If you want to submit your writing in the new year, we need to receive your work ASAP.

We are accepting e-mail queries, as well as regular mail submissions to our review board. Be sure to include the words “Review Board” in your subject line.

This is a great time to enroll in our services and to energize your submission strategy. If your work is chosen, you'll begin the new year with your writing as a priority. You'll be enrolled in our client list for the current cycle, and your submissions will go out when the majority of agents and editors are reading. It's a great time of year to begin your new submission strategy. We’ll list openings in specific genres below. Please DO NOT send work in genres that are not listed.

If you're NOT a do-it-yourselfer and want to utilize our FULL service (rather than our A LA CARTE services), you need to send work to our REVIEW BOARD.

There are some important differences between the three levels of services. A complete list of pricing and services may be found at http://www.WritersRelief.com/comparison.asp.

If you are accepted into our FULL-SERVICE client list:

We propose, prepare, and proof content for cover letters. (You’ll benefit from what we’ve learned since 1994.)

We review and target your work to specific markets based on content, length, reading dates, etc. (You’ll never again have to spend hours researching markets for your work.)

We proof and prepare your work to industry standards, prepare master copies, and maintain electronic or hard copy versions of the work here at Writer's Relief, Inc.  (If your computer crashes, we’ll have a master copy of every title on file.)

We prepare 25 - 30 submissions for each title (or group of poems) within each two-month cycle.  (When was the last time you accomplished this?)

We print your individually addressed cover/query letters. (You don’t have to create merge files, etc.)

We track every submission. (You’ll know what’s going on with every submission without doing any filing.)

We offer guidance regarding submissions, acceptances, etc.  (Each client is assigned two personal submission strategists.)

How many submissions have you mailed in the past two months? This is a great time of year to focus energy on your writing. If you've been putting off getting your work to us, NOW is the time to send it. Writers submitting their work regularly and extensively increase their odds of acceptance . . . dramatically. This cycle is one of the best times for you to enter our client list.

We have room to invite a few more writers into our Writer's Relief family. We are reading in the following genres only:

Nonfiction (books)—Send chapter outline, proposal, sample chapters (30 pages) of your unpublished manuscript, your biography, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope. (For e-queries, chapter outline, proposal, and sample pages may be in one file.)

Novels—Send synopsis, first 30 pages of your unpublished manuscript, sample query letter, your biography, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope. (For e-queries, synopsis and samples pages may be in one file.)

Poetry—Send 10 - 12 unpublished poems, your biography, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope. (For e-queries, paste poems into one file; one poem per page.)

Short Stories or Personal/Creative Essays—Send three unpublished stories (each under 5,000 words), your biography, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope. (For e-queries, each story should be in a separate file.)

Our review is FREE. If our review board determines your writing is strong enough (and markets are plentiful enough), they will send you an invitation to join our services. They will quote you FLAT FEES at that time. You may accept or decline their invitation.

Keep in mind that we must turn away 80 percent of the work that comes to us. However, if your writing is strong, don't let procrastination, hesitation, lack of marketing experience, or fear stop you from submitting your work.

Wouldn't it be amazing to get your submissions in the mail to all the best publishers and agents? Writer's Relief has successfully helped writers beat the procrastinator in them since 1994. We help clients find the time to write.

Writers have been looking to us for years to help them alleviate the countless hours needed to research ever-changing writers' markets. We continue to have the most current and best writers' markets included in our database. Because our database is updated daily from information we receive from all of our clients, as well as thousands of journals and agents directly, our lists are more up-to-date than any market book or online source.

Send Writing Samples To:

For e-mail queries: Send to Kriste@wrelief.com. We will accept the samples as attachments ONLY in .DOC, .RTF, or .WPD format. (E-mail submissions MUST include all pieces itemized above, including complete contact information, cover letter, and BIO pasted into the body of your e-mail, and sample pages attached, or they WILL NOT be reviewed. No SASE needed for e-mail submissions.) Include the words “Review Board” in your subject line.

Or mail your submission to: Review Board, Writer's Relief, Inc., 409 South River Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601

We want to be your partner in the submission process. Call us toll-free (between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time) if you have any questions. One of our personal submission strategists will be happy to spend a few minutes with you on the telephone.

Keep Writing And Submitting!

Our A La Carte PLUS Service:
You have already heard about the affordable alternative to our Full Service—our A La Carte Service. You may be interested to know that we now offer an A La Carte PLUS Service. Writer’s Relief will prepare your COVER/QUERY LETTERS in addition to targeting markets and preparing preaddressed mailing labels.

Clients have been requesting this service:
We are delighted to offer you an additional service that helps to fulfill your personal submission needs. We can now prepare a succinct cover/query letter and provide printed cover letters for each of the markets specially targeted for your work. You’ll save lots of time and avoid errors.

