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#1: Write it!
- #2: Proofread it! - #3: Match
it! - #4: Format it! - #5: Introduce it! - #6: Send it!
- #7: Monitor it!
StoryBoard
Step #5:
Introduce it!
The cover letter is a standard
accompaniment to a sent manuscript. There are a few editors who don't want
to see cover letters; most require them; and some don't care much either way.
If, however, your work has been requested or commissioned, or an editor has
asked to see it for any reason, then a cover letter is necessary so he knows
this is the piece he is expecting. At any rate, you should get into the
habit of doing them regardless.
The key thing to remember about cover
letters is: keep them brief. Don't ramble on incessantly. Editors don't care about the letter, they care about the story; but most like a
summation of important information.
Click here to download cover-letter examples, which also contain notes
on why they're good or bad.
First, open up the letter just like any
business letter: date at the top center, your name, address, telephone
number, and email flushed left, the editor's contact info under that, and the
salutation (Dear Mr. Editorname:). Following that, here is what you should
indicate in your cover letter, with worded examples following:
The story's title. Follow
this with the specific genre and perhaps an extremely brief one-liner about the
story — but don't ramble on about the story; don't give away details, don't
tell how wonderful it is, and, if you can't keep it extremely brief and follow
the above rules, don't include it at all.
- Enclosed, please find the story "Eating
Fried Stones in July" for your consideration. This is a contemporary fantasy
about a young boy's foray into a magic he disbelieves.
- Enclosed is my story "Solar Trek" for
your review. This is a near-future SF tale set on Europa.
- The story "Who Needs to Breathe Fire?" is
enclosed for your consideration. This is a sword & sorcery story about
a dragon's desire to become human.
- For your review, please find my story
"Midnight Snack with Refrigerator Zombies," a supernatural horror story set in the
fridge.
Multiple submissions. If
you are sending in more than one story (and only do this if the editor allows
it), sum them up in the opening line and really abbreviate any summations.
- Enclosed, please find the following stories
for your consideration: "Solar Trek" (near-future SF); "Who Needs to
Breathe Fire?" (S&S); and "Big Green Toad" (horror).
A brief bio. Don't ramble
on about everything you've ever done; it's acceptable to briefly mention the
last few writing credits to your name. If you've been published a lot, you can
get away with listing a little bit more.
- My recent work has appeared in
Magasaurus and Ultrazine.
- My most recent fiction was in the
February issue of Superpublication.
- My newest story will be appearing in
the forthcoming issue of Speculationism.
- My fiction has appeared in Magasaurus,
Ultrazine, Superpublication, and Speculationism, and an upcoming
story will appear in Juggernaut Science-Fantasy.
- My 40-plus stories have appeared in
print magazines and anthologies in the United States, Canada, and the United
Kingdom.
Simultaneous submissions. If the story is under consideration elsewhere (and if it is, you shouldn't be
sending it to publications who don't accept simultaneous submissions), let the
editor know. Editors don't want to get excited about a story only to find
someone else just bought it (which is why many publications refuse to
consider simultaneous submissions).
- This story has also been submitted to
Megafiction magazine.
Disposable? If you've sent a
printed copy of your story, indicate
whether the manuscript is disposable. I highly recommend you make your
manuscripts disposable. For starters, sending along postage to have it
mailed back to you would likely cost a lot more than buying extra paper and
printer ink. Also, if you're submitting multiple stories, either make
them all disposable or none disposable to make it easier on the editor; he won't
have to juggle things around.
- This manuscript is disposable.
E-reply? Some editors (more
every day) are happy to respond to you via email instead of snail mail. Let the editor know if he is welcome to do this.
- You are welcome to respond to the email
address at the top of the page.
E-submission? If you are
snail-mailing your story, but are able to send it later via email or on a disk,
let the editor know that you can do this. It's a good idea to let him know
what document formats you can send, although bear in mind that RTF is
universal. At the end, close your letter thanking
the editor, such as, "Thank you for your time and consideration." And
you're done!
#1: Write it!
- #2: Proofread it! - #3: Match
it! - #4: Format it! - #5: Introduce it! - #6: Send it!
- #7: Monitor it!
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