Hatrack River Writers Workshop: Cover letters and SASE

This is topic Cover letters and SASE in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by Thought (Member # 111) on :

I hope no one minds me asking a few mundain technical questions about publishing (and not writing exactly).

Looked around the web and this is still the best place to find the answers to most writing questions.

I've been meaning to get around to sending various short stories off to magazines to see about getting them published and finally decided to take the next step beyond finding magazines to send to (planning on largely Asimov's).

So without further jibber-jab...

Should cover letters be included in short stories? I rememeber in my college creative writting classes that my teacher told us about cover letters for full length books but I don't recall him mentioning cover leters for short stories (and I checked my notes from that class too). Do literary magazines require cover letters for short story submissions and if they do what should be included? (things like a breif one or two paragraph summary? A list of previously published works (though this one isn't too important seeing as I don't have previously published works)?)

And should I ever bother enclosing a SASE of the size required for returning the manuscript? I mean, do magazine publishers ever actually write anything on rejected manuscripts? Do they keep them in good enough condition to send out to someone else? Or is it so wildly different that there is no good answer to those questions and I should do what I want? (specifically, I am asking because I am trying to figure out how to get a SASE of manuscript size to fit inside a SASE of manuscript size)

Thank you for any help you can give.

Thought

p.s. and in case there are other people out there looking for magazines to try and get published in, I found the following sites to be good resources for finding magazines. Especially that first one.

http://www.spicygreeniguana.com/index2.html

http://www.magazine.org/

http://www.writenews.com/

http://narrativemagazine.org/

Posted by TheNinthMuse (Member # 1306) on :

Generally, I don't include a cover letter for my short fiction, and I haven't heard of many other people doing so. I have NEVER heard of anyone including an outline/synopsis on such a cover letter.

I think literary magazines usually supply a cover sheet of their own.

I also do not bother including a SASE of manuscript size, since I can easily generate another copy from the computer. I don't think editors usually mark up the manuscript, though they will usually return them in good enough shape to send out once more.

Hope I was of help.

Posted by Thought (Member # 111) on :

thanks a lot

Posted by srhowen (Member # 462) on :

Yes, include a cover letter! You do not need a synopsis, but a cover letter gives you the chance to introduce yourself. It shows you care. In the cover for a short, simply state--where you heard about the magazine, why you think they would want to buy your story (you've read their magazine and it fits with what they publish), include previous publications (if you have any), and give a little detail about you. i.e. --- I am an English major who is currently working for ----blah blah blah. Thank them for their time and tell them you are looking forward to hearing from them. There is nothing more annoying than getting a short story with nothing with it. I always think, "Yes, and what do they want me to do with this?" The obvious answer is they want me to read it--but still, take the time to show you care about your writing.

The same with the SASE---I get one without one--I toss it. I am not going to spend money to send a letter to someone who can't be bothered to follow the standard. SO even if you don't want the mss back--you can make another---send the SASE (business letter size). I would include the mss envelope SASE--it shows you care what happens to your story. If you don't care why should I?

A helpful book on the matter: <I>Queries & Submissions</I> by Thomas Clark
Also check out the current edition of <I>The Writers Market</I> There you will find complete guide lines for anywhere you would like to submit to.

If you are submitting by e-mail–and the place says that is O.K., then include a brief paragraph about why you are submitting to them—and always, always follow whatever guidelines the market lists. Don’t assume that it is all right to send it this way because so and so said. Follow their guides to the letter, no matter what. The quickest way to the circular file is to think you are above their rules. No editor wants to work with an arrogant or thoughtless author.

S.R.Howen
Assistant Editor
Wild Child Publishing

[This message has been edited by srhowen (edited December 14, 2001).]

Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :

I've done a little first reading for a couple of SF/F magazines, and I would say that unless the magazine guidelines ask for a cover letter, you don't need to include one.

(I liked to have them--I'd keep them and record on them when I received the manuscript and what my response was--but I didn't need a cover letter to do that.)

Things you can put in cover letters (besides what Shawn has listed above): if you are including a non-manuscript-sized SASE, you can say that the manuscript copy is disposable; if you are sending the manuscript to a publication that considers simultaneous submissions and you are sending it to other such publications at the same time, please say that this is a simultaneous submission; if this is not a simultaneous submission, you can say so in the cover letter.

Sample cover letter:

Dear (name of editor--with title and surname, not first name),

Enclosed is a copy of my story "Name of Story" for your consideration.

(If you have any publishing credits equivalent to the publication you're submitting to, include these next--don't bother listing nonpaying publications if you're sending to a paying publication, for example.)

(If you have any expertise or experience that makes you particularly qualified to write this story--PhD in rocket science, or MA in creative writing, or lived five years in China--whatever is relevant to the story, you can include it in the cover letter.)

This is not a simultaneous submission, and the manuscript is disposable.

I look forward to hearing from you and have provided a self-addressed, stamped envelope for your reply.

Sincerely,

Your name

Posted by uglytrain (Member # 1311) on :

One of the most invaluable tools I've found in my relatively short career is the Writer's Market Guide. It has the contact address for just about everything out there but what I like about it the most is the cover letter/submission packet workshops in the beginning. They go over everything and how to do it the right way.

I got the most recent one for four bucks on half.com

Trust me its really really good

laterdayswilliemays
brandon

Posted by srhowen (Member # 462) on :

The most recent version of the Writers Market is the 2002---I checked Hlaf.com and it is not there. Market listings change so fast that you need the most up to date info you can get.

WritersMarket.com costs about 3 bucks per month and offers you all sorts of current info. Or you can buy the 2002 Internet Edition and have the on-line version and the book (its a thick one) for about 30 bucks. The on-line on is very usefull--it offers all sorts of good info, updated listings and offers you record keeping--with the internet book it's free.

Shawn

Posted by Thought (Member # 111) on :

Thanks again

Posted by Scott R (Member # 1353) on :

I make sure to put that I read the magazine to which I'm submitting, and usually comment on a story I've especially enjoyed.

Blatant ego stroking, but hey . . .