{"id":17903,"date":"2022-04-02T20:12:05","date_gmt":"2022-04-02T20:12:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/?p=17903"},"modified":"2022-09-01T15:38:04","modified_gmt":"2022-09-01T15:38:04","slug":"cover-letter-for-a-poetry-submission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/cover-letter-for-a-poetry-submission\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Write a Cover Letter for a Poetry Submission"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>img#mv-trellis-img-1::before{padding-top:150%; }img#mv-trellis-img-1{display:block;}<\/style><p>You&rsquo;ve been working hard at learning how to write poems, and now you think you might be ready to submit some of them to a journal.<\/p>\n<p>This is an exciting step, but make sure that you don&rsquo;t get so excited that you neglect to read the guidelines for how to submit.<\/p>\n<p>One of the things you will probably need to include is a cover letter.<\/p>\n<p>But how do you go about writing a cover letter for a poetry submission? What kinds of things should you include?<\/p>\n<p>We&rsquo;ll help you figure out how to write this letter below.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Check the guidelines before writing your cover letter for a poetry submission<\/h2>\n<p>Your very first step should be to check the guidelines of the market you are submitting to.<\/p>\n<p>Don&rsquo;t assume that you know what the requirements for a cover letter are just because you have looked at another market&rsquo;s requirements.<\/p>\n<p>Some markets may request that you do not include a cover letter at all.<\/p>\n<p>Others may ask that you include or exclude specific things in the cover letter.<\/p>\n<p>The instructions in any publication&rsquo;s guidelines should override what you read here, so modify your cover letter as needed based on that.<\/p>\n<p>However, most guidelines will just say something like &ldquo;submit up to 10 poems and a cover letter&rdquo; without any other information about what the cover letter should contain.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>The purpose of a cover letter for a poetry submission<\/h2>\n<p>Understanding <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/the-purpose-of-a-cover-letter\/\">the purpose of a cover letter<\/a> <\/strong>can help you understand what you should put in it.<\/p>\n<p>For example, if you are writing <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/cover-letter-event-manager-job-position\/\">a cover letter for an event manager job<\/a><\/strong>, you are trying to highlight some of your main accomplishments to the hiring manager and make your resume stand out from other applicants.<\/p>\n<p>The purpose of a cover letter for a poetry submission is to introduce yourself to the editor and briefly provide information about prior publications.<\/p>\n<p>You will also mention the poems that you are sending, usually their titles and perhaps their length.<\/p>\n<p>You should include any recent or prestigious credits, awards or other career-related information in your cover letter.<\/p>\n<p>A cover letter also signals something about you to the editor. When done correctly, it lets the editor know that you are professional and that you can follow directions.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Starting a cover letter for a poetry submission<\/h2>\n<p>You might submit your poems by email, by regular mail or by uploading them to a database.<\/p>\n<p>The publication will have information on the ways to submit.<\/p>\n<p>If you are submitting by email, you will put your cover letter in the body of the email and attach your poems unless the publication requests that you do otherwise.<\/p>\n<p>You do not need to include a header on your email with your address or anything else.<\/p>\n<p>You can just start the letter.<\/p>\n<p>By regular mail, you need to have a header that includes your contact information, the address of the publication and the date.<\/p>\n<p>If you are uploading your submissions and a cover letter is requested, it will probably actually be more like one you would write for regular mail than an email.<\/p>\n<p>Essentially, it should be in the same format, with contact information and the date.<\/p>\n<p>It is always best to begin by addressing the editor by name.<\/p>\n<p>Be sure that you spell their name correctly. Make sure as well that it is the current editor.<\/p>\n<p>If you aren&rsquo;t sure who the editor is, you can simply write &ldquo;Dear Editor,&rdquo; &ldquo;Dear Poetry Editor&rdquo; or &ldquo;To Whom It May Concern.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>The body of your cover letter for a poetry submission<\/h2>\n<p>This part of your letter should only be a few sentences long.<\/p>\n<p>You should say what you are submitting: &ldquo;Attached please find three poems for the New Voices contest: &lsquo;Strawberry Spring,&rsquo; &lsquo;The End&rsquo; and &lsquo;With the Lilies.'&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>You should also include some credits, awards or other professional information if you have any.<\/p>\n<p>Do not include every single place you&rsquo;ve been published unless it is just a handful of places! Choose the most recent or prestigious publications or related information to highlight.<\/p>\n<p>Unpublished writers often suffer a lot of angst when it comes to writing cover letters because they think they will be overlooked if they cannot share any credits.<\/p>\n<p>The truth is that every editor dreams of discovering a talented new voice.<\/p>\n<p>If you don&rsquo;t have any publications to include, it&rsquo;s fine to just name the poems you are sending and thank the editor for their time.<\/p>\n<p>Editors are busy and your work needs to speak for itself, so don&rsquo;t fall into the temptation of trying to explain your poems or talk about your background.<\/p>\n<p>The one exception is if something in your background is relevant to the work itself, and even then, it should be brief.<\/p>\n<p>For example, if you are a surgeon and your poems about the human body are directly inspired by your work in the operating room, you might include that information in a single sentence in the letter.