OK, I've submitted a novel to a publisher before (less said about that, the better) but I'm about to submit my first short story/novelette thingy.
So, obviously (I think), I send the place the manuscript. What else do I send? I'm assuming a cover letter is involved. Any hints on what to say. My assumptions here would be: a minimal mention of who I am and a brief description of the story itself.
I was also thinking of throwing the thing into the WOTF contest. They don't mention a cover letter either, but is one required? Again I'm guessing yes, but I'm not sure.
Thanks!
Posted by Beth (Member # 2192) on :
No, don't include a short summary of the story, or try to characterize it ("This is an ironic story about what happens if a fun-loving zombie chimpanzee gets trapped in an elevator with the Dalai Llama. It explores the themes of interspecies communication and tolerance, and shows how practical jokes do not always translate from one culture to another."). That has AMATEUR written all over it.
Dear Editor,
Enclosed is my 7500 word short story "Attack of the Evil Robot Monkeys."
My fiction has appeared in "Monkey Tales" and the "Monkey Off Your Back" anthology from Smiling Chimpanzee Press. [skip this paragraph if you have no credits.]
WOTF doesn't require a cover letter at all. You send a cover page with your name, address, title, wordcount, ect... on it. But on the first page of your manuscript you don't put your name in the By line. The first reader doesn't know your name to make for fair judging.
Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :
Many editors explain in their guidelines what they want with your submission--whether a cover letter is needed and what they want in it.
It's always good to check for a publication's guidelines before sending them anything. You can find links to lots of guidelines at www.ralan.com
Posted by Marva (Member # 3171) on :
Not only is it good to check the guidelines, it is an absolute MUST DO.
All of the places you might submit probably have a website and almost all will have a link to Submission Guidelines. It varies wildly on what they want and how to submit.
I've seen some that say don't send a cover at all. Some take only email submissions. Some have on-line forms.
If you don't check the specific pubs guidelines then you're unlikely to get a very good response.
Be prepared to format your ms in Word, RTF, plain text, Sanskrit (kidding), paste, attach, print, format, dont' format. It's crazy out there.
Posted by thexmedic (Member # 2844) on :
Thanks all. I have indeed been checking guidelines and a bunch of places (including WOTF) made no mention of cover letters, hence my query. I should have been more specific.
Actually, as a quasi-aside I would recommend that everyone checks out the submission guidelines for Weird Tales. Not only are the extraordinarily extensive they include an awesome little primer on the writing of fiction itself. Really impressive. (They advocate the lack of a cover letter, and considering I have nothing impressive or significant to put on it I am leaning in this direction - however Beth's letter is appealingly short).
My cover letter looks exactly like Beth's (with pertinent details changed, of course), right down to the the valediction. However, I don't usually include the thanks.
[This message has been edited by Rahl22 (edited September 22, 2006).]
Posted by thexmedic (Member # 2844) on :
Random follow-up question!
Should the cover letter include my address and the address of the person I'm sending it to, per standard business mail format, or should I not bother with all those shenanigans?
Thanks!
Posted by Swimming Bird (Member # 2760) on :
cover letter should have full contact info
Posted by david2885 (Member # 3964) on :
Really thorough website, tells you what size font to print it out in, what kind of information to send, how to send the manuscript... Dead useful. There's a specific part in there regarding short stories in particular, as well as a part about cover letters.
[This message has been edited by david2885 (edited September 30, 2006).]
Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :
I've always subscribed to the "no-cover-letter" school of thought. Unless you've got a personal relationship with the editor you're sending it to, all they really want to see is the manuscript---provided you remembered to put it in the envelope.
(I'm genuinely embarrassed by what I wrote on the few times I've written and mailed cover letters.)
Posted by goatboy (Member # 2062) on :
I usually don't include credits. No praticular reason why.