How To Write a Journal Article Submission Cover Letter

How To Write a Journal Article Submission Cover Letter

At some point in your academic career, you will have to write a cover letter (actually i have never not written one for my articles, but every journal and discipline is different.)

As formal letters go, this one to had a standard formula. 3 short paragraphs that day something substantial about your manuscript. Don't use vague platitudes. If thou don't know how to do that well, and professionally (I.e., don't act like a grad student), see the post XXX here.

LETTERHEAD

Dr. EDITORS NAME

Editor-in-Chief Journal of XXX

Their Address

Their CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE

Dear Editor in Chief,

Please accept our manuscript entitled, "TITLE OF YOUR PAPER" to tour prestigious journal. 

The first paragraph says your thesis or objective of the paper. Next sentence is the primary result. The third sentence is the impact of your paper. Here is your "hook" and convince the editor to process your manuscript to be considered for publication. 3-4 sentences, remember editors are free and unpaid labor and are very busy faculty.

"The goal of the current study was to estimate the hazards of conversion from unimpaired to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to probable dementia and death for underweight, normal, overweight, and obese older adults in an aging cohort where the timing of examinations may be associated with the severity of dementia." 

In the second paragraph, you can write 3-4 concise sentences about the results section.

"We found that obesity in late-life protected against developing dementia following an MCI state (aHR=XX; 95%CI [XX-XX]) and death following a dementia state (aHR=XX; 95%CI[XX-XX) After adjusting for the effects of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, vigorous physical activity, age, and race/ethnicity."

The third paragraph is Novelty.  What is the uniqueness of your paper? Write 2 short  concise sentences.

"Novelty: Prior research shows the risk of dementia associated with obesity at older ages is either attenuated or reversed. Our findings support a protective factor of obesity in late-life against conversion to dementia and death."

The fourth short paragrapgh is Impact. This is the "So What?" point of your paper submission. 

"Impact: Obesity in late-life is a sign of possible resources available to the brain as people age and maybe a proxy for better health after a mean age of 74 years old, as frailty becomes a threat."

The final paragraph will list 2-3 possible reviewers for the manuscript and will thank the editor for considering the manuscript for publication. Contact email info can be added here. Nothing more. **Some Journals may want a disclosure or authorship statement in the CL.**

"We recombined three authors as possible reviewers. Dr. Alexander, Professor of TITLE, at abc@university.edu. Dr. Tumin, Professor of anesthesiology at XX@university.edu. etc. Third author information.

** "The manuscript has not submitted or published somewhere else. All authors are in agreement to publish this manuscript in your prestigious journal." 

"Sincerely Yours,

Ms/Dr./Mx./Mr. YOUR NAME

(Signature)

And that's about it. Send to your mentor for review.

~JTTT

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