Cover letter. What should I do?

Cory Swanson

Cory Swanson

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So as I am bumbling my way around this new world of writing and trying to submit short stories to anthologies. I keep coming across requests for cover letters or, at the very least, I'm trying to come up with something to say in the email I submit the story in. I've never been published and have basically no credentials. What should I put in there that gets them to actually read my story?
 
Cory Swanson said:
So as I am bumbling my way around this new world of writing and trying to submit short stories to anthologies. I keep coming across requests for cover letters or, at the very least, I'm trying to come up with something to say in the email I submit the story in. I've never been published and have basically no credentials. What should I put in there that gets them to actually read my story?
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Keep it short and sweet - I have been writing for x years. I am active in x communities. Links to any social media and web sites you have. If you have links to anything previously published pop it in.

Either your story attracts their interest or it doesn't.

Have you had your work critiqued anywhere? If not, stop subbing and get some eyes in it (but don't put anymore than 10% up anywhere public and avoid using the full story title in the post :))
 
That's great advice Jo. My problem is this.

Hi, my name is Cory Swanson. I have been writing for almost one year now. I am active on the Science Fiction and Fantasy Chronicles. I have never been published. I have no website or blog because I have no idea what I would post on such a thing since I have no experience or fan base of any kind. Now here is my story, I hope you like it.

I sound less than impressive, but I still have a naïve faith in my work. I think I may be running into a problem of not being genre driven enough for some of these submissions. I have used them for inspiration, but I don't really think I am striking the tone they are looking for.

I will probably make a blitz on the critiques board soon. Now that I have dug myself out of the trenches of beginnerism, I think I could use the help to get to the next level.
 
Hi I've been writing for a year, having been an avid sff reader all my life. I'm also an active member of the sff chronicles and regularly partake in their flash fiction competitions.

Never state negatives. Don't invent things. Don't apologise for not having things. Just be factual and professional. (And start thinking about what platforms you could be on and if you should be thinking about a website or even just acquiring your domain name :))*

* hint - yes, you should :)
 
Cory, I totally agree with Jo. Just write a nice simple positive blurb about yourself and your writing.

I know a lot of great writers that don't have a lot of credits to their name. Editors know this too.
 
I agree with Jo. Keep it short and stick to the facts. Maybe something about where you found out about the anthology. Then, this is the story, it's xxxxx words long. A few polite words to thank them for looking at it.

Ultimately, it is the story that will sell itself (or not). Since you don't have a big name and credits there is nothing else that could possibly interest them in your story except reading the story and finding that it's what they want. Therefore, the sooner they get around to reading it instead of any waffle in your cover letter the better.
 
One of my first emails sounded like a welcoming monologue from an Alcohol Anonymous meeting.
 
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