Almost every journal asks for a cover letter when you submit a manuscript, yet it is the part of the submission most authors write in five rushed minutes. That is a mistake. The cover letter is the first thing the editor reads, and it frames everything that follows: it tells the editor what the paper is about, why it fits this journal, and why it deserves to be sent for peer review. A clear, honest letter helps a good paper get a fair reading; a vague or inflated one can create doubt before the manuscript itself is even opened.
This guide explains what editors actually look for in a cover letter, gives you a structure that works for almost any journal, lists what to include and what to leave out, and shows the mistakes that most often weaken a submission. It applies to original research articles across fields, including veterinary and animal science work submitted to journals such as the Global Journal of Veterinary and Animal Sciences.
A cover letter is a short, professional letter to the editor that accompanies your manuscript. Its job is narrow: to introduce the paper, state its main contribution in plain language, explain why it fits the journal's scope and readership, and confirm the standard submission declarations, such as originality and authorship. Most cover letters are between 250 and 500 words. If yours is much longer, it is probably repeating the paper instead of introducing it.
A cover letter is not a second abstract, a summary of every result, or a sales pitch. Editors do not want to be told that a paper is groundbreaking, the first of its kind, or the most important contribution to a field — those are claims the paper itself must support, and reviewers will judge them. It is also not the place for a detailed defence of your methods or a long literature review. Keep the letter focused on the editor's decision: does this paper belong in this journal, and is it ready for peer review?
Editors read cover letters with a few practical questions in mind. First, is the paper within the journal's scope? An editor handling dozens of submissions a week needs to see, in the first paragraph, which readers the paper serves and which section of the journal it belongs to. If the fit is unclear, the paper may be desk-rejected without review, however good the research is. Naming the fit explicitly — the field, the problem, and the audience — is therefore the single most useful thing a cover letter can do.
Second, what is new here? The editor wants one or two sentences stating the paper's contribution in concrete terms: the question it answers, the finding it reports, or the method it applies. Vague statements such as "this paper makes an important contribution to the field" say nothing, because every submission claims that. A concrete statement — the population studied, the comparison made, or the gap addressed — lets the editor judge novelty quickly and choose suitable reviewers.
Third, is the submission straightforward? Editors check for the standard declarations: that the work is original, that it is not under consideration elsewhere, that all authors have approved it, and that any conflicts of interest or funding are disclosed. A letter that states these plainly, and flags anything unusual honestly — a related preprint, a previous rejection at another journal, or a shared dataset — builds trust. Surprises discovered later damage trust far more than an honest note at submission.
Most strong cover letters follow the same three-part shape. You do not need to invent a new format; journals expect this shape, and editors read it fast because they know where each piece of information sits.
Open by naming the manuscript title, the article type, and the journal. One or two sentences are enough: you are submitting a named manuscript for consideration as a particular article type in this journal. If you are submitting to a special issue, or responding to a call for papers, say so here. This paragraph is purely administrative, and it should read that way — clear, direct, and free of praise for your own work.
Use one or two paragraphs to explain the paper in plain language. State the problem, what you did, and the main finding, in that order, and then connect the paper to the journal: which readers will use it, and how it relates to work the journal already publishes. This is also the place for any brief context the editor needs, such as a companion paper under consideration, a preprint version, or a previous version of the work. Keep the focus on fit and contribution, not on a full summary of results.
Close with the standard declarations in a compact form: the manuscript is original, it is not submitted elsewhere, all authors have read and approved it, and conflicts of interest and funding are disclosed where required. Add any practical notes the journal asks for, such as suggested reviewers if the journal invites them, or a statement about data availability. End with a brief, polite thanks to the editor for considering the manuscript. Do not ask for a fast decision, special treatment, or a particular reviewer outcome — those requests work against you.
Before you submit, check your letter against this list. Missing items are a common reason for a submission being returned before review, which costs days and creates a poor first impression.
Some things weaken a cover letter even when they are written with good intentions. Do not include detailed results, tables of numbers, or a paragraph-by-paragraph summary of the paper — that is what the manuscript and the abstract are for. Do not include praise for the journal that reads as flattery, and do not claim your paper is the first, the best, or the most important study of its kind unless the paper itself proves it and the claim is stated precisely. Avoid apologies for the paper's weaknesses; if a limitation matters, it belongs in the discussion section, addressed honestly, not flagged nervously in the letter.
