A cover letter, or covering letter as it's sometimes called, is a way to "introduce" your manuscript -- and yourself -- to a prospective editor. It can showcase your writing, announce your credentials, and demonstrate your professionalism -- even before the editor starts to read your story.

But be careful not to confuse a cover letter with a query letter. Though they are similar in many ways, a query letter's main purpose is to "sell" an idea, usually to an agent or an editor. It contains a detailed description of the manuscript or project, and is intended to convince the recipient to ask to see the manuscript itself. A query letter is almost never used with short fiction; a cover letter is almost always used.

What Does It Look Like?

My cover letters generally consist of two or three short paragraphs, followed by one or two closing sentences. The first paragraph includes the story title, information about previous publications of this story (if any), and a reference to any requests the editor might have made to see my work. The second paragraph mentions publishing credits, significant writing awards, and any personal background related to the story. I sometimes close the letter with a short sentence like "Thank you for your time" or "Please contact me if you have any questions," followed by "Sincerely," or "Cordially," and my full name.

Here's an example of what I typically say in a cover letter accompanying an unsolicited short story manuscript:

Dear [Editor's Name]: Please consider the enclosed story, "Silent Partner." I hope you'll want to use it in a future issue. My publication credits include more than 300 short stories and fillers in magazines like Grit, Woman's World, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. Two of my stories were recently nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and another for the Derringer Award (by the Short Mystery Fiction Society). Thank you for your time. Sincerely, John Floyd

Be careful not to include a detailed description of your manuscript. A very brief description is sometimes appropriate "a short story set in rural Mississippi," etc.), but don't overdo it. The cover letter should never be a blatant sales pitch. Let your story stand on its own.

A Word on Credentials

It's also perfectly acceptable to put in a few words about personal experiences, IF that has a bearing on the story itself. If you're submitting a tale about life in the Arizona desert, it would certainly be appropriate to mention your three hikes into the Grand Canyon, and if your story is a police procedural, the editor might like to know that you spent a year as Assistant District Attorney. Again, keep it brief.

Tips on the Perfect Cover Letter

Here are some guidelines to follow when you prepare a cover letter:

• Keep it Short. Cover letters should never be more than one page in length. Half a page is about right. Do not include a photocopied list of credits or history of your life.
  
  
• Send it to the Right Person. Always address your letter to a specific individual when possible, not just "Dear Editor." Use market listings or the Internet or the masthead of the publication itself to find the appropriate editor's name, and spell it correctly in your letter. If you're not sure of the gender, put in the entire name ("Dear Pat Cartwright," or "Dear Editor Cartwright"), and never address the editor by her first name unless she has used your first name or signed her first name in previous correspondence.
  
  
• Be Positive. Never say your story might need a little more work, or that you would welcome the editor's criticism or advice. Also never mention any previous rejection of this story, by anyone.
  
  
• Be Truthful. Stick to the facts. This does not, however, keep you from putting the best possible spin on those facts. For example, if your only publication credits are two poems in small literary magazines and a short essay in The Paris Review, say something like, "My previous work has appeared in several publications, including The Paris Review." Refer to any work that has been accepted but not yet published as "forthcoming."
  
  
• Be Professional. Never try to be witty in your cover letter, and especially avoid looking cocky or presumptuous. Editors hate seeing something like "I know your word limit is 2,000 and my story runs 4,000, but it's so good I'm sure you'll make an exception." Also, double-check your grammar and spelling. This will probably be the editor's first opportunity to judge your skill as a writer; you don't want your first impression to be a negative one.

So, you might ask, is a cover letter always necessary? In my opinion it is, unless a specific editor's guidelines (or market listing) tell you not to send one. "After all," says Scott Edelstein in Manuscript Submission, "you are not merely a writing machine sending a product to an editing machine; you are a human being making contact with another human being. A cover letter establishes a person-to-person relationship... between you and the recipient of the manuscript." There is no other way, to my knowledge, for a relatively unknown writer to do that. Why not take advantage of it?

One final thought: the greatest cover letter in the world won't help a substandard manuscript. The real deal, the star of the show, and the reason for your submission is the story itself. The cover letter only introduces it. But a good introduction never hurts.

Find Out More...

• Cover Letters: When, Why, and How to Use Them, by Moira Allen