We know what editors and agents want in a cover/query letter:
Editors and agents want you to follow industry standards when composing these letters. We’ve been creating successful cover/query letters for clients since 1994. We’ve happily provided clients with information on how to do this themselves. In spite of your fear, there is no big mystery involved. If you love to create cover letters, great! If not, we can alleviate the stress associated with developing and addressing these letters. You’ll also save hours of worry and preparation. We know, if you’re like most writers, what you want is more time to write.

Here’s how the PLUS part of this service works:

1) We’ll ask you for the information we need to insert into your cover letters. This will include your name and contact information, as well as some biographical information and publication/writing credentials (if you have acquired any).

2) Writer’s Relief will create the template for a universal cover/query letter for you. This will be based on the information you give us in addition to the standards set by our industry.

3) You will review the letter, return it with your feedback, and send any proposed changes or your final okay. (Pricing allows for one back-and-forth or revision before we prepare final letters.)

4) Writer’s Relief will target submissions for your work and prepare an individually addressed cover/query letter for each of your 25+ submissions. (Please note that industry standard now requires letters be addressed to the editors’ full names. Example: Dear Ronnie L. Smith, as opposed to Dear Mr. or Ms. Smith. This is the format that we follow.)

How much will it cost?
If you wish to sign up for our A La Carte PLUS Service and receive printed cover/query letters, the total cost of this service is $200 – $250 (plus $6 for US postage and handling; international rates vary) to target and prepare cover/query letters and labels to 25 markets.

Stop spending your time wondering if your cover/query letter will do its job, and stop worrying whether you’ve typed all of that contact information correctly. Let us help you by providing this additional service that so many of you have asked for—just think how amazing it will be to send out professionally prepared cover letters with your submissions in a matter of days! A list of itemized services and prices may be found at http://www.writersrelief.com/comparison.asp.

If you would like to sign up for this service, please call us toll-free at (866) 405-3003, and ask to speak with Marissa or Kriste. They are specialists in handling A La Carte clients and cover/query letters.

Our A La Carte Service, our BRAND NEW A La Carte PLUS Service, or our Full Service? Choose the one that works best for you and suits your budget. All services include targeting your work to the best markets. We outline all three services and costs at http://www.writersrelief.com/comparison.asp.

Call us between the hours of 8:30 and 2:30 Eastern Time, and speak to one of our personal submission strategists.

Full Service: Your work must be presented and accepted by our review board. If you don’t have time to take care of all the tasks required to get your submissions in the mail, this service is for you. http://www.writersreliefblog.com/post/Submission-Guidelines-For-Full-Service-Clients.aspx.

A La Carte Service: Get started right away! This is a more do-it-yourself service, with Writer’s Relief targeting markets and guiding you through the process. If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, our a la carte service is quick and easy. We provide the best market research available to creative writers. Info about our a la carte service may be found at http://writersreliefblog.com/post/Our-A-La-Carte-Service.aspx.

A La Carte PLUS Service: Everything fast and affordable about our regular a la carte, but with the added bonus of full service cover/query letter preparation. We will target the best markets for your work, prepare mailing labels, and create 25 to 30 personalized, professional cover/query letters. More information may be found at http://www.writersrelief.com/comparison.asp

It’s simple AND affordable. Keep reading.

Included with ALL services:

** Targeting 25+ literary venues that specialize in YOUR type of writing. (Your work will be targeted to the best markets based on the topics, word count, etc. of the particular piece [or group of poems] you’re submitting.)

** An online database that lists all your submissions. You'll have access to your submission list 24 hours a day.

We invite you to give Marissa or Kriste a call to discuss your needs. They are trained as personal submission strategists here at Writer's Relief and will be happy to speak with you.

Dialogue can be tricky to write and, sometimes, tricky to punctuate. A few pointers:

I. It is standard form to give each speaker his or her own line of dialogue.

     "Brad, I’d like you to meet my sister, Joanne,” Jill said as they walked into the room. 
     “It’s nice to meet you, Joanne. Or may I call you Jo?” Brad said.
     “I go by Joanne, but you can call me anything you want,” Joanne answered with an impish grin.

Sometimes this rule can be broken.

     “Quick, grab the rope,” he yelled, but when he turned around, his partner quietly said, “It’s too late.”

II. Other times, a character’s dialogue continues for more than one paragraph. In this case, use an initial quotation mark for each paragraph, and insert a closing mark at the end of the final paragraph.

     Doug said, “Dialogue paragraph one.
     “Dialogue paragraph two.
     “Dialogue paragraph three.”

Now the reader knows that Doug is finished speaking, even though he’s rambled on for three paragraphs…

III. Never use quotation marks in a screenplay, where every line is dialogue.

IV. And, finally, do not use laughed, smiled, or grinned as speech tags. These should be used as separate sentences, as it is impossible to grin or laugh a sentence.

