Writing a Cover Letter: Poetry Submission

You have gathered your poems together and are ready to send them to magazines, journals and/or e-zines. Before putting them in an envelope and sending them off, it is a good idea to write a cover letter. Editors get a lot of submissions and so at times they may not have the time to read everyone. Some may skim over them quickly looking for grammar and spelling, catching their attention right away and weed submissions out that way. Writing a cover letter is a way to show off your personality, get noticed and the important thing get read.

Tips to writing a cover letter

Keep it short and sweet and keep it to one page.

Type it and sign in ink.

Think of writing and formatting this cover letter as writing a business letter. At the top of the cover letter include: the date, your address, the magazine's name and address.

If you have the poetry editor's name, use it whenever possible.

Open with a statement like this, "Please consider the enclosed poems for publication." List the titles of the poems.

Talk about the familiarity such as what you know, read or have enjoyed with the journal.

Don't just ask to be considered for publication. Let them know in a few sentences about you, but keep it relevant. I am International Relations major working
as a Project Manager for a consulting company that enjoy writing poetry. Knowing this could be more interesting. Not all poetry writers are in the arts field.

Talk about your accomplishments! Any education or work experience in the literary world and any previous publications.

Thank them for considering your poems.

Ever heard of work smarter, not harder? Keep a template cover letter on your computer.

Cover letter Worksheet

Not sure what to say in the cover letter? Is this your first time writing a cover letter? Here are a list of questions to get the juices flowing that may help putting the cover letter together easier.

What journal are you sending it to?

What issue(s) are you familiar with?

Have you ever met, seen, or heard of the editor?

Do you have a connection to the region or the institution where the magazine is located?

What do you like about the magazine?