Cover letters: important or not?

Cover letters are a perennial source of angst to journal authors. Let’s start with, what I think is, a simple but effective cover letter.

Salutation: I would go for “Dear Editors,” because you never know who is/are going to read it. In the case of JACS, the first to look at it is the overall Editor Peter Stang and he will pass it on to an Associate Editor (AE). I would not assume that your manuscript is going to a particular editor, because each AE covers a relatively wide field and your manuscript may get assigned to the AE who is less busy rather than absolutely the most appropriate subject wise.

The first paragraph is standard stuff required by the journal but nobody is going to really look at it. Don’t write something like “we are excited to submit”; of course, you are excited, or else you wouldn’t (shouldn’t) send it to JACS. If your paper was rejected, don’t forget to change the journal name! “We would like to submit this as an article in PNAS” is not a good look. (Especially if its impact factor is lower…)

My recommendation is that the next paragraph sets the scene: explain context and the current state of research, the grand unexplained phenomena, the mysteries that need solving, the technology that is desperately required, etc. Don’t write “X is still not understood”, as it suggests something that has been studied to death. Keep it simple and succinct. Know your audience: in the case of JACS, first Peter Stang, then the AE. Peter is an organic chemist but with broad experience. So, write for a knowledgeable chemist but not for an expert in the field. As for me: I get manuscripts in a wide range of fields from biophysics through physical chemistry to analytical chemistry and I’m also not an absolute expert in all but keen to broaden out.

My recommendation is that the next paragraph explains what you have done, what you have discovered, and what impact your work will have on other researchers and other research fields. Again, keep it simple and succinct, and keep in mind your audience. In these two paragraphs, feel free to show that the topic is hot by quoting a few related papers in high impact journals. Make sure it is clear that your work is different, novel, and solves outstanding problems.

I really appreciate it when authors add a list of recommended/preferred reviewers and explain why these are suitable reviewers. I’ll write something about that later.

That’s it. Basically, two paragraphs that set out why the manuscript is important and should be sent for review. Do not just copy the abstract, that is pointless. Some authors feel compelled to write reams and reams of text: don’t, it probably will get largely ignored and obscures the core message.

Which leaves the final question: are cover letters important or not? Most of the time, I ignore the cover letter until the very end. For me, the cover letter is very much secondary: I read the abstract, introduction, and conclusion (see previous post), and that has to be enough because, if the manuscript is eventually accepted for publication, it has to stand on its own as well. To state the obvious: readers will not get to read the cover letter. Crucial information in the cover letter should also be in the manuscript in some form. I read the cover letter to confirm (or not) that I have understood the main import of the work. I use it to compose a little summary to be sent to potential reviewers, so I still appreciate a decent cover letter.

Having said that, at JACS your manuscript will be seen first by Peter, who is much more of a generalist. So, the cover letter is your chance to convince him (more so than the AE) that the work is worthy of being sent to an AE and then for review. I have seen the occasional manuscript that is not great and I wonder why it didn’t get desk rejected earlier. In all of those cases (not many), the cover letter is perfect! Of course, such a perfect cover letter only gets you so far…

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