Also leave out anything the submission system already collects elsewhere: author biographies, full affiliations, and long acknowledgements. Repeating them in the letter only adds length and creates a chance for the two versions to disagree. Finally, do not mention the names of reviewers you hope to avoid unless the journal explicitly invites that information, and never use the letter to argue with a previous rejection or to criticise another journal. Editors notice tone, and a gracious, factual letter is always the safer choice.
The outline below shows the shape of a complete cover letter. Adapt the wording to your paper and journal; do not copy it word for word, because editors recognise generic letters, and a letter that could belong to any paper helps no paper.
Paragraph 1: "We are submitting our manuscript, titled [title], for consideration as a [article type] in [journal name]." Add the special issue or section if relevant.
Paragraph 2: "This paper addresses [the problem] by [what you did]. We found [the main finding in one sentence]." Then one sentence on fit: "It will interest [the journal's readers] because [the reason]."
Paragraph 3: "The manuscript is original, has not been published or submitted elsewhere, and all authors have approved its submission. Funding and conflicts of interest are disclosed in the manuscript." Add notes on a preprint or related paper if any exist.
Paragraph 4: "Thank you for considering our manuscript. We welcome your decision and are ready to respond to reviewer comments." Sign off with the corresponding author's name and contact details.
Notice how short this is. A letter built on this outline will usually run to about one page, which is exactly what editors prefer. If your draft runs much longer, the usual cause is results detail or background that belongs in the paper, not the letter.
You do not normally need to mention a previous rejection at another journal, and most journals do not ask you to. If the journal's submission form asks about prior submissions, answer honestly there. If you are resubmitting a substantially revised version to the same journal after a rejection with an invitation to resubmit, say so in the letter and summarise briefly how the revision addresses the previous concerns. Honesty in this case is not a weakness; editors appreciate authors who show they took the earlier feedback seriously.
If a preprint version exists, mention it and give its location, because editors and reviewers may find it anyway and an undisclosed preprint looks like concealment. The same applies to closely related papers by the same authors: a short note explaining how the submitted paper differs from them prevents any later question about duplicate publication. If you are unsure whether a related paper counts, mention it — transparency costs one sentence and removes a risk.
The most common mistake is writing the letter about the wrong audience: authors often write it as if persuading a general reader, when the actual reader is a busy editor deciding on scope and review. The second is inflation — superlatives and novelty claims the paper cannot support. The third is vagueness: a letter that never states the paper's contribution in concrete terms. The fourth is carelessness, such as addressing the letter to the wrong journal or the wrong editor, which happens when a letter is recycled from a previous submission without being updated. That single error can end a submission immediately, so always re-read the letter against the journal you are actually submitting to.
Our guide on why research papers get rejected explains how desk rejection works, and our step-by-step guide on how to publish a research paper puts the cover letter in the context of the whole submission process. If your paper is returned for revision, our guide on how to respond to peer reviewer comments explains the response letter in detail. Choosing the right journal in the first place matters just as much: see how to choose the right journal before you write the letter.
| Part of the letter | What to include | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | Manuscript title, article type, journal name | Addressing the letter to the wrong journal after recycling it |
| Middle | Problem, approach, main finding, and fit with the journal | Vague praise instead of a concrete contribution |
| Declarations | Originality, no duplicate submission, author approval | Leaving out funding or conflict-of-interest disclosure |
| Notes | Preprint, related papers, suggested reviewers if invited | Hiding a preprint or related paper the editor later finds |
| Closing | Brief thanks and corresponding author details | Asking for a fast decision or special treatment |
These authoritative external resources explain the standards and guidance mentioned in this article:
How long should a cover letter be?
Most strong cover letters are 250 to 500 words, usually about one page. If yours is much longer, it is probably repeating the paper instead of introducing it.
Should I mention the journal's name in the cover letter?
Yes, always. Name the journal, and the section or special issue where relevant. A letter that could belong to any journal reads as generic and is easy for an editor to set aside.
Do I need to mention a preprint in the cover letter?
Yes. Mention the preprint and where it is posted. Editors and reviewers may find it anyway, and an undisclosed preprint looks like concealment.
Should I suggest reviewers in the cover letter?
Only if the journal invites suggestions. When it does, suggest independent experts with no conflicts of interest, and give their affiliations and contact details as the journal requests.
What if my paper was rejected by another journal first?
You do not normally need to mention it, unless the submission form asks. If you are resubmitting to the same journal after an invitation to resubmit, say so and summarise how the revision addresses the earlier feedback.
Can a cover letter save a weak paper?
No. A cover letter can help a good paper get a fair reading and a suitable set of reviewers, but it cannot compensate for weak methods, missing results, or a poor fit with the journal. The manuscript itself must do that work.