How to Write a Strong Cover Letter for 2026 Submissions
Planning to submit a research paper in 2026? One of the crucial aspects of your submission package will be the cover letter. A cover letter gives a brief overview of your research to the journal editors, who then decide whether your research paper deserves to move to the next stage of review.
This blog takes you through the key elements of a cover letter for journal submissions, highlights what editors expect to see in a journal cover letter, and provides tips on avoiding common mistakes when writing a cover letter.
Why Writing an Effective Cover Letter Matters
What Should a Cover Letter Include?
Things to Avoid in a Cover Letter
Final Overview: A Checklist for Writing a Cover Letter
Why Writing an Effective Cover Letter Matters
With the exponential increase in the number of academic papers published annually1, one can only imagine the volume of submissions received by journal editors! It is common knowledge that journals use screening tools to identify whether a submission is suitable for publication. And this is where cover letters can make or break your manuscript submission.
Writing a strong cover letter that convinces a journal editor of your research’s value is key. Among the numerous submissions received every day, a clear and concise cover letter that highlights the novelty and importance of your research stands out to any experienced editor. Moreover, the contents of your cover letter are also an indication of how confident you are about your research work. An effective cover letter manages to convey the essentials of your investigation in a gist without diving too deep into the details.
Another advantage of a good cover letter is that it shows the editor that you have thoroughly thought of your entire submission package and not just focused on submitting the main manuscript. Because cover letters do not contain excessive jargon, it highlights that you are sufficiently familiar with your work to clearly explain it even in plain language to non-experts in the field. Also, an effective cover letter is the first step to ensure that your manuscript gets pushed to the next stage in the publication process: the peer review. Therefore, it is worth spending time to prepare a cover letter that helps you catch the journal editor’s attention.
What Should a Cover Letter Include?
Before you begin writing a cover letter, read the journal’s instructions regarding the submission. Some journals require you to submit cover letters using a specific template, often available on the website itself. Others may simply list out the mandatory information that authors are expected to provide in a cover letter.
Although the requirements may vary for different journals, here are 8 key elements that any journal cover letter should contain2.
1. Editor’s name
Like any letter, start by indicating to whom the cover letter is addressed. Typically, it will be the editor-in-chief of the journal. However, check the guidelines if the journal requires you to address the cover letter to a section editor or simply a chief editor. Use appropriate salutations (Dr./Prof./Mr./Ms.).
2. Title of the manuscript
Clearly mention the title of your research paper in the first paragraph itself. This should be highlighted in bold so that the editor’s attention is immediately drawn to the main topic of your research.
Here, note that writing an effective title3 is also of utmost importance. As much as possible, be specific about what was studied, what methods were used for the analysis, and what the key findings were. A coherent title that combines the keywords to summarize your study goes a long way in leaving an impression on the journal editor!
3. Co-authors’ names
Do mention the names of your co-authors in the cover letter, if applicable. Although the journal editor will be corresponding with just one author, likely the person designated as the corresponding author in the main manuscript and the writer of the cover letter, listing the names of your co-authors in the cover letter informs the journal of the people involved in the authorship of the research paper.
4. Journal’s name
This is obvious. Include the name of the journal you are submitting to in the first paragraph. In fact, here is how the first 4 elements listed so far can be written in your cover letter:
Dear [include journal editor’s name]
I would like to request you to consider the attached manuscript entitled [insert manuscript title] for publication in [insert the journal’s name] as an original article. The paper was co-authored by [insert the names of your co-authors, if applicable].
Note that you may have to replace the phrase “original article” in the above template with whichever article type you are submitting to the journal, such as a review paper, a short communication, or a case report.
5. Research details
Summarize the main purpose of your study. Highlight what research gap you observed in existing literature that motivated you to explore this topic, thereby clarifying the novelty of your work. You should then mention the main findings of your investigation and describe how they support your hypothesis.
6. Reasons for submitting to that journal
It is important that your cover letter highlights the match between your manuscript and the journal’s scope. This means that you need to explicitly mention why you chose that journal to submit your paper. You may use certain keywords, like the subject areas covered by the journal and the research topics previously published in that journal, to underscore the reasons for selecting that journal.
Also, mention what unique contribution you are making to the existing field and how it can benefit the journal’s audience. Justify why accepting your research manuscript would be an asset to their publication.
7. Declaration statements
Your cover letter should include declarations of any conflicts of interest or ethical declaration statements. Some journals specify that even if there are no conflicts to declare, a statement should be included highlighting this. In the case of studies involving animal or human subjects, suitable ethical declarations should be included.
With the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and platforms in research writing, journals in 2026 are likely to mandate AI declaration statements as well4. Some journals may require you to provide this statement separately. Others may instruct you to submit it as a form or include a statement in the cover letter itself. Follow your target journal’s guidelines regarding how the disclosure of AI tools should be presented.
8. Contact information
Finally, ensure that your contact details, such as the email ID, phone number, and any other information required by the journal, are included in the cover letter. This is usually the details of the corresponding author with whom the journal can communicate after the submission.
Things to Avoid in a Cover Letter
Here are some common mistakes that authors make in a cover letter. Watch out for these and consciously avoid them.
- Replicating the abstract in the cover letter. Authors may find it easy to simply to copy the abstract from the main manuscript to give the journal editor an overview of the research. However, it is better to explain the importance of the study by clarifying what problem your research addresses in a more colloquial language. You may use your abstract as a reference to present this in your own words, but avoid writing it verbatim in the cover letter.
- Using excessive jargon. The cover letter should captivate the journal editor and motivate them to read your research manuscript. So, use simple, direct, and plain language instead of filling the cover letter with highly technical, domain-specific terminologies. The language should be easy to understand, and do not use too many abbreviations.
- Writing a lengthy cover letter. A cover letter should typically be one page long, covering only the essentials of your research work. Presenting too many details of the study will take away the curiosity even before the editor chooses to read the research paper. Stick to presenting a brief overview of the research, maintaining clarity and conciseness.
- Neglecting to proofread. Making spelling mistakes or grammatical errors in a cover letter sets a bad impression. Check your cover letter for accuracy with respect to language, grammar, spelling, and overall writing to ensure that such glaring mistakes are avoided.
Final Overview: A Checklist for Writing a Cover Letter
Writing a cover letter is a crucial part of preparing your submission package. Have a list of dos and don’ts to ensure that you do not miss anything.
- Read the journal’s guidelines carefully and ensure all the required elements are included in the cover letter. Get the fundamentals correct: the journal’s name, editor’s name, contact information, and the date of submission.
- Include a brief overview of your research without giving away too much. Think of your cover letter as a movie trailer that grabs the audience’s attention, so they feel compelled to watch the movie in its entirely! Your cover letter should convince the journal editor that your research paper is worth being taken to the next stage of the review process.
- Highlight why that journal is a perfect match for your research. What novel contribution makes your research valuable to the journal’s readership? How does your research’s goals align with those of the journal? Provide sufficient justification of why the research matches the journal’s subject scope.
- Include all the necessary statements of declarations without fail. Some journals allow authors to suggest names of reviewers to include or exclude (in the case of conflicting interests). Check the guidelines before including this information in the journal cover letter.
For easy and hassle-free submissions, check out Editage’s Publication Support Services and get expert guidance at every step of your publication journey!
References
1. Number of academic papers published per year https://wordsrated.com/number-of-academic-papers-published-per-year/
2. How to write a cover letter for journals submissions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvPKGXjQxno
3. Write the perfect research paper title in 4 simple steps https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLZZcQvCu10
4. Disclosing artificial intelligence use in scientific research and publication https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08989621.2025.2481949#d1e168
