投稿论文时给编辑写信模板

一般向SCI投稿论文时都会写一份Cover letter，即投稿信。它是为了帮助 编辑 快速了解文章内容和找到合适的审稿人，一篇内容恰当的cover letter会给你的工作锦上添花，掷出投稿第一块敲门砖。

但 Cell Press 的editor觉得不少人都不知道为什么要写Cover letter，错误地在这部分重复摘要中的内容，这无疑是极大的浪费。因此就有了下面的指导，跟着 Cell 学，离投 Cell 就不远了。

我稍微整理了一下格式，并将重点加以标记。后面提供了三份 模板 ，有一份有详细的注释。

Cover letters are provided for editors only , which means that, unlike the title and abstract that will be visible to, let’s hope, billions of people once the paper is published, the cover letter is going to be seen and read by a very tiny group of people.

Nevertheless, these are the people who have the responsibility to decide whether a manuscript is suitable for consideration in the journal it was submitted to . So, convincing the editors that your paper makes a valuable contribution to the knowledge in the field is important, and that’s why you need to put your cover letter to work.

The cover letter is your first “formal” interaction with a journal, and it embodies a request, so to speak, to consider your article for publication. But it also provides you with an excellent opportunity to present the significance of your scientific contribution.

Some Tips from Catarina, the Editor of Trends in Molecular Medicine.

Two aspects you need to understand clearly.

1). Let’s start with content.

You should succinctly explain what was previously known and then state your motivation for wishing to publish.

Such as:

2). Get to the point .

Succinctly explain the topic of discussion , and quickly convey the key conclusions . Generally, one page suffices and is preferred.

3). Do not rehash the abstract of the paper .

Copying and pasting the abstract into your cover letter verbatim is a big no-no . Instead, you need to venture beyond the summary: write a sentence that takes you further than the obvious conclusions .

Such as:

4). Get excited !

Your excitement about the scientific contributions can undoubtedly inspire the editor who’s reading the cover letter. Overall, the sentiment of “ you’re gonna love reading this paper! “ should seep through—make that happen!

5). Including a wish list of reviewers .

Relevant information on potential reviewers (including their field of expertise) can be included and is definitely a plus , as it can be quite helpful to the editor .

Don’t provide a long list of excluded reviewers (three maximum), and most certainly do not suggest excluding authors from entire continents on the map! Also, save the editor some time by specifying which author should be the lead contact , and indicate their affiliation.

当然这一部分有的会直接在投稿系统中填写，就不需要占用Cover letter的空间了。

6). Keep it simple and humble .

In terms of style, consider sincerity and simplicity . Statements indicating that the article or related findings have been presented at X number of conferences and are “tremendously” well received by the scientific community—or otherwise— do not add much to the cover letter. They might instead suggest right off the bat that a lot of cooing and convincing of the journal editor will be required. So let the “science” speak for itself . Also, a statement declaring that the article is original and isn’t being considered elsewhere can only add to your cause!

7). Proofread your letter by checking the spelling, grammar, and syntax .

8). Check every detail .

Avoid mistakes such as directing the cover letter to the editor(s) of a different journal, or to a different journal altogether .

A poor example:

Dear Editor-in-Chief,   I am sending you our manuscript entitled “Large Scale Analysis of Cell Cycle Regulators in bladder cancer” by Researcher et al. We would like to have the manuscript considered for publication in Pathobiology.   Please let me know of your decision at your earliest convenience.   With my best regards,   Sincerely yours,   A Researcher, PhD

[Replace bracketed text with your own information and writing.   Best of luck! Email us at    with any questions!]

