Submission by email (oo, kinky!)

[erastes]

ok.

When you submit to a market by email what do you PUT in
that email? Just "Dear Sir[name], please find enclose [name of fic]
for consideration for the [blah blah] anthology?

Or something
more exotic? *worries*

Comments

[haydenthorne.livejournal.com]

1. Salutation

2. Intro paragraph (Included in this email is my short story, "Yadda," for publishing consideration in Yadda. It runs about 2,000 words and is written under my pseudonym, Yadda)

3. Publishing history

4. Contact information

5. Closing paragraph (Thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you)

6. My name

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Nod, that's basically what I've been doing, without the phist unless they ask.

xxx

[gunderpants.livejournal.com]

I think what you have there is a good start; being that I have never been either a submittant to a writing anthology or a paid author for fictional work, would it be poor manners to provide a brief summary of some of your recent publishing successes in a short paragraph below to let the editor know that your work has been positively received elsewhere as testament to your skill?

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Yes, I do normally, but in this instance they didn't ask for them and more importantly it was a vastly different market (fantasy) to my publishing history which is, up to now, 100 percent gay porn. So I just said "I've been published 8 short stories and my novel is coming out this year" and hoped I could gloss over what I normally write!

*G*

[rwday.livejournal.com]

There's not one right way to do it, but this is how I usually structure mine.

Dear Editor (or the name if I have it, which is preferred. I don't use 'sir' as it's quite likely to be a woman, and I've read that people get irritated by Dear Sir or Madam):

Attached please find "XX," a short story of approximately xxx words for consideration for Your Anthology.

Publishing history if they ask for it, otherwise I often don't bother. They're not buying me. They're buying the story. If I do include it, I only include my three most prestigous sales. I haven't noticed any difference in acceptance rates between when I include credits and when I don't. If you've sold to a prior edition of the anthology or something else with that publisher, I'd definitely include that, though.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely
Me
Contact Info.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

That's a relief that I'm doing it right then! I don't know why I got a moment of indecision.

[rwday.livejournal.com]

Well der, of course you're doing it right. How many anthologies do you have stories in??

I think the heat has probably sapped your confidence.

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

I'd add that if you have any awards or award nominations that would be relevant to the publication (for instance, if you were submitting to The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and you have a Hugo or Nebula nomination or win), mentioning those would be relevant to whoever is reading the cover letter and could get you out of the slush pile faster.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I WISH!!!!

Thanks!

[tavaran.livejournal.com]

And I'd add whether or not your story has been published before. Other than that, what they said. :)

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Good point. Thank you!

[themostepotente.livejournal.com]

I'm going to play Devil's Advocate and go for something a bit more exotic.

I'd submit a naked picture of myself :P