How to write a cover letter to a journal editor, with a template

The cover letter is usually the first thing a handling editor reads, often before the abstract. At the desk-review stage the editor has one question: is this manuscript right for this journal, and is it worth sending to reviewers? A good cover letter answers that question in under a minute. A generic one, or one addressed to the wrong journal, suggests the paper has been rejected elsewhere and submitted without care.

What editors look for

• Fit: why the study matters to this journal's readers, referring to its scope.
• Contribution: the question, the main finding and what it adds, in plain terms.
• Integrity: confirmation that the work is original, not under consideration elsewhere and approved by all authors, plus required declarations.
• Transparency: disclosure of anything the editor should know, such as a preprint, a thesis origin, a related publication or a conflict of interest.

The structure that works

1. Addressing and opening

Address the editor-in-chief or handling editor by name where the journal lists one. State the manuscript title, the article type (original article, brief report, case report) and the journal name, correctly.

2. The research question and main finding

Two or three sentences: what you studied, in whom, and what you found, with the key number. Do not copy the abstract; summarise it for an editor rather than a specialist.

3. Why it matters and why here

Explain the gap the study fills and why the journal's readers will care. Refer to the journal's scope or a relevant recent article it published. This is the paragraph that distinguishes a considered submission from a mass mailing.

4. Declarations

Most journals expect statements that the manuscript is original and not under consideration elsewhere, that all authors approved the submission and meet authorship criteria, ethics approval and consent, trial registration where applicable, funding, conflicts of interest, and data availability. Check the journal's instructions; some want these in the letter, others in the submission form or title page.

5. Disclosures and closing

Mention a preprint, conference presentation, thesis origin or related publication, and any requested reviewer exclusions with a brief reason. Close with the corresponding author's full contact details.

Template

Adapt every bracketed section; never send the template unchanged.

Dear Dr [Editor's name],

Please consider our manuscript, "[Title]", for publication as an [article type] in [Journal name].

In this [study design] of [number] [population] at [setting], we found that [main finding with key result, e.g. effect estimate and 95% CI]. [One sentence on what this adds to existing evidence.]

We believe this work will interest the readers of [Journal name] because [link to the journal's scope or a recent related article]. [Optional: one sentence on clinical or policy relevance in your setting.]

This manuscript is original, has not been published previously and is not under consideration by another journal. All authors have read and approved the manuscript and meet the ICMJE criteria for authorship. The study was approved by [ethics committee, reference number] and [written informed consent was obtained / consent was waived because ...]. [Trial registration: CTRI/XXXX/XX/XXXXXX.] The authors declare [no conflicts of interest / the following conflicts: ...]. [Funding statement.]

[Disclosures, e.g. "This manuscript is derived from the first author's MD thesis submitted to [University]."]

Thank you for considering our submission.

Yours sincerely,
[Name, degree]
[Department, institution, address]
[Email, phone, ORCID]

Mistakes that trigger desk rejection

• The wrong journal or editor name, left over from a previous submission
• A letter that only repeats the abstract
• Overclaiming: "first ever", "landmark" or "will change practice" without evidence
• Missing declarations the journal explicitly requires
• Undisclosed preprints, thesis repositories or related papers that the editor later finds
• Suggested reviewers who are colleagues or recent co-authors

After a rejection

If the paper is rejected and you move to the next journal, rewrite the cover letter for the new journal's scope and readers, update the declarations and reformat the manuscript to its instructions. If you received useful reviewer comments, revise the manuscript before resubmitting; some journals ask whether the paper was previously reviewed elsewhere, and it is good practice to say how you addressed earlier feedback.

Sources and further reading

• ICMJE Recommendations on authorship, conflicts of interest and overlapping publications
• COPE guidance on peer-review manipulation

Our journal selection service includes a cover letter drafted for the journal you choose.