Sections that usually help
Open with title, manuscript type, and corresponding-author contact. In the middle, three to five sentences on the problem, method, key result, and who benefits—aimed at that journal’s readers, not vague “novelty.”
Close with dual-submission and authorship confirmation, conflicts (or none), plus suggested or excluded reviewers if the portal did not already collect them.
- Why this journal (recent scope/readers—not IF alone)
- Prior conference version or preprint: citation plus what is new
- Special cases: equal contribution, data availability, ethics approval IDs
What to leave out
Do not paste the abstract, inflate “first/solves everything,” or attack reviewers or competing work. One page is usually enough.
If a conference portal has no letter field, follow the CFP—an unsolicited long letter rarely helps. Chinese-journal signed pledges are separate documents; do not merge them into an English cover letter blob.
Extensions and transfers
For conference extensions, name the venue, year, and delta—clearer than making the editor discover it. After a reject-and-transfer, briefly note how you addressed prior reviews (attach full reviews only if asked).
Suggest reviewers with real expertise and institutional emails; exclusion lists should state conflicts, not blacklist a whole subfield.
FAQ
- Is a cover letter mandatory?
- Depends on the journal—some require a file, others collect the same facts in forms. Skip unsolicited essays; when required, keep the short structure above.
- English or Chinese letter?
- Match the journal’s working language. Chinese journals often want a Chinese note or fixed form, not a long translated essay.