# Write a journal submission cover letter for my manuscript

A concise cover letter to the editor that states the contribution, fit with the journal, and required declarations.

- Topic: Email & Workplace Communication
- Framework: RTF
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Career, Research, Write, Rewrite & Edit, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/write-a-journal-submission-cover-letter-for-my-manuscript

## Prompt

```text
Write a cover letter to accompany my manuscript submission.

**Journal and editor (if known):** [NAME]
**Manuscript title and article type:** [e.g. "original research", "brief report"]
**Abstract or main findings:** [PASTE]
**Why this journal:** [aims and scope, recent related papers in it, readership]
**What is new compared with prior work:** [1-3 points]
**Declarations:** [conflicts of interest, funding, preprint, data availability, ethics approval, prior submission history]
**Suggested or excluded reviewers (optional):** [NAMES and reasons]

Requirements:
- One page maximum, four short paragraphs: what the paper is, what it finds, why it matters to this journal's readers, and the declarations.
- Lead with the contribution, not with background. Avoid overstatement ("first ever", "paradigm-shifting") unless clearly supported.
- Tie fit to the journal's stated scope, not flattery.
- Include the standard statement that the work is original and not under consideration elsewhere only if I confirm it is true.

Return the letter, then a checklist of anything the journal typically requires in cover letters that I have not provided, marked [CONFIRM].
```

## What to fill in

- NAME
- e.g. "original research", "brief report"
- PASTE
- aims and scope, recent related papers in it, readership
- NAMES and reasons
- CONFIRM

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.