Cover Letters and Publishing History

CelticBard100

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I actually have two questions. What should go into a successful cover letter ? And I self published two of my stories, should I mention these in the cover letter.
I have gotten online and looked at cover letter samples, but I thought since I have an agent to answer my question, I'd ask here as well. I'm about to send my stories out again and
I want to give them every chance for success. I'm revamping my cover letters, any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated !
 

Maryn

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I'm not an agent but cover letters are easy.

Dear Ms. XXXX,

I am attaching the manuscript you requested in your email of November 30, titled Big Story. I hope you enjoy it.

Sincerely,

Maryn Blackburn
[email protected]
(555) 666-0123

It sounds to me like you might be conflating a cover letter and a query letter. A cover letter accompanies requested materials or an open call to submit materials. A query's purpose is to lure the agent into asking for those materials. In a query, self-published works are not usually mentioned unless they sold quite well.

But hey, like I said, I'm just a writer like you. Can I keep you company while we wait for agents? I have coffee...

Maryn, who really does have half a pot left
 

Sage

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Hey, Celtic Bard. First question for you: are you querying UK agents or US ones?
 

eqb

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LaneHeymont

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No cover letter needed, just a good query letter. At least for U.S. agents, unless specified otherwise.
 

mccardey

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+1 for query letter hell. You must have thick skin, though :)
Although, if you put a note on your header saying that you don't have thick skin, people will take that into account. (Though you might miss some very worthwhile critters that way.)
 

DeviatedDavid

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This is a question for sage:

In your post you asked if someone was querying US or UK agents.

I would be most appreciative if you were to indicate how one's approach should differ between UK and US agents.

I hope this doesn't sound wierd: Usually I think I write fluidly and well. But when I write to people in the literary profession, I feel as if I am drugged on Thorazine or have had a lobotomy. I feel like a country bumpkin who is, and whose entirely family is, "irredeemably and deplorably" illiterate. Accordingly, I feel as if the sentence in the immediately preceding paragraph is unqualified dog shit.
 

Old Hack

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In the US a query letter is the norm.

In the UK it used to be more usual to send a cover letter. But in recent years we've been moving towards query letters too.
 

Sage

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Since the OP asked about "cover letters," i wanted to make sure they were getting the answers they actually wanted. If they were querying US agents, it was more likely they wanted to know about query letters, but if they really wanted to know about cover letters, then answers about query letters might confuse them.
 

Old Hack

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You were right to ask, Sage. It's important.