As the editor of a magazine, I have seen it all. From handwritten manuscripts to phone calls at 3:00 a.m. And just for your information, 3:00 a.m. phone calls are not the way to impress an editor--any editor.

To get your foot in the door and for an editor to notice you, there are a few rules you must follow. Most of you have heard it all before, but the same mistakes continue to show up, over and over.

The goal is to fine-tune your cover letter so it will enable you to get noticed. And after all, isn’t that all writers ask? To have someone read what they’ve written?

Editors do not look for reasons to reject a manuscript, but when they are handed to them on a silver platter more or less, they don’t have much choice.

Sit up and pay attention and maybe the next correspondence you receive from an editor will be an acceptance instead of a rejection.

The Cover Letter

When you write a cover letter, keep in mind that the editor has three stacks in front of them. One stack is for submissions that have no cover letters or handwritten cover letters. The second stack belongs to those who do not follow guidelines, i.e. manuscripts are too long for the magazine, single-spaced and filled with both misspellings and grammatical errors or simply isn’t right for the magazine. The third stack, the one all writers want to be in, are the ones who present a professional face. They have nicely typed cover letters, guidelines have been followed and the manuscript is as perfect as you can make it. Strive for that third stack and you will get their full attention.

Your cover letter will do one of two things. It will either pique their interest--or it won’t. Once that letter is in their hands, it can’t be taken back, so make sure it’s as good as you can get it the first time. Put some enthusiasm in the letter, let them know you are serious about your work and it is interesting. A dull cover letter promises a dull manuscript. Now let’s talk about what a cover letter consists of:

It consists of three paragraphs. No more no less. The first paragraph introduces the story in a concise manner, no frills or hoopla. Just tell what the story is about.

The second paragraph tells a little about the writer, but under no circumstances should you ever tell that editor that you are a new writer. They’ll get it when you have no publishing credits listed.

The third paragraph simply says, "Thank you for your time."

They will never send out a letter that reads: "Sorry, we can’t use the enclosed article, but I’m giving you an A for neatness." Yet, if you present your story or article in a professional manner--neat, no coffee or food stains, clean--no obvious spelling or grammatical errors, you will have a better chance of getting read. They know you are not perfect and there will probably be a mistake or two, editors understand and accept that, but when you consistently misspell words, make the same grammatical errors over and over, you don’t give them much choice.

When you send a clean copy, you put them in a better mood and they will be much more likely to read your work than toss it to the side. Make sure the letter is readable--your computer ink or ribbon should print in nice clean lines. If not, change it. There is no sense in sending a letter that is so dim the editor has to get a magnifying glass to read it, or one that has skewed in the printer that he or she has to practically turn it sideways to read it. If it isn’t as perfect as you can get it, don’t send it.

What any editor wants is the promise of a good read in that first paragraph. If you hook them, they’ll take the bait every time and lay the letter aside without reading another word and go straight to your story. And if it’s as good as you promised, then they’ll eventually get back to your cover letter and finish reading it. By this time, they couldn’t care less if you’ve been published or not. You wrote a good story, you were professional; so therefore, they’ll take a very close look at it and more than likely accept it for publication.

John Wood of Attention Grabbing Query’s and Cover Letters says, "I’ve known writers who have spent weeks or months getting a manuscript just right, then put only five minutes writing a cover letter that causes them to fall flat on their face."

To get your foot in the door, attention to detail is essential. A well-written cover letter may not ensure publication, but it is the key to standing out. And standing out will get you published.

Regina Williams is the editor of Storytelling Magazine. She's been published in numerous local and national magazines and has also won numerous contests.