The only thing worse than query letters for books are cover letters for lit mags. But there’s no reason to be intimidated. The goal of a cover letter is to get in, get out, and hit the Submit button.
We get it, though. There’s a lot of anxiety around putting your beloved words in front of someone for judgment. But seriously, editors care more about your submission than the cover letter. As long as your cover letter doesn’t tell the editor to go to hell or isn’t a treatise on the best delis in your city, you’re fine.
You still might be wondering exactly what to say. Well, you can stop obsessing because here are some templates you can use:
For formal publications that require a literal letter, download this template.
For more casual electronic submissions, here’s some language for you to work with:
Dear Editor Name or Editor Title: (e.g., Jane Doe, Phoenix Sutherland, Fiction Editors, Poetry Editor)
I’m sending for your consideration my (fiction, poetry, nonfiction, etc.) submission, “Title.” (For prose, include this:) The text is about #### words long. (Optional sentence, if applicable:) This is a simultaneous submission; if it is accepted elsewhere, I will notify you immediately.
Bio: Your Name is a writer based in Fakeville. Their work (replace pronouns as needed) has appeared in The Cool Journal and Tipsie-Wipsie Floatie Duck Magazine, and they won the 2020 Literary Award for Awesomeness. They received an MFA in Poetry from Fancy Pants University in 2012. When they’re not writing, they play bocce ball with their two cats and iguana. You can find them on Twitter @YourTwitterHandle or donate to their Ko-fi at donationURL.com.
(Or if you’re just starting out with publishing and don’t have any publishing credits yet, you can use something like:)
Bio: Your Name writes experimental poetry and fantasy fiction that examines the futility of life through a post-postmodern lens. When not writing, they work at a Hemingway-themed restaurant and occasionally moonlight as a cabaret dancer. They live in Fakeville, where they enjoy playing bocce ball with their two cats and iguana. You can find them on Twitter @YourTwitterHandle or donate to their Ko-fi at donationURL.com. (If you’re just starting out, it’s totally fine to keep it even shorter than this.)
Thank you for considering this piece for Journal Name.
Closing, (e.g., Sincerely, Warm regards, All the best, etc.)
Your Name
As far as word counts go for prose, round up to the nearest hundred words (e.g., 2,500 words from 2,443 words). The exception to this is flash or micro fiction, where editors are more stringent about word count. In that case, be specific (e.g., 993 words).
Also, if you connected personally with an editor or they shortlisted your work, add that to the first sentence of your first paragraph. Maybe say something like: “You enjoyed my piece “Other Title” and encouraged me to submit again, so I’m sending you “Title” for your consideration.”)
That’s it! That is it. Really. Editors generally don’t want a plot summary or an explanation of your themes because the piece should speak for itself. (Having said that, the ULM editorial team always enjoys a nice, simple logline, but it’s not required.)
The most important thing, though, is to follow submission requirements. It’s hard to be perfect when they vary from publication to publication. Just do your best, and try not to do mass submissions all at once. Spammed submissions lead to sloppiness, and you’re better off homing in on publications you really connect with. Now go get ‘em.
