Freelance Writing and Email Cover Letters

Freelance writing and email cover letters almost go hand in hand these days. Not only do many editors now prefer email queries, but it saves time and postage. No more losing track of where you've submitted items, because a simple search through your sent folder will remind you to whom you've sent submissions.

Freelance writing: online cover letters require just as much professionalism as snail mail letters.

As a freelance writer, you can't afford to make mistakes that might cause an otherwise fabulous article submission to get rejected. Many editors will not even consider manuscripts and letters that are formatted incorrectly or presented in a nonprofessional way. There are a few tried and true topics that you should include in a professional cover letter, such as:

• Your Name, Address, Telephone and Email: Yes, even if you are emailing the cover letter, you should still include your email in the body of the letter. Some editors print queries out and need to refer quickly back to that letter in order to respond.

• Specific Editor: Always address queries and cover letters to a specific editor. If the publication website or magazine does not list an editor, then email or telephone the magazine and ask for the name and correct spelling of the editor-in-chief or acquisitions editor.

• Name and Address of Publication: Under the editor's name and title, include the name of the publication and address. Even if you are querying a website, you should include this information. It shows the editor that you've done your research about his or her publication and your piece will likely be a good fit.

• Greeting: You should open formally, such as Dear Mr. Smith. Use a colon after the greeting to show formality. Save the commas for informal notes.

• Opening Hook: You've probably heard that you should hook your reader with the first line of your article or story. The same is true for cover letters and queries. You need to grab the editor's attention with something interesting. This might be a question related to the article which you are sending, or it might be a line from the article itself. Be creative here! You can find some good examples of opening hooks and additional information at these sites:
  • Fish Eggs for the Soul
  • Tips for a Dynamic Email Cover Letter] – Although focused more on job hunting, the tips on how to hook the reader in a cover letter can easily be applied to freelance writing. Remember that when you send a piece to an editor, you are basically asking for a job writing for that publication.

• Explain the Article: You need to give a brief, one paragraph summary of the scope of your article. Think of this as similar to the back cover blurb on a book, only shorter. You would use this type of description for article queries, short story queries and book queries.

• Give Word Count and Title: Be sure to give the editor your estimated word count and the title of your piece. Even if the editor asks you to cut words, it is important to show that you are aware of the typical length of article an editor requests for this publication. If you don't know, hunt for writing guidelines on their website, at sites such as Writer's Market or send the publication a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope (SASE) and request a copy of their guidelines.

• Give Your Experience: You should include a paragraph about your experience, either in the topic about which you are writing or about your credentials as a writer. This is a very short biography. If you are a novice writer, consider giving a couple of articles for free to a local newspaper or online publication to gain some writing credits to use during queries.

• Thank the Editor: Remember, editors are busy. In addition to keeping your cover letter short and to a single page, you should also thank him or her for taking the time to read that letter all the way through. Simply write: Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you.

• Sign Your Name: Unlike a typical print business letter, in this case you will want to only skip two lines between your closing statement (Sincerely) and your name. You won't be actually signing with ink, so you don't need four lines.

Standard format for an email cover letter is going to be Internet business style. This is simply single spaced, no indents and two lines between each paragraph, similar to the way this article is laid out.

Remember to remain professional in all email communications with your editor, as it is very easy to slip into informal mode on the web.

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