Writing a Cover Letter for Poetry Submissions

Whether you are a beginning poet or a well-established writer, the cover letter you create for your submissions is important. If you are completely new to the publishing world, you might be wondering, What’s a cover letter? When you submit your poems or poetry manuscripts, you include a letter in your submission which summarizes your writerly accomplishments and introduces you to the journal or press to which you are sending your poetry.

One of the most frequent questions we receive as editors of a press is: How do I write a well-constructed cover letter when I submit my poems to a journal or to a press?

We would like to offer you some tips when it comes to composing your cover letter:

· Take a moment to find out the names of the editors of the literary journal or poetry prize that you are submitting to. In your opening, use the editor(s) name(s) if you can find them on the publisher’s website. We always appreciate a cover letter which addresses us by name. If you are unable to locate the editor’s name, you can also simply open with “Dear Editor.” We suggest not using gender identifiers, such as Mrs., Ms., Mr., and Miss. We also suggest that you not use “To Whom It May Concern.”

· Begin your cover letter by stating what you are sending (use the titles of your poems or the title of your manuscript). You can also state the name of the literary journal or contest to which you are submitting: “For your consideration, I am submitting “On the Mountain” and “Thunder Honey” to the Portland Poetry Prize…”

· Mention your book publications and any awards. Include your book publications (chapbooks and full-length manuscripts) and the press who has published you and the year (The Long Road, Canyon View Press, 2023). Also include any literary awards (State Book Award) or if a poem has received recognition (“One of my poems received an Honorable Mention in the Kaillee Poetry Prize”). Be sure to state whether a manuscript has been a finalist or semifinalist in a poetry prize.

· Include a list of publications where your poems have appeared if you have had work previously published. For example, “My poems have appeared in West American Review, Cedar Journal, and Lakeside Review.” If you haven’t been previously published, that is fine — just skip this section or tell the editor that you do not yet have any published work.

· Let the editor know that you are familiar with the press or literary journal by telling them what you liked in a recent issue or if you have read a book published by their press. This step is optional and may take some work on your part, but it’s important to be familiar with the places you are submitting your work to.

· Add in some personal information about your literary life. This is also an optional step, but if you would like, include something that shows your involvement in the writing community, like curating a monthly poetry reading or being an intern with an online journal.

· Conclude your letter with a brief “thank you” to the editors for considering your work and for their time. They will appreciate it!

· Include in your cover letter your full name, email address, mailing address, and author website (if you have one). You can place this info at the top of the letter or after the conclusion.

Below is an example of a simple and short cover letter:

Dear Jane Johnson and Mike Martin,

For your consideration, I am submitting two poems, “On the Mountain” and “Thunder Honey” for publication in West America Review.

My chapbook, In Mid-Winter, was published by Tree Ring Press in 2021, winning their annual chapbook prize. My poems have appeared in Oxtail Journal, Ocean Review, and in Daylily Magazine.

I live in Seattle and run a monthly poetry reading series for youth poets at Coffee Cats, a local café.

I am a fan of your literary journal, and I especially enjoyed your Autumn 2023 issue, which explored the theme of caregiving. I was happy to see two of my favorite poets included in this issue: Sarah Teller and Janice Smith. It would be an honor to have my poems appear in your publication.

Thank you for all that you do in the literary world and thank you for considering my work.

Sincerely,

Terrie Jones

terrieaj@gmail.com
2222 Little Loop Road
Seattle, WA 98101
terrieajonespoet.com

We would also like remind you to always update your cover letter whenever you have a book published, poems published, or if you are a finalist or semifinalist in a contest.

*Please note — the names of journals, presses, poets, cafés, and editors which appear in this article do not exist in real life!