[stylist] Writing a good cover letter

Wed May 6 18:59:59 UTC 2009

Thanks!  Great advice.  I always finding writing the cover letter far more
difficult and painful than writing whatever it is I want to cover.  Yuck!
/smile/

Tami Smith-Kinney

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From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
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Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 7:08 AM
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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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