Sample Cover Letter Template/Simultaneous Submission
COVER LETTER TEMPLATE
Your name
Address
Address
Phone
Date
Editor name/contest name
Publication name {Italicize/underline]
Address
Address
Address
Dear Poetry Editor {USE specific name if the magazine’s guidelines suggest so]:
I am writing to submit the enclosed/attached simultaneously submitted{essay, poems, story} for publication in your excellent publication: “Title 1,” “Title 2 if relevant,” and “Title 3 if relevant.” Below is my writer’s bio for your ease.
{No more than a 4-sentence writer’s bio. Else, editors will hack it down just for space.]
I’ve mailed the entry fee in according to instructions given{FEEs only relevant to contests] and enclosed a self-addressed stamped envelope. Thank you for your time, care, and expertise.
Best regards,
{SIGNATURE]
Your full name
Encl: SASE
“Title 1”
“Title 2”
“Title 3”
{THIS bottom section helps you keep track at a glance]
____________________________________
Potential markets for emerging writers
http://www.glimmertrain.com/writguid1.html
http://www.prescott.edu/alligatorjuniper/
http://www.lambdaliterary.org/category/subs/
:
The Poets & Writers Website (www.pw.org) states the below about the process of Simultaneous Submissions
The literary world is divided in its opinion about simultaneous submissions-that is, about submitting the same poem, short story, or creative nonfiction piece to multiple publications at the same time. Many literary magazines discourage the practice, as it can complicate things for them: If you withdraw a submission from one publication because another has accepted the same work, the one from which you’re withdrawing might already have invested time, money, and staff resources in reviewing your work, and might have been interested in publishing it as well. Some publications explicitly forbid simultaneous submissions.
However, because many publications have a long review period-it can take months, and in some cases a year or more, for a literary magazine to accept or reject a piece you’ve submitted-many writers want to submit the same piece to more than one publication at a time. The best practice is to follow individual publications’ guidelines. If they don’t specify their stance, call to ask them, or indicate in your cover letter that you’re submitting the same piece to other magazines at the same time.
If you do make a simultaneous submission and a publication accepts your work, immediately contact the other publications to which you’ve submitted to let them know that you’re withdrawing your submission.
Basic process:
1. Research 10-20 markets accepting simultaneous submissions suitable for your work. www.pw.org is a fine place to start.
2. Make identical xeroxes of work (10 or so) or identical files
3. Customize the cover letters to reflect different addresses/publications
4. Keep track of what you send where via a writer’s log or retaining copies of your cover letter
5. When/if two or more acceptance offers come in, compare and contrast offers if they come at close to the same time-select the best one.
6. Send an acceptance letter to your selected market.
7. Simultaneously send a retraction letter to all others naming the piece you wish to retract. VERY IMPORTANT. You may want to namedrop where your item landed to confirm the stature of your work.
8. Repeat, lather, and rinse to all relevant work not accepted.
.