During the couple of years that I spent publishing a small press magazine, I read a lot of stories and poems. I also read quite a number of cover letters. Or rather, I skimmed quite a number of cover letters. I’d like to offer a small bit of insight into cover letters for the freelance writers who might be curious. As always, I write only from my own experience, but I feel some confidence when I say that many small press editors approach cover letters the same way.

First of all, no cover letter will ever save a bad piece of writing from rejection. Likewise, if the piece is unsuitable for the publication you’re submitting it to, there’s no way you’ll ever sweet-talk the editor into accepting it, no matter how good your cover letter is.

When I would read cover letters, I looked for four things, and only one of them was really essential. That first item was the author’s complete contact information, clearly stated (that information should be on the manuscript and SASE too, but that’s a point that deserves its own installment in this series). Looking at the cover letter, I wanted to know who the author was and how I could get in touch with him or her. An email address was very much appreciated, though certainly not a necessity. Anything that made it difficult for me to get in touch with an author was a step toward rejection. I had no interest in jumping through even the smallest of hoops when I had plenty of other submissions to look at.

The second thing I was looking for was a synopsis of the author’s previous experience. If the author had been published previously, I wanted to know, especially if it had been in a major paying market. Likewise I was interested in authors whose work had appeared in places that I was familiar with, even small press markets. Lack of such credentials was NOT a strike against the author, although previously published work could act as an added attention getter. As long as it was kept short. I had no desire to read five pages of someone’s complete publishing history starting with their high school newspaper. A few key references to published work was sufficient.

Third thing was whether I knew the author or had some personal connection. This really didn’t affect my reading of the submission, but I was always interested in word-of-mouth marketing, and I might linger a little longer with the cover letter of someone who was personally referred to my publication, or who came to me via a person or organization I knew. That being said, I also expected to be approached as a professional, even by a personal friend. And much like too long a credentials list could be a bad thing, name-dropping gets tired fast. Too much of it can easily cross the line into distasteful politicking. If someone who knows the editor recommended you send your piece their way, it’s acceptable to mention the name, but don’t dwell on it.

Finally, since I was wearing many hats for my publication, I would look for any marketing possibilities that came up in the cover letter. If the author was part of an organization, group, or company that I felt might be useful to me in the future, I’d keep the information, even if the submission was rejected. I didn’t want to see submissions or cover letters that were thinly disguised advertisements, but a letterhead or website reference in the address might get a second look.

All of that being said, I’ve really never met a cover letter that was too short (aside from issues of missing author contact information). “Dear Editor, My manuscript is enclosed for your consideration. This is my first fiction submission.” is perfectly acceptable, and would not in the least bit bias me against the piece. Even the “Dear Editor” was really never an issue for me, although most advice books will suggest that you do your homework and get a name to send your manuscript to, rather than just sending it out blind. That probably is the best approach, but I was just never that picky.

Really, other than missing address information or bad spelling/grammar (which is a strike against the author wherever it appears), the only thing I didn’t like to see in a cover letter was arrogance. Please do not tell me that your work is “dark and brilliant”. I’m the editor. I’ll be the judge of that.

The cover letter is a tool, not a piece of art to agonize over. Keep it short and simple, courteous and professional, and let it do its job. Don’t feel the need to invent things to fill space when you find you have little to say in your cover letter. You should never have much to say there. Let your manuscript do the talking and stick with just the essential information.