By: Tyler Saumur, ORT Times Writer
In the second part of this series on submitting a manuscript, I discuss the importance of cover letters and provide a strategy for addressing reviewer comments.
The cover letter
There are numerous templates available that include many of the basic details that editors expect in cover letters (eg, conflicts of interest, single journal submission). These templates offer a great starting point to ensure that the essentials are covered. Apart from these details, the cover letter is your opportunity to convince the editor of your work’s importance. Be sure to briefly summarize your findings, how they advance the field and why it would be of interest to readers of the journal. Be clear and avoid jargon. Although it is the editor’s responsibility to have a breadth of knowledge, it is unlikely that they are an expert in your specific research area.
Addressing reviewer comments
After the anticipated wait (typically 3-6 months in my experience), the editor will decide your fate: accept, accept with minor or major revisions, or reject. If your manuscript is rejected, review the feedback and incorporate what you can for submission to another journal. As fellow ORT Times writer, Dr. Scott Rich suggests, “only worry about things that are in your control.” If the ever-common major revisions are recommended, again incorporate what is feasible. You might want to consider stepping away from the reviewer comments for a day to remove any potential emotional responses that you might have. I find this useful if the reviewers use strong, negative language or pick apart a specific aspect of my manuscript in which I invested a lot of energy. Sometimes, stepping away before deciding which recommendations to accept or reject can be helpful to create the best final product. In your response letter to reviewers, include a point-by-point list of replies to their comments. An easy way for the reviewers to see your changes is to reference the line numbers in the manuscript and copy/paste the specific section of text in the response to reviewers. It is important to ensure that you add in the line numbers last, so they accurately reflect the location of the changed text. You should also check the journal’s resubmission guidelines to see if they require changes to be highlighted, tracked or in a different font colour within the manuscript itself.
In the response cover letter, first mention that you are resubmitting your manuscript. Consider commenting on the quality of the reviewers’ comments and whether you were able to address them. Typically, I mention a few of the larger changes made to the manuscript based on the reviewers’ feedback. These features of your cover letter will provide the editor with a brief summary of the reviewers’ changes and how beneficial they were for you.
Addressing reviewer comments can be a tightrope walk, but it is important to find the right balance between satisfying the reviewers’ thoughtful suggestions and maintaining the original messaging of your manuscript.