Does the editor really read your cover letter? Usually yes, and often before the manuscript itself. A journal cover letter is the editor’s first contact with your work, and in journals that desk-reject many submissions it helps decide whether the paper goes to peer review. A letter that only says “please find attached our manuscript” wastes that opportunity.
This article is part of our guide How to Write a Master’s Thesis by the Mastermind PhD team and relates to our Journal Article support service. Sources last checked: November 2026.
This guide explains what editors expect, what three major publishers ask for, and gives a seven-part template and a complete example you can adapt.
What is a journal cover letter? A journal cover letter is a short letter, ideally under one page, submitted with a manuscript and addressed to the editor. It states the title and article type, explains in a few sentences what the study found and why it suits the journal’s readers, and confirms that the work is original and not under consideration elsewhere. Some journals also use it for related manuscripts or reviewer requests.
What do publishers ask for in a journal cover letter?
Publisher guidance overlaps, but not completely. Always follow the target journal’s own Guide for Authors, which overrides general advice.
| Element | Elsevier | Springer Nature | Taylor & Francis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | Short, ideally less than one page | Not specified | Maximum of one page |
| Fit with the journal | Explain how the study fits the aims and scope | Convey the work’s importance to the editors | Why the journal’s readers would care |
| Originality and significance | Highlight originality and wider significance | Yes | Brief description of the research and why it matters |
| Not under consideration elsewhere | Check the journal’s guide | Yes, state it | Yes, state it |
| Related manuscripts | Check the journal’s guide | Mention related manuscripts under consideration | Some journals ask for a list |
| Reviewer suggestions | Should not be included in the letter | May recommend or exclude reviewers, with reasons | Not mentioned |
| Funding and declarations | Should not be included in the letter | Not mentioned | Confirm no competing interests |
The contrast on reviewers and declarations is the practical lesson. Elsevier asks authors to enter funding, declarations and reviewer suggestions in the submission system rather than the letter, while Springer Nature invites reviewer suggestions in the letter. Check where your journal wants each item.
The seven parts of a journal cover letter
A strong journal cover letter follows a predictable order:
- Header and salutation. Date, the editor’s name if you know it (it is usually on the journal’s website), and the journal name.
- Submission statement. Title of the manuscript and article type (original article, review, short communication).
- The research question and main finding. Two or three sentences in plain language, not a copy of the abstract.
- Why it fits this journal. Link the study to the journal’s aims and scope and, where relevant, to recent debates in the journal.
- What is new. One or two sentences on the contribution: a new population, method, dataset or context.
- Declarations. Originality, not under consideration elsewhere, approval by all authors, and any related manuscripts or preprints, as the journal requires.
- Closing and contact details. Corresponding author’s name, affiliation and email.
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Journal cover letter template
Adapt the brackets. Remove any line your journal asks you to put in the submission system instead.
[Date]
Dear Dr [Editor’s surname],
Please consider our manuscript, “[Title]”, for publication as an [article type] in [Journal name].
[One sentence on the problem.] In this study, we [design and sample in one sentence]. We found that [main finding with its key figure].
These findings are relevant to readers of [Journal name] because [link to aims and scope, or to a recent debate in the journal]. To our knowledge, this is the first study to [specific contribution].
This manuscript has not been published and is not under consideration elsewhere. All authors have approved the manuscript and agree with its submission. [The manuscript is based on the first author’s master’s thesis, available at (repository link).] [We have no competing interests to declare.]
Thank you for considering our work.
Sincerely,
[Name], on behalf of all authors
[Affiliation, email]
A complete journal cover letter example
The example below is a fictional illustration with an invented study and journal, written for this guide.
12 March 2026
Dear Dr Rivera,
Please consider our manuscript, “Daily Writing Sessions and Thesis Completion Among Part-Time Master’s Students”, for publication as an original article in the Journal of Graduate Education Studies.
Part-time master’s students are more likely than full-time students to submit late, yet few studies examine their writing routines. In a survey of 312 part-time students at four universities, we found that students who wrote in short daily sessions were more likely to submit on time than those who wrote in weekly blocks, after controlling for employment hours.
These findings respond directly to the call in your journal’s recent special issue for evidence on supporting part-time postgraduates. To our knowledge, this is the first multi-institution study of writing schedules in this group.
This manuscript has not been published and is not under consideration elsewhere. It develops the first author’s master’s thesis, deposited in the university repository, which we cite in the manuscript. All authors have approved the submission, and we have no competing interests to declare.
Thank you for considering our work.
Sincerely,
[Name], on behalf of all authors
Notice what the example does: it names a gap, states one concrete finding, ties the study to something the journal itself has published, and discloses the thesis overlap openly.
Writing a journal cover letter from a thesis
If your paper comes from your thesis, say so. Many journals accept articles derived from theses, but they expect transparency, especially if the thesis is online and may match in a similarity check. Also confirm that your supervisor’s role is reflected in the author list according to the journal’s authorship criteria. Our guide to publishing a paper from your thesis covers the full process.
Common journal cover letter mistakes
| Mistake | Why it hurts | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Pasting the abstract | Adds nothing the editor cannot read in the manuscript | Explain significance and fit in your own words |
| “Dear Sir/Madam” when the editor is named on the website | Signals a mass submission | Use the editor’s name |
| Overclaiming (“groundbreaking”, “first ever”) | Editors distrust hype | State the specific contribution |
| Wrong journal name | Shows the letter was reused | Check every name and title |
| Omitting thesis or preprint overlap | Similarity matches look unexplained | Disclose it |
| Longer than one page | Editors skim | Cut to essentials |
| Declarations in the letter when the journal wants them in the system | Inconsistent submission | Follow the Guide for Authors |
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Frequently asked questions
Is a journal cover letter mandatory?
Not always. Some journals require one, others make it optional, and some ask for it in a text box during submission. Check the Guide for Authors, and draft the letter as a separate document either way.
How long should a journal cover letter be?
One page or less. Elsevier recommends ideally less than one page, and Taylor & Francis suggests a maximum of one page. Three to five short paragraphs are usually enough.
Should I suggest reviewers in the cover letter?
Only if the journal asks for it there. Springer Nature invites reviewer suggestions or exclusions in the letter, while Elsevier asks for them in the submission system instead.
Can I use the same cover letter for a resubmission to another journal?
Only after rewriting it. The fit paragraph must refer to the new journal’s aims and readers, and every name and title must change. Mention relevant changes if the paper was revised.
Should a master’s student mention that the paper comes from a thesis?
Yes. Disclose the thesis, especially if it is publicly available, and cite it. Transparency prevents similarity matches from looking like duplicate publication.
Sources
- Elsevier. What should be included in a cover letter? https://www.elsevier.support/publishing/answer/what-should-be-included-in-a-cover-letter (accessed November 2026)
- Springer Nature. Cover letter (Support). https://support.springernature.com/en/support/solutions/articles/6000245673-cover-letter (accessed November 2026)
- Taylor & Francis Author Services. How to write a cover letter for journal submission. https://authorservices.taylorandfrancis.com/writing-a-cover-letter/ (accessed November 2026)
- International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Overlapping Publications. https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/publishing-and-editorial-issues/overlapping-publications.html (accessed November 2026)
- Committee on Publication Ethics. Authorship and AI tools: COPE position statement (13 February 2023). https://publicationethics.org/guidance/cope-position/authorship-and-ai-tools (accessed November 2026)
Sources last checked: November 2026. This article is general educational guidance and does not replace your university regulations or your supervisor’s instructions. How we prepare our content.