The art of writing letters to journals…

The world’s first email was sent and received by the same person in 1971, but it was not until the 1980s that emails started to travel across the world over the rapidly developing Internet [1].

Since then, email has had a long list of effects on our daily life, many but not all of them positive. One could therefore be forgiven for thinking that one of those effects is to diminish the art of letter writing. Ultralightweight paper for old-fashioned air-mail has certainly disappeared from public view, and it is much less common to receive a handwritten letter or note from friends and colleagues now than it once was.

However, for academic journals, letter writing is most definitely not a thing of the past, even if the grammar and syntax within those letters may represent a change in communication of the written word.

Many journals and newspapers persist with ‘Letters to the editor’ and this journal is no exception, seeing them as a useful way to promote academic discussion and debate, provide further triangulation or critique of the findings of already published papers, offer an opportunity to inform or otherwise contribute to those who might not usually submit to academic journals, and generally broaden the content of the journal.

What particular features come together to make a good letter to an academic journal?

Every editor, and every journal, will have its own priorities but most will want to see a similar standard of letter submitted for their consideration. With that in mind, here are some Education for Primary Care reflections about the sorts of features we are keen to see in letters to this journal.

To begin with, it is helpful to have something to say that is relevant to the journal scope. It follows, therefore, that authors who have read the journal scope are more likely to be successful. Yet it is clear that not all authors do this before submission.

It also helps if the points that authors wish to make in their letters are topical, and likely to be of interest to the global journal readership. Stimulating the interest of the readership starts by assigning a clear and relevant title to the letter.

Reasoned, easy to follow, logical argument or evidential support of authors’ points by appropriate citation (most journals permit a few references to accompany a letter) usually adds value, particularly when this is achieved within the required word count; and, of course, word count and reference limits are more positive reasons to read a journal’s author guidelines.

It ought to go without saying that letters should ideally be well written, but I am happy to work with authors to improve the written punctuation, spelling, grammar and syntax in English, the journal’s language of publication, if the content of the letter is fundamentally worth publishing.

However, like all editors, I will not change the content of what you write.

Finally, if there is one piece of advice I would emphasise above all others to anyone writing a letter to a journal it would be …

Keep it short and to the point.

The more succinct you are, the clearer your letter will almost certainly be, the more likely it is to be published, and the more likely it is to be read by the readers you are seeking to communicate with.