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17908\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin.jpeg\" alt=\"How to Write a Cover Letter for a Poetry Submission Pin\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin-200x300.jpeg 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin-683x1024.jpeg 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin-768x1152.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin-735x1103.jpeg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin-223x335.jpeg 223w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin-231x347.jpeg 231w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin-347x520.jpeg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin-427x640.jpeg 427w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin-512x768.jpeg 512w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin-640x960.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin-720x1080.jpeg 720w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin.jpeg\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17908 eager-load\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201000%201500'%3E%3Crect%20width='1000'%20height='1500'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"How to Write a Cover Letter for a Poetry Submission Pin\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin.jpeg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin-200x300.jpeg 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin-683x1024.jpeg 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin-768x1152.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin-735x1103.jpeg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin-223x335.jpeg 223w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin-231x347.jpeg 231w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin-347x520.jpeg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin-427x640.jpeg 427w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin-512x768.jpeg 512w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin-640x960.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Write-a-Cover-Letter-for-a-Poetry-Submission-Pin-720x1080.jpeg 720w\" data-svg=\"1\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>How to write the closing of a cover letter for a poetry submission<\/h2>\n<p>The closing should be similar to what you would write for any other type of cover letter, such as <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/cover-letter-for-a-video-editor-job\/\">a cover letter for a video editor job<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Thank the editor for their time, and say that you look forward to hearing from them.<\/p>\n<p>Use a standard professional closing such as &ldquo;Sincerely&rdquo; or &ldquo;Best&rdquo; at the end.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Sample of an email cover letter with some credits for a poetry submission<\/h2>\n<p>In the example below, note that while based on the prestige of the publications listed and her teaching job, this writer probably has a lot more credits, she has just chosen a few of the best to highlight.<\/p>\n<div class=\"content-box-grey\">Dear Mr. Kenneally,<br>\n&nbsp;<br>\nAttached please find two of my poems, &ldquo;Sundown&rdquo; and &ldquo;Traffic.&rdquo;I have been writing poetry for about ten years, and I have been published in a number of journals, including The Georgia\n<p>Review, Tin House and The Sun. I also teach poetry writing at Graceville Community College.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you for taking a look at these. I hope they work for you, and I look forward to hearing back from you.<\/p>\n<p>Sincerely,<br>\nSarah Hall<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Sample of a regular mail cover letter without credits for a poetry submission<\/h2>\n<p>Note that with no professional credits to share, this letter is very short.<\/p>\n<p>It&rsquo;s okay to write a cover letter that is this short! In fact, if you don&rsquo;t have anything to add, it&rsquo;s much better to keep it this brief than to bog the editor down in unnecessary information about you or the poems you&rsquo;re submitting.<\/p>\n<div class=\"content-box-grey\">\n<p>Leah Rosenfield<br>\n123 Pinedale Avenue<br>\nAnytown, California 12345<\/p>\n<p>Asha Patel<br>\nLongshore Literary Journal<br>\n456 Easy Street<br>\nEverytown, Missouri 78910<\/p>\n<p>July 3, 2020<br>\n&nbsp;<br>\nDear Ms. Patel:<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/alternatives-find-my-resume-enclosed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enclosed<\/a><\/strong> are three of my poems for your consideration, &ldquo;Shining,&rdquo; &ldquo;Twigs&rdquo; and &ldquo;The Ocean Blue.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Thank you for taking the time to read them. I hope you enjoy them enough for publication in the Longshore Literary Journal.<\/p>\n<p>Best,<br>\nLeah Rosenfield<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You&rsquo;ve been working hard at learning how to write poems, and now you think you might be ready to submit some of them to a journal. This is an exciting step, but make sure that you don&rsquo;t get so excited that you neglect to read the guidelines for how to submit. One of the things &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18546,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable-in-feed":false,"article-schema-type":"Article","disable-critical-css":false,"_convertkit_action_broadcast_export":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1089],"tags":[917],"class_list":["post-17903","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cover-letter-writing","tag-how-to-write-a-cover-letter-for-a-poetry-submission"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17903","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17903"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17903\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18547,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17903\/revisions\/18547"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18546"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17903"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17903"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17903"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}