[stylist] Writing a good cover letter

Wed May 6 17:05:36 UTC 2009

Atty, This one is a keeper.  I already saved it as a document.  Thanks, 
Judith
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "The Crowd" <the_crowd at cox.net>
To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 10:07 AM
Subject: [stylist] Writing a good cover letter


>    Steps to Standing Out in Your Cover Letter
>
>
> April 30, 2009
> by  Susan Shapiro
> A solid cover letter ensures your first impression isn't your last.
>
>
> My journalism students are shocked by my theory that sending a short, 
> perfect cover letter to introduce mediocre pages will get them in print 
> faster than submitting a stellar piece with a lousy letter attached.
>
> Of course, I'm not advocating showing anything that's less than sublime. 
> But here's why making a great first impression is so essential: Mistakes 
> in your initial missive can alienate an editor into deleting your e-mail 
> or tossing your envelope into the garbage without even reading what's 
> behind it. On the other hand, if you manage to charm your superior into 
> giving it a serious look, she may find herself willing to work with you to 
> make your piece publishable, even if it's not already. Here are nine steps 
> to ensure your submission covers all the bases.
>
> 1. BE ACCESSIBLE. Make sure to put your name, full address, phone number 
> and e-mail on top of your letter, your submission and all correspondence 
> (including e-mails).
>
> Many editors will offer cyber rejections, but want to pick up the phone to 
> say "yes," or to see if you're willing to rewrite pronto. If they can't 
> reach you, they might just reach someone else.
>
> 2. GET A NAME. Although columns like Newsweek's great My Turn instruct you 
> to send your work to generic e-mail addresses, you should never send 
> anything without a specific name. If you do, you can't follow up. There's 
> nothing wrong with using these addresses, but figure out the right editor 
> to contact. You can find this info on mastheads or websites, in an 
> Internet search or with a quick phone call.
>
> 3. BE PROFESSIONAL. "Hey Sarah, how's it going?" isn't a good way to start 
> a professional correspondence, even if the editor is a friend of a friend. 
> "Dear Ms. Norris" is more respectful. Also be aware that humor is 
> subjective. Self-deprecation can be amusing when it comes from David 
> Sedaris or Woody Allen, but you should think twice before trying it with 
> someone you don't know.
>
> 4. EMPHASIZE ANY CONNECTIONS. If you're lucky enough to have a personal 
> connection to the publication you're querying, don't wait until the end of 
> your letter to mention it.
>
> Many readers won't get that far. When someone's missive to me starts, 
> "Gerry Jonas gave me your name," I immediately want to help that person. 
> Why? Because Gerry helped me. Lavishly praising the person you have in 
> common is common sense.
>
> 5. PAY RESPECT. Don't ever begin a missive by launching into your 
> accomplishments, your pitch, your ideas or your needs. First pay respect 
> to the higher-up you want help from by saying you're a reader, acolyte or 
> fan.
>
> 6. GO FOR EXTRA CREDIT. Awhile ago, I was planning a "Secrets Behind Book 
> Publishing" charity panel, and one of my fantasy panelists was former 
> Random House Editor-in-Chief Daniel Menaker. Although I'd met him years 
> before, it was an ambitious choice. I could have started by saying how 
> much I'd enjoyed his novel The Treatment, but I did a quick Internet 
> search for an update. By coincidence, the movie version of his book was 
> opening that very night at a nearby theater. I ran to the show, wrote a 
> fresh, timely lede for my letter and received his affirmative response. He 
> may have said "yes" regardless-but why take the chance?
>
> 7. BE HUMBLE. Despite your certainty that you're a genius worthy of 
> immediate attention, be careful not to come across as arrogant, 
> presumptuous, impatient, self-involved, flippant, insulting, demanding or 
> delusional. I'm not an editor who buys or sells anything, yet I get many 
> requests to read unsolicited manuscripts and proposals. One recent e-mail 
> began: "I've just completed 100,000 words of my debut novel, which I'm 
> sure you'll find talented and worthy of your expertise." It got filed 
> under "Letters I never finished reading."
>
> 8. PERFECT YOUR PITCH. Although a cover letter is different than a pitch 
> letter, you still need to entice an editor or agent to read your 
> submission. So describe your work in a short, engaging way that fits the 
> tone of the publication you're querying. I often quote my former student 
> Katie Naylon's terse, successful cover letter to Jerry Portwood, editor of 
> New York Press. She wrote, "Dear Mr. Portwood, I love your reviews in New 
> York Press. Attached please find my essay about how I ran a phone sex 
> operation in college when I was still a virgin. I hoped it might work for 
> your 8 Million Stories column." It did! Portwood told me he wanted the 
> piece from the description alone.
>
> 9. START SMALL. When first making contact, ask for one short assignment. 
> Suggesting a weekly column to an editor you've never met is like asking a 
> cute stranger, "Will you go out with me every Saturday night for the next 
> three years?" Looking too needy or demanding is a losing strategy. Like a 
> date, if all goes well, you'll surely get another chance.
>
>
>
> Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it.
>
> Life is short ...forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly,
> laugh uncontrollably...
> and never regret anything that made you smile
>
> "Qui docet, discit."
> "He who teaches, learns"
>
> I have learned that people will forget what you said,
> people will forget what you did,
> but people will never forget how you made them feel.
> Maya Angelou
>
>
>
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