Writing an effective cover letter

5) Novelty

The editors want to know the degree to which your paper is unique among other publications in the field. We recommend emphasizing the novelty of your study as compared with other published work. The focus of this should be how your manuscript adds to the literature and serves to advance the science in this field.

Example:
Our study is unique because we enrolled patients in a pragmatic fashion at time of admission for food impaction to the emergency department. This design allows implementation of our intervention in most clinical settings, where we expect our findings to translate broadly into reduced hospital admissions and repeat endoscopic interventions, as well as improved quality of life as documented by patient-reported outcomes.

6) Submission to other journals

Certain manuscripts are only part of the entire study, which can be because of interim results or prespecified secondary endpoints. It is important to state whether this manuscript or any part has been published elsewhere or parts of the study are in submission elsewhere.

Example:
Neither the entire paper nor any part of its content has been published or has been accepted elsewhere. This work has not been submitted to any other journal, and in case of acceptance of the manuscript, the copyright is transferred to Gastroenterology.

7) Journal fit

Not all journals have the same readership or focus. When submitting to the journals, please highlight why this manuscript fits this journal and its readership. When able, also recommend what section of the journal this manuscript should go to for review. This allows for expedited review process and shows you understand the journal’s readership and categories.

Example:
We believe our study will be of great interest to readers of Gastroenterology and suggest the manuscript section: “Clinical: Alimentary Tract.”

8) Influence of sponsors and conflicts of interest

Given the concern for potential conflict of interests in study design, data collection, or analysis, we recommend listing any important conflicts of interest or study sponsors. The entire list of conflicts of interest is typically included elsewhere, but a sponsored study or direct conflict should be listed to prevent any perceived influence from sponsors that may limit data integrity.

Example:
The study was supported by RDN-Gastro, a nonprofit private organization aimed to promote clinical and translational research in eosinophilic esophagitis. The RDN-Gastro organization receives support from the National Institutes of Health and the Emergency Department Eosinophilic Esophagitis Association.

9) Suggestions for editors and reviewers

It is helpful to suggest potential associate editors to handle your manuscript. Similarly, suggesting potential reviewers (and providing their email addresses) who are experts in the field and understand your research topic can enhance the quality of reviews. Soliciting reviewers who you know may seem like a recipe for friendly reviews; however, this is a flawed assumption because sometimes these reviewers are more rigorous in their comments.

Example:
Preferred Associate Editor: John M. Inadomi.
Preferred Reviewer: Rishi Naik (Rishi.D.Naik@vumc.org); expertise in esophageal motility.