How to Write a Cover Letter for Your Literary Submissions.
Literary magazine cover letters are different from the query letters you would write to a consumer magazine in that your piece for a literary magazine is already complete. But in some ways they are the same. This advice is unique to this editor and to prose, but I’ll wager it covers a lot of things folks like to see in cover letters in general.
Write a good book or the best book you can write. Don’t submit the first draft. Only submit once your manuscript is completed. Research the agents you’re going to send your manuscripts to and tailor your cover letter. Research your market before submitting and think about how your book sits in the market.
A cover letter introduces you and your novel to potential publishers. This letter is your first point of contact between you and a publisher, therefore, it is crucial that aspiring authors know how to write a decent cover letter. Here are three common questions, answered for writers looking to pave a successful path into the world of publishing.
Literary agents will read the manuscript you send, and some the synopsis, but all will read the covering letter. Writing an effective one may take you a long time, but it is well worth the trouble. Some agents and publishers acknowledge what they receive; others do not. Do bear in mind that some.
Unlike the more complicated query letter you would send to a literary agent for a book project, a cover letter to a literary magazine contains only basic information about your writing submission and your author bio. It is not a sales pitch or a flashy bid for attention.
S o you aren't sure what to put in your cover letter? Here's the good news. Whether you are writing to a literary agent or an editor, most letters follow this simple three-paragraph formula. If you've got this formula down, go to the bottom of this page for additional tips for writers: Eleven Tips.
A cover letter accompanying a submission to a journal or magazine can be short and simple. Indicate that you're submitting the work for consideration, but don't say much—if anything—about the work. In these kinds of submissions, you include the story, essay or poems along with the cover letter. So, let the creative work speak for itself.
Here are a few tips and examples of how to write a cover letter. In the old days, really not that long ago, it was customary to send a cover letter with your short story or poetry submission. For 100s of years it was customary to send a cover letter, but writers are following tradition less and less.
The following are some more tips that are critical when writing a good cover letter than can get you gainful employment. Humor. Never use humor in a cover letter. While you want to show your personality, the recruiter is not amused when they are reading hundreds of resume cover letters at a time.
A good cover letter will not get you published, but a bad cover letter will hinder your already slim chances of an editor choosing your story to see print. The first few steps listed here are needed in order to prepare for writing a cover letter, and the later tips show you how to avoid common pitfalls when submitting a short story for publication.
Remember a good cover letter's form is invisible to the reader. All you want the letter to do is to tell the editor you have submitted a poem(s) for the magazine's consideration, give a brief overview of your writing background, and show your willingness to accommodate the technical needs of the magazine.
How not to write a darn good query letter-Don’t go beyond one page. Brevity is your friend. Actually, it’s rude to go over one page in a query letter, not to mention unprofessional. Most literary agents will not even consider a query letter with more than one page (or front and back).-Don’t oversell it.
Direct your cover letter to the proper editor. Even a name on a website can be obsolete, so call the journal to confirm the person’s name and title so that you can address the person accordingly in your letter. 2. Center your name and contact information at the top of your letter.
