: Re: What should be in a cover letter for short story submission to a magazine? It's been about five years since I last submitted any of my work for publication, and my memory of what I was taught

@Sue2132873

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For magazine writing, it's not so much a "cover letter" you're sending but more of a pitch. This is important because you're not introducing yourself (even though you need to convince the editor that you're THE person to go with for the story), you're trying to sell the story. Hook the editor. Make the person so curious and unsatisfied they s/he must contact you to find out more.

Most magazine editors have told me they see your pitch as a writing sample - can I trust this person to execute?

Give them the gist of the story in the first 2-3 paragraphs. Then answer the question, "why should I care?"

Add what else is in your story (if you have already finished writing it, I'm not sure whether you should say this or not. Some editors say they don't mind. Others have told me they prefer an unfinished piece because editors love to dig their fingers in and shape the piece).
Wrap up with your credentials (like a website where they can find your clips). This doesn't necessarily mean your degrees or awards. But something like "I'm a science writer who has covered X and Y and has published in A and B."
Then why you should care/hire me. And that's it. Shorter is better, but use as many words as you need to nail it.

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