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The Submission Process

By Lynne Wallace-Lee
www.Basics2Bylines.org

Cover Letters and Query Letters

Every submission you make has to have a letter of explanation attached.  Cover letters and query letters are the  one-page letters you include with your work or pitched ideas to summarize the piece and "hook" the editor quickly.  Here is where some of your previous legwork comes in:  If you have targeted a magazine, publication or publishing house, you should by now know the editor's name who will handle your type of submission (on the masthead, on-line, or in the Writers' Market), the correct spelling and gender of that editor (call the receptionist of the publisher), the publication's guidelines for submissions (on-line or in Writers' Market) and possibly the demographic of the readership (Writers' Market or on-line advertising information).  Many or all of these bits of information will be used when putting together your letter. 

Remember that the cover or query letter must be precise, catchy and to-the-point.  You only have a minute or two to catch a busy editor's attention, so don't skimp on your attention to detail, grammar, word choice and style when you write this letter.  This may be your only chance to get your "foot in the door" and get your piece or idea read.

Cover Letters

Cover letters do just that - they "cover" a finished piece that is being submitted for publication.  In it, you will give the editor the following information:  that you are submitting a piece, it's title, and where you want it to go (in the "My View" column, in the Health and Lifestyles section,  in the "Chicken Soup for the Frustrated Writers' Soul" edition).  You will then summarize the piece in a few pithy sentences (similar to the blurbs on the back of video rental movies or on the backs of novels at the bookstore).  You might suggest to the editor why this topic or piece would be of interest to their readers and then give some information about why you wrote the piece or why you're so qualified or expert on the topic.  (Don't worry about being an "expert" - just having experienced something or having an interest in some topic can make you qualified to write about it!  Play that experience or interest up, if necessary.)  Finish by thanking him or her for their consideration and time and maybe mention how you love their magazine, and say that you'll look forward to hearing from them about your piece.  Make sure you give them adequate contact information (in the letterhead) and in the closing, if you like, and sign off.  Remember to try to keep the tone of the letter upbeat, confident and breezy.   Usually two to four short paragraphs will get the job done.  It is best to send out once piece with a cover letter to one editor at a time.

Query Letters

Query letters are different than cover letters in that they are querying about an idea for a piece, with the idea in mind that the writer is looking for a paying assignment, before the time and effort are actually spent on finishing the entire piece.  Many magazine writers query their ideas first, get the assignment, then proceed to write.  If the idea you are pitching to an editor would take lots of time and research, it might be in your best interest to query him or her first to avoid wasting your time on an unsaleable article.  If you get an assignment, you can proceed (or possibly sell the idea to the magazine and let one of their writers take over).  Query letters are also used for book ideas when the book is only partially written or outlined, and sample chapters can be included to show the editor your writing style.  Multiple queries may be sent out simultaneously, but keep track of where they go!

In a query letter, you will also state that you are submitting an idea for the editor's consideration (in the Business section, in their Harlequin Racy Romance Line, etc.), and then give a few-sentence summary.  In a query letter, you will also include a small section of "I Will…'s".  ("I will interview Mr. Bart Horvath, CEO of Buffalo Snow Shovel Manufacturing on his experiences running a company in Buffalo"  or  "I will interview six families in Love Canal who now have adult handicapped children as a result of the ecological disaster of the 1970's…")  This section shows what you will include in your work or what you will accomplish within a timeframe.  Next, you will again give a mini-biography of why you are writing this piece and your background, and then include sample copy or previously published clips.  Finally, you will thank the editor for his or her time and consideration and give a future date when you will be in contact with him or her about your piece.  That's it - just keep the date in mind and call or write if you haven't heard anything by then.


Keeping Track of Your Submissions

It's important to keep track and have some sort of filing system for your submissions for a variety of reasons.  If an editor calls with questions, it's imperative that you can pull the piece and discuss it with him or her quickly.  Also, keeping track of submissions lets you know when it's time to call or write to unresponsive editors and when it's time to submit your piece or idea to the next publication on your list if you've gotten rejections or no response after contacting the publication multiple times.  Try to find a filing system that works for you.  Some people use a notebook with slip-in plastic sleeves for the cover letters/query letters/pieces and a chart in the front that tracks dates of submission, piece title, publication and accept/reject box to check off.  Others use a hanging folder system with tabs for the titles and a sheet of submission facts in the front of each folder.  Others have a Rolodex file with submission facts on each card in alpha order of title. Find what is easiest and most intuitive for your style of organization.  Ask Edie Suarez for tips!

Manuscript Format

Almost all manuscripts are typed double-spaced, in a 12-point font, using a simple-to-read font like Times New Roman or Courier.

A book manuscript has a cover page that includes your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address (single-spaced) in the upper left-hand corner, the phrase "First North American Serial Rights" With the word count below in the upper right hand corner. The Title is centered in the middle of the page, with your name below it.

The first page of a written article or essay is similar - your name,  address, telephone number and e-mail (single-spaced) are included in the upper left-hand corner and the phrase "First North American Serial Rights" with the word count below in the upper right corner.  Space down about 4 lines from the lowest line in your address line at the top and center the Title and below it, "By __________________(your name)". 

Space down two or three lines and set your computer to double-space.  Indent and begin typing.

At the beginning of each new page, type a mini-header (title/name) with page number on the line below, or use the header/footer function available in MS Word.  If, for example, my piece is "Men's Bathroom Humor", the headers for each page after the first cover page would look like this:

Men's Bathroom Humor / L. Wallace-Lee
Page 2

Don't forget to use the "Tools" button on the toolbar at the top of your word processor program to calculate word count, use spell check and look up words in the thesaurus!  Remember that you can highlight just the text of your piece (not the header) and then calculate the word count using the Tools button and put that number on the header sheet of your manuscript when you are done with the piece.  And remember, spell check is a great feature, but don't rely on it to catch all errors--just because a word is spelled correctly, it doesn't mean it is the right word to use in the sentence.  Carefully read through your typed manuscript before you send it out.