[My Name   University of Research   804 Research Drive   Los Angeles, CA, USA 90210        ]
[Dr. John Editorian   Editor-in-Chief   Journal of Science]
Dear [Dr. Editorian]:
I am pleased to submit an original research article entitled [ “Neofunctionalization of polymerase rho in Ustilago maydis” by Albert Postdoc and My Name] for consideration for publication in [the Journal of Science].  We previously uncovered a role for [polymerase rho in DNA repair in U. maydis (citation)], and this manuscript builds on our prior study to determine the evolution of this unique enzyme.
In this manuscript, we show that [polymerase rho… (list a few important results)].
We believe that this manuscript is appropriate for publication by [the Journal of Science] because it… [specific link to the journal’s aims & scope].  [Our manuscript creates a paradigm for future studies of the evolution of essential enzymes in yeast.]
This manuscript has not been published and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.  We have no conflicts of interest to disclose, but we do respectfully request that [Dr. Glen Meanie] not review our manuscript.  If you feel that the manuscript is appropriate for your journal, we suggest the following reviewers:
[list reviewers and contact info, if requested by the journal]
Thank you for your consideration!
Sincerely,
[My Name, PhD   Professor, Department of Evolutionary Mycology   University of Research]

Sample cover letter

[Your Name]   [Your Affiliation]   [Your Address]
[Date]
Dear [Editor name],   I/We wish to submit an original research article entitled “[title of article]” for consideration by [journal name].   I/We confirm that this work is original and has not been published elsewhere, nor is it currently under consideration for publication elsewhere.   In this paper, I/we report on / show that _______. This is significant because __________.   We believe that this manuscript is appropriate for publication by [journal name] because it… [specific reference to the journal’s Aims & Scope]. __________.   [Please explain in your own words the significance and novelty of the work, the problem that is being addressed, and why the manuscript belongs in this journal. Do not simply insert your abstract into your cover letter! Briefly describe the research you are reporting in your paper, why it is important, and why you think the readership of the journal would be interested in it.]
We have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Please address all correspondence concerning this manuscript to me at [email address].   Thank you for your consideration of this manuscript.   Sincerely,   [Your name]

后台回复 cover letter 或点击获取三份模板的word版。

原文链接：

Cover Letter 既投稿信，对于科研论文新手来说，不知该如何下手，而对于论文老司机来说，重视程度普遍比较低。查尔斯沃思 论文润色 在往期的文章中多次介绍过投稿信的重要性（参见《投稿信的重要性》），投稿信可以告诉杂志及其编辑为什么他们应该考虑你的文章。这是特别重要的，因为当初审编辑在筛选你的论文时，就此决定是否在同行评审环节中寻找特定的专家，所以期刊欢迎增加对你研究的简要总结。 不同的期刊对投稿信的要求各不相同，例如有的杂志会要求推荐几位审稿人。一般会在杂志的作者指南（guide for authors）中看到具体的要求。许多作者并没有注意到投稿信的重要性，即便它的重要性已经成为常识问题。有些作者甚至对此有一些误解。 投稿信应包含哪些内容？这一问题在《投稿信的重要性》中已经有给出了详细的说明，在此再次强调一下，除了一些基本信息外，最主要的是把该篇论文的研究重点及学术贡献、创意简洁的强调下。 我们也为大家准备了一个通用模板，供作者参考，该模板来自SPIE： [Your Name] [Your Affiliation] [Your Address] [Date] Dear Dr. [Editor name], I/We wish to submit a new manuscript entitled “[title of article]” for consideration by the [journal name]. I/We confirm that this work is original and has not been published elsewhere nor is it currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. In this paper, I/we report on _______. This is significant because __________.  The paper should be of interest to readers in the areas of __________. [Please explain in your own words the significance and novelty of the work, the problem that is being addressed, and why the manuscript belongs in this journal. Do not simply insert your abstract into your cover letter! Briefly describe the research you are reporting in your paper, why it is important, and why you think the readership of the journal would be interested in it.] Please address all correspondence concerning this manuscript to me at [email address]. Thank you for your consideration of this manuscript. Sincerely, [Yourname]

如果你是第一次向这个编辑部投稿，应该另写两篇材料：一是“自我介绍”，如过去写过那些稿件，在那些报刊上发表了什么文章，自巳擅长撰写那一方面的稿件等。二是“稿件介绍”，你送的这篇稿子的写作目的和经过，是否可以删改，如果不采用退回到什么地方（邮编、住址、收件人姓名），必要时给编辑部留个电话号码以便联系。