter format
 Topics to cover:
▪ Description of the study
▪ Importance of the study
▪ Fit for the journal
▪ Assurance that the work is original and unpublished
▪ Suggested reviewers (if requested) or reviewers to avoid

7. The beginning
 Include your contact information
 Include information about the addressee
 Name of Editor/Editor-in-Chief, if known
 Name of journal Editorial Office
 Standard greeting
 Dear Dr. Smith:
 Dear Editor:
 Avoid “to whom it may concern”

8. Opening paragraph
 Manuscript details
 Title
 Authors
 Type of article (especially if not original research)
 Give a 1- or 2-sentence summary of the paper
 Definitely mention if this paper builds on a
previous paper published in that journal

9. Second paragraph
 Continue to describe your key findings
 No need to hedge with soft words, but don’t make
outrageous claims
 Don’t use numbers or statistics unless critical for
your conclusions
 This is your “elevator pitch” – a short, convincing
synopsis of your work
 Can combine with first paragraph, depending
on its length

10. Third paragraph
 Explain the fit of the paper for
the journal
 Go beyond “novel”/”of interest”
 Specifically address Aims & Scope
 Why would their readers want to
read your article?

11. Final paragraph(s)
 Formalities
 The manuscript is original
 The manuscript is not under review elsewhere or
published elsewhere
 There are no conflicts of interest to disclose
 Suggest reviewers, if asked
 Mention researchers that should NOT review
your paper
 Be polite!

12. Outline
 The goal of a good cover letter
 The structure of a good cover letter
 Other tips
 Sample cover letter

13. Other tips
 Grab the editor’s attention!
 It’s okay to make bolder claims here, within reason
 “Our manuscript defines a novel enzyme from…”
 “This paper answers several important questions
about…”
 Alter the strength of your language based on your
target journal

14. Other tips
 Do:
 Highlight important results/conclusions
 Explain why readers of that journal would benefit
from those results
 Don’t:
 Speak negatively about other papers/researchers
 Complain about previous rejections

15. Other tips
 Take your time and craft the letter carefully
 Have a colleague look it over
 Pay attention to the details
 Italicize the journal name and species names
 Spell the editor’s name correctly
 Check other spelling and spacing

16. Possible mistakes
 Irrelevant material
 Citing one of your previous papers that does not
relate to the current study
 Anything meant for a different journal!
 Distracting details
 Numbers or p-values
 Information on methods (unless that is the focus)
 Repetition
 No space to waste

17. Outline
 The goal of a good cover letter
 The structure of a good cover letter
 Other tips
 Sample cover letter

18. Sample cover letter
Your contact information
Recipient’s information
Date and greeting

19. Sample cover letter
Authors Manuscript title
Brief introduction and
important results

20. Sample cover letter
Fit for journal
Specific tie to journal
scope
Reviewer to avoid
Possible reviewers
(if needed)

21. Sample cover letter
Closing
Your name and affiliation

22. Summary
 The cover letter can “tip the scales” in your
favor and lead to getting your paper reviewed
 Main parts:
 Brief introduction to manuscript
 Key results (and their importance)
 Fit for journal (why will their readers care?)
 Conflict of interest/originality statement
 Suggested reviewers (or people to avoid)
 Focus on the paper’s strengths – sell, sell, sell!

23. About us
 American Journal Experts (AJE) offers high-quality
editing, translation, peer review, and manuscript and
figure formatting services. To learn more, visit our
site at www.journalexperts.com.
 AJE also provides author education resources
through in-person workshops and our Expert Edge
site (http://expertedge.journalexperts.com). If you
are interested in hearing more about our workshop
series, contact us at education@journalexperts.com.