cover-letter

Write a Submission Cover Letter

Overview

Drafts a professional cover letter to accompany a manuscript submitted to a journal or conference. Concise, factual, and tailored to the target venue.

Workflow

1. Identify venue — journal name, conference, or book series
2. Gather manuscript details — title, authors, word count, article type
3. Check journal requirements — some journals require specific statements (conflicts of interest, ethics approval, prior publication declaration)
4. Draft letter — following the structure below
5. Return — ready-to-send letter; flag any required statements the user must fill in

Cover Letter Structure

[Date]

Dear Dr. / Professor [Editor's surname], / Dear Editorial Team,

We submit for your consideration our manuscript titled:
"[Full Title]"
for publication as a [article type] in [Journal Name].

[1–2 sentences: what the paper is about and its main contribution]

[1–2 sentences: why it fits this journal — scope, readership, recent related papers]

[Required declarations — use only what applies:]
• This manuscript has not been published elsewhere and is not under consideration at any other journal.
• All authors have approved the manuscript and agree to its submission.
• The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
• Ethics approval was obtained from [institution] (approval no. [XX]).
• Data are available at [repository/upon request].

We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
[Corresponding author name]
[Affiliation]
[Email]
[ORCID if applicable]

Journal Fit Statement

The most persuasive cover letters explain why this journal, not just any journal. Mention:

• The journal's stated scope that matches the paper
• A recent paper in the journal the submission builds on or contrasts with
• The target readership who will benefit

Required Declarations Checklist

Declaration	When required
Originality / no dual submission	Almost always
Author approval	Most journals
Conflict of interest	Most journals
Ethics approval	Human/animal subjects research
Funding acknowledgement	When funder requires it
Data availability	Growing requirement; check journal policy
Suggested reviewers	Some journals invite 2–3 suggestions
Excluded reviewers	Some journals allow listing competitors to exclude

Ukrainian-Specific Notes

Topic	Guidance
Українські журнали	Many Ukrainian journals do not require a cover letter — check the submission guidelines; if not required, a brief email to the editor suffices
Міжнародні журнали	Cover letters are standard for Scopus/WoS-indexed journals — always include one
Мова	Write in the journal's primary language; for bilingual Ukrainian/English journals, English is typically preferred for correspondence

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Summarising the abstract	The letter is not an abstract — focus on fit and contribution, not methodology details
Generic letter sent to every journal	Personalise the journal fit statement for each submission
Missing required declarations	Check the journal's author guidelines for mandatory statements
Addressing the wrong editor	Look up the current editor-in-chief; "Dear Editorial Team" is safe when unsure