In the writing world, a cover or query letter is what you send out when you’re trying to get your work published. It’s a promotional piece to show off who you are and what you’re about. Often this is sent to a literary agent rather than directly to a publisher, but some small publishers (like us!) accept submissions directly from authors.
Different agents and publishers will have different ideas of what makes a good cover letter, but the below is what we’re looking for. Broadly, a cover letter should be 200-500 words, and include:
- An introduction to you and your submission, including a short 1-3 line pitch summarising your work, and who you think will enjoy it.
- The length of your work, and your progress on it.
- An outline of your work’s plot and themes.
- Points of reference for similar works (recently published ones are a plus!), and what your influences are.
- Your literary achievements to date, and anything else you’d like to include about yourself and your writing interests.
A good cover letter is clear, succinct, and shows off the best things about your work. It should be polite but not overly formal, and should be carefully proofread.
Please note we also require a disclosure that you live in the north of England, and that you did not use generative AI in the creation of your work.
Here’s a sample cover letter about a fictitious collection so you can see what we mean. We don’t mind if you adapt this format for your own submission (though without the italics, of course!)
Dear Nathaniel,
I’m an emerging writer based in Northumberland, seeking publication for my first short story collection ‘Wrack’. This is a sequence of history and folklore-inspired tales set around the North East coast, about the communities and mythical creatures tied to the sea and shore. It will be perfect for lovers of fairy tales, weird history, and ghost stories.
The collection will be around 20,000 words and is made up of 10 short stories and works of flash fiction, of which I have written eight and outlined the remaining two.
The stories include a retelling of the sacking of Lindisfarne, a modern-day version of the traditional story The Tide at Morpeth, a story about a creature made of seaweed, and a series of flash fiction pieces about shipwrecks. The collection is about the relationship between communities and the sea, the beauty and destructive power of nature, and the mystical potential of water.
Points of reference for this collection include ‘Folk’ and ‘Mischief Acts’ by Zoe Gilbert, and Borges’ ‘Book of Imaginary Beasts’. My influences also include Angela Carter, A. S. Byatt, and M. R. James.
More about me: I’m an avid forager, sailor, and collector of folk art. My short fiction has previously been published in Mystery Magazine, Fog Journal, and in the Eldritch Books Anthology of Weird Fiction. I’m also a reader for Weatherwax Press.
I’m pleased to confirm that I live in the North of England, and generative AI was not used in the creation of this work.
Please find attached my first three stories as requested. I look forward to hearing your reply!
Best wishes,
Esther Pondscuttle
As a press, we aim to be as inclusive as possible. Feel free to include in your cover letter if you are a working class, disabled, LGBT+, or an otherwise marginalized writer, so that we can consider this in the context of your writing. You do not need to disclose this if you so wish.
Best of luck with your writing journey, and we hope to receive an enquiry from you soon!
Read more about submitting novellas and short story collections to us here.
