[stylist] Writing a good cover letter

Wed May 6 20:41:26 UTC 2009

I don't know if it would work for me. I'm not on the Telephone, and
I'm no good at saying anything I don't genuinely mean.

Helene

On 06/05/2009, Tamara Smith-Kinney <tamara.8024 at comcast.net> wrote:
> 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
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of The Crowd
> Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 7:08 AM
> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
> 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
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Writers Division web site:
> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>
> stylist mailing list
> stylist at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> stylist:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/tamara.8024%40comca
> st.net
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Writers Division web site:
> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>
> stylist mailing list
> stylist at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> stylist:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/dreamavdb%40googlemail.com
>