Anyone who has submitted articles for publication?

[lotf629]

Hi all of you with better CVs than mine ,

I am told that one needs to include a basic cover letter with an article submission. What should that cover letter look like? My little guide makes the following suggestions:

a) Quote the article title and the name of the journal;

State contact details including email;

c) Ask to be sent referees' reports whether or not the article is accepted;

d) Inquire about the current publication lag.

Any confirmation of these points? What does such a letter typically look like?

Thanks for guidance, if you've got it!

[glasscandie]

I was published this year in the Undergraduate Journal of Psychology, out of UNC Chapel Hill, but I think b/c it was an undergraduate journal the way of going about it was different - I just sent an e-mail with my abstract, contact info, and an attachment of the essay. I still had to undergo the peer review process - that was a giant pain, btw.

Good luck to you! I'm hopefully looking at a co-author on at least 1 paper from one of my research internships, so whenever that happens for a "real" journal, I might be better help lol

[seunghwane]

Go to the journal's information for authors page.

Every journal has different format issues, and certainly there are field-specific differences as well.

[Minnesotan]

In the humanities, the best idea is to keep it polite, short, and somewhat spartan. I believe I adhered closely to the example given in Gregory Colon Semanza's book (something about making a career in the humanities in the 21st century - I forget the exact title).

[lotf629]

Thanks, all!

Minnesotan, I own that book, but I didn't realize it contained an example: great tip. I'll go look it up.

[texasgrad]

This thread is a little bit old, but in some disciplines (sciences, etc) you should also suggest some reviewers who would be knowledgeable about your specific subject material. This way, you at least have a shot at getting your paper reviewed by someone else who is familiar with your field. Otherwise, keep the letter short and polite and include the things listed in the OP.