Before you begin writing your cover letter, verify the journal’s Authors Guide to confirm whether a cover letter is required. Many scientific journals no longer request one.
The cover letter is addressed to the journal editor responsible for your submission. It plays a crucial role in the editorial decision to send your manuscript for peer review. Therefore, you must succinctly summarize your study’s content, highlight its unique contributions, and explain why it fits the scope and standards of this particular journal.
More Statements
Depending on the journal, your cover letter may also need to include:
A list of 2–5 potential reviewers who are experts in your research field and have not collaborated with any authors in the past five years. These can be postdoctoral researchers or equivalent, not necessarily professors.
An animal welfare statement detailing ethical approval and protocol numbers if your research involved in vivo animal experiments.
A patient consent statement if your study includes human tissue or patient data, with corresponding ethical approvals.
Conflict of interest disclosures for any author with financial ties that might influence the presentation or interpretation of data.
Authors’ contribution statements specifying each author’s role in planning, funding, supervision, experimentation, analysis, figure preparation, and manuscript writing or editing.
Funding information listing all financial support, including grant numbers and recipients.
If these details are not required in the cover letter, prepare to include them in the main manuscript or during submission.
Submission
Submission procedures vary widely: some journals require a single PDF including all sections and figures, others request separate files. Since submission guidelines are not always explicit, allocate sufficient time, ranging from 30 minutes to nearly a full day, to complete the process.
The corresponding author typically manages submission and communication with the journal. Be ready to provide full author details, including names, titles, affiliations, emails, and ORCID numbers. Figures must be uploaded separately in the required formats (TIFF for images, PNG for line graphs) and resolutions, with legends placed at the end of the manuscript. Supplementary figures usually require PDF files named according to journal specifications.
After submission, expect a waiting period of up to three months before receiving the first editorial response.
Each figure usually needs to be provided separately as TIFF (images) or PNG (line graphs) file with a good resolution. Check the Authors Guide if figures need to be in CMYK or RGB color format. While figures are uploaded as separate files, figure legends are listed at the very end of the main manuscript.
The main manuscript is usually provided as Word document. Please make sure to convert the document in plain text so it is not linked to your reference program any more.
Supplementary figures are usually provided as a PDF file including the figure legend placed directly below the figure. Please check the Authors Guide if each supplementary figure needs to be provided as a separate PDF file or if all figures are provided together in one PDF file. Often, the file(s) needs to be named specifically, like “Supplementary figure”, “Additional file” or else. When changing the name according to the journals’ requirements, make sure to also change it in the main manuscript.
After submission of your scientific manuscript, be patient, it might take up to 3 months before you receive a first response from the journal.
This structured approach ensures your manuscript is presented professionally and meets the standards expected in life sciences publishing.
Summary
Write a clear, persuasive cover letter tailored to the journal’s requirements
Prepare and provide all requested information and files during submission
Exercise patience while awaiting the journal’s initial feedback