     “Oh, you think you’re so funny.” She grinned. “But you have mustard on your face.

When the protagonist of your story pauses to think something, you need to set it apart somehow from the regular text and dialogue. There are a few different ways of setting characters' thoughts.

The most straightforward way to do this is to paraphrase the characters' thoughts into the narrative. For example:

When the brothers climbed up the riverbank, their school clothes coated with mud and filth, it occurred to them for the first time that their mom would be furious. Why hadn't they gone home first to change into play clothes? Oh well, they were already in trouble for being late for dinner, and they might as well get it over with. The trio trudged home reluctantly.

Another useful technique is to use italics, which is an effective tool when both thoughts and spoken dialogue are interspersed. This technique is becoming standard practice among publishers—and for good reason. The different type style makes it quite clear when a person is thinking versus speaking aloud:                                   

When the brothers climbed up the riverbank, their school clothes coated with mud and filth, it occurred to them for the first time that their mom would be furious. Why didn't we go home first to change into play clothes? Roger thought. "We're already in trouble for being late for dinner, so we might as well get it over with," he told his brothers, and the trio trudged home reluctantly.

This style is also popular with science fiction and horror writers, who use italics to show telepathic communication between characters. Some writers use quotation marks to set off thoughts, but this can get complicated, especially when thoughts and spoken dialogue are mixed. 

When the brothers climbed up the riverbank, their school clothes coated with mud and filth, it occurred to them for the first time that their mom would be furious. "Why didn't we go home first to change into play clothes?" Roger thought. "We're already in trouble for being late for dinner, so we might as well get it over with," he told his brothers, and the trio trudged home reluctantly.

There is nothing to differentiate between the spoken sentence and the thought. This can be avoided by using single quotation marks around the thought, but this is an awkward fix, and we don't recommend it.

When the brothers climbed up the riverbank, their school clothes coated with mud and filth, it occurred to them for the first time that their mom would be furious. 'Why didn't we go home first to change into play clothes?' Roger thought. "We're already in trouble for being late for dinner, so we might as well get it over with," he told his brothers, and the trio trudged home reluctantly.

If your character is thinking something to himself, it is redundant to say so.
 
Wow, that sure is a small car, the large man thought to himself.

But if he is thinking out loud, tell this to your reader. 

"Wow, that sure is a small car," the large man thought aloud. 

Finally, whichever style you choose to follow, make sure it stays consistent throughout your work, and make it easy for your reader to follow what your characters are thinking, as well as saying.

As with so many aspects of the writing world, formatting issues are a gray area, and writers struggle with the burning question: One space or two after closing punctuation?

When in doubt, creative writers often turn to the Chicago Manual of Style, whose official view is that there is no good reason to use two spaces after a period for work that is to be published. (Obviously, this rule does not apply to personal correspondence, notes, etc.)

In the days of typewriters, extra space was necessary to create a more defined space between sentences for the reader's eye. Typewriter fonts are monospaced, which means that all the letters take up the same amount of space, and most of us were taught in typing class to add that extra keystroke at the end of a sentence. But computerized fonts are proportionally spaced, and a single space is sufficient to provide a visible break. The exceptions are the fonts Courier and Monaco, which are monospaced, but it's probably best to switch to a font such as Times New Roman or Arial rather than using the double space.

So save yourself a keystroke; there's something to be said for efficiency.

The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, a compact, two-volume version of the 20-volume set, was recently released, and it has caused a small stir among those who care about such things: the SOED editors have done away with the hyphen in approximately 16,000 words, throwing a wrench into the works of hyphen-addicted old-schoolers. Shortly afterward, The New York Times printed an article about it, along with a graphic of a gravestone inscribed with: Here Lies The Nearly-Departed, Seldom-Understood, Soon-To-Be-Forgotten Hyphen. It was a fitting epitaph. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/07/weekinreview/07mcgrath.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

The hyphen has long been a misunderstood creature, and there are no hard and fast rules about its usage. In general, it is used to provide breaks in lines, and in the spelling of certain words, such as father-in-law or anti-American. Hyphens are also used as "suspension hyphens" to indicate a stand-in word (four-, five-, and six-gallon containers) and to link compound adjectives that precede a noun (We gave the six-foot man a wide berth). Hyphens can also be used to avoid confusion as in 30-odd people. Without the hyphen, we might be looking at 30 strange people wandering around rather than approximately 30 folks. We have also traditionally used hyphens to set off prefixes such as "self" and "ex," and when two vowels need separation as in "pre-eminent," although, today you'll find "preeminent" in most standard dictionaries.

