How to create an effective cover letter that follows guidelines, catches the eyes of publishers, demonstrates respect, and illustrates your personality and style
Introduction
First of all, what is a cover letter? In terms of resumes, cover letters introduce yourself, your personality, your experience, and your traits that make you valuable to the business or company you are applying for. Cover letters for creative writing have the exact same motive: introduce yourself. Imagine you are meeting the editor of the journal or competition at an interview, and you have to sell yourself and your work to this person. Writing a cover letter is essential for some publications and competitions and completely useless - frowned upon, in fact - by others. Always be sure to read the guidelines. Journals who desire anonymity and equal opportunity in the submission will prefer no cover letter, while journals who judge your experience to tell if you would be a good fit for their publication do.
Writing a cover letter is essential for some publications and competitions and completely useless - frowned upon, in fact - by others. Always be sure to read the guidelines.
Writer Ginny Wiehardt advices authors to "strike the right tone as you introduce yourself and your work, [but] cover letters shouldn't eat up too much time." Her article, "How to Write an Author Cover Letter" in thebalancecareers, includes steps and tips to writing an effective cover letter that introduces yourself to the editor in as few words as possible. Editors have enough to read already and may be put off by a lengthy cover letter. Below are the essential points to keep in mind when writing a cover letter: inspired by Wiehardt's advice and my own experience with writing cover letters. At the end of this blog entry, you will find an example of a cover letter template that I have used successfuly in getting my poetry published.
Wiehardt's article includes steps and tips to writing an effective cover letter that introduces yourself to the editor in as few words as possible. Editors have enough to read already and may be put off by a lengthy cover letter. Below are the essential points to keep in mind when writing a cover letter: inspired by Wiehardt's advice and my own experience with writing cover letters. At the end of this blog entry, you will find an example of a cover letter template that I have used successfully in getting my poetry published.
Following the Guidelines
GUIDLINES, GUIDELINES, GUIDELINES. Whenever you submit to a contest or publication, always read the guidelines. Every journal and contest is different in what it requires and accepts. Some journals want your writing attached in a PDF or Word Document, while some want it pasted in the body of the email. Some journals have extremely specific guidelines on margin sizes, fonts, and headings, while other journals do not specify any of this, and you just have to go with your gut and hope it looks great. If you do not follow important guidelines - such as if a cover letter is needed or how long your author bio should be - a majority of publishers will not even consider your work because you did not take the time to read carefully through. Guidelines can also include mission statements and visions in their guidelines to help to figure out if your work would fit with the journal or contest, and you can usually read past accepted works in archives.
Catching the Eyes of Publishers
How can you catch the eye someone who has been reading through dozens, if not hundreds or thousands, of submissions before yours? In high school, I took dozens of standardized and AP tests, and my teachers always stressed the importance of your first sentence and an effective brevity. The first sentence in an academic essay is what makes the reader blink their drowsy eyes and have to read back through it. The first sentence introduces what the rest of the essay will be about. Similarly, the first sentence of your cover letter is what makes the editor know exactly what the rest of the cover letter will be about: who you are and what and where you are submitting. Even if it is plainly obvious you are submitting to that journal, it is essential to indicate the issue number or title (Fake Journal Issue #9, for example). In the first sentence, you should list your submission type (poetry, fiction, photography) and the titles of the submission. Here is an example:
My name is John Johnson, and I have enclosed my poetry submission, "Fake Poem" and "Fake Poem," for Fake Journal Issue #6.
This first sentence may seem simple and redundant (especially after you have written multiple cover letters), but it is critical to catching the eyes of publishers.
Additionally, you must maintain an effective brevity in the content of your letter. Your letter should include two to three short paragraphs (depending on the guidelines of the journal as some will require that you describe each piece) and not take up more than one page, single-spaced. Do not try to use flowery, fancy language and long sentences: be brief and to the point. Whether or not the publisher requires a short biography, always include a short, formal 50-100 bio in third person after your salutation (unless they explicitly say you cannot have one). If you are published, the editor will most likely ask for a professional bio anyway. This bio can also be a place to list previous awards and publications which, for editors who look for that, can be very important; do not, however, list every journal you have been published in or every award you have won because you want your bio concise. Just as in a test essay, your letter needs to be specific and bold. Follow the guidelines, keep it simple and to the point, and you will have an excellent cover letter.
Demonstrating and Establishing Respect
In elementary school, we are taught the "golden rule": treat others the way you want to be treated. In a cover letter, you must demonstrate respect to the editor and journal or competition to receive the same respect in turn. The easiest, most important way to do this is by following the guidelines. Following the instructions shows that you took the time to read through them, and editors will reflect this in their careful and considerate reading of your piece.
Another way to establish this respect is with the submission itself. If you are emailing your cover letter and submission, you should always include another short letter in the body of the email. This should only be a maximum of three sentences stating your name, submission, where you are submitting, and if the submission is simultaneous. Finally, state your appreciation for their consideration. I usually end with:
Thank you very much for taking the time to consider my submission, and I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day!
Though the editor may only skim this short message, I write this to ensure that they know I appreciate them and their time. Small things like a three-sentence email are essential to establishing a general respect between writer and editor.
Illustrating Your Style
Some cover letter guidelines allow you to expound your writing a little bit more and explain your inspirations and messages for and in the piece. This should only be about two to three sentences each work (one sentence for a general cover letter without this allowance) just to give a brief overview, but this description must be illuminating and inspiring. The editor is most likely allowing this so that they can get to know you as a writer and know more what your writing is about.
Example of a Cover Letter
Take note of the cover letter below. This is just an example of one of my cover letters; there are multiple ways to format them, but I have found this way the most successful. If you have a pen name, include that in the first sentence and your biography. Keep in mind everything else I have said in this blog post, but also research other writers' ways of doing their cover letters, and find what works best for you!
Here are some articles about crafting cover letters for you to enjoy!
https://medium.com/a-writers-life/how-to-write-a-cover-letter-for-a-literary-journal-submission-df0d3687907d
http://www.underdown.org/covlettr.htm
Keep exploring to find more!
Thank you for continuing to follow this blog. Always feel free to email me with questions, concerns, or insights. I am by no means an expert on this topic, and I write this blog based on my own experiences with writing and publishing.
Wiehardt,Ginny. "How to Write an Author Cover Letter." thebalancecareers, 23 May 2018, www.thebalancecareers.com/cover-letter-advice-1277416 . Accessed 30 October 2018.
Comments