If you're a little uncertain about the use of hyphens, don't despair—you're not alone. The English language is terribly unregulated, and your hyphen decisions should be based on common sense and consistency. If in doubt, look it up. At Writer's Relief we use Merriam-Webster's dictionary as the final authority, and the no-hyphen trend has been spotted there as well.

The SOED has provided us with thousands of newly de-hyphenated words that, according to editor Angus Stevenson, are "only reflecting widespread everyday use." So, now we have bumblebee, airstream, leapfrog, and ice cream (instead of ice-cream). The editors at SOED have been tracking trends for many years and report that the hyphen seems to be falling by the wayside. It is not, however, in any danger of disappearing for good. Otherwise we may get confused and go searching for a good looking date—you know, a date who is good at looking—or a fine tooth comb with which to comb our teeth.

If you pick up a newspaper and a novel, you'll find that numbers are treated differently in each. A newspaper, for example, uses AP style, while most publishers of creative writing follow The Chicago Manual of Style. And while each publisher has its own modified in-house style guide, there are some basic rules you can safely follow for handling numbers in your text.

Spell out whole numbers from one to ten. I found seven mistakes in your essay.

Use numerals after ten. She noticed 37 spotted deer and 46 squirrels.

Round numbers should be spelled out. This year, twenty thousand people are expected to show up. More than six million people crowded the desert city in 2002.

Spell out the number if it is the first word in a sentence. Twenty-four hours are not enough. Nineteen forty-two was a banner year for the company.

Spell out simple fractions, and use numerals for mixed fractions. Altogether, we walked two-thirds of a mile. Use 3¼ cups of milk.

Always use numerals with a.m. or p.m., but spell them out with "o'clock." It is 6 p.m. They'll arrive at seven o'clock tomorrow.

Use numerals to emphasize exact times of day. Catch the L train at 6:23 sharp.

Use a hyphen to join words in compound numbers. The alarm is set for six forty-five.

Spell out the "percent" symbol in creative copy and use numerals. She found 70 percent of the pieces.

For organizations and products, follow the organization's style. 7-Eleven, Six Flags

Use numerals for decimals. Measure it to .09 inches.

Stay consistent within a sentence unless the numbers are unrelated. I needed 6 new patients, not 60! OR: I needed six new patients, not sixty! I have 60 new patients but only three new nurses.

Some other examples:

SPELLED OUT
a hundred years
the nineties
a hundred dollars

NUMERALS
107 years
'90s or the 1990s
$2.41
Highway 66
3198 Main Street
pages 35-37

http://www.writersrelief.com/
Author’s Submission Service Since 1994

Here at Writer’s Relief, our staff is expert in the business of writing. We’re here to organize, encourage, and facilitate the process of writing for creative writers who don’t have time to tackle the business side of their craft.

Unfortunately, there are a few areas in which we are fairly useless:

We can’t fix your parking tickets, leaky faucets, or that pesky termite problem.

We can’t house-train your new puppy (or your toddler).

We can’t smooth wrinkles, halt hair loss, or lower cholesterol.

We can’t refinance your mortgage, negotiate a raise, or solve the social security crisis.

We can’t change your world view, your mind, or your gender.

We can’t locate lost pets, old friends, or wandering muses.

We can’t make you more popular among your peers or cure the heartbreak of psoriasis.

We can’t school you in the art of flower arranging, give you a position of power, or tone your abs.

And we can’t even hook you up with your true love…or the hottie who lives down the street.

What we can do, however, is save you valuable time and effort researching markets and guidelines and keeping track of submissions. You can focus your time and energy on writing, while we relieve you of the burden of promoting your own work. Here’s how it works.

You send us unpublished samples of your work, which we review for quality. We only accept and submit work from writers we believe have the ability to be published. Our review board takes from one day to one month to contact you, depending on the genre being submitted and the timeliness of your submission. We do not charge a reading fee.

After we’ve completed our review, we’ll quote you flat fees for our various services. You tell us how much or how little to do. Our clients stipulate how much work we will complete, so their fees are not open-ended. In other words, you set the pace and budget the time spent by telling us how much work to do for you.

We’ll help you get your act together. We proofread your work with a keen eye for detail. Then, we target those publishers and agents most appropriate and make certain your writing is professionally prepared. Your writing will be organized and targeted to appropriate markets. We will also help with query and cover letters, and we constantly update guidelines for literary journals and agents to make sure your work gets to the right person. Our database contains the most up-to-date information on creative writing outlets available anywhere.

We keep accurate records of all costs related to your work and provide an itemized list with your billing. This service is invaluable at tax season. And most exciting, we create a personal database for each client that details the status of each submission and all titles, acceptance information, etc. and is available to you online 24 hours a day.

So, if you’re looking for a little help getting your submission strategies in order, give us a shout. But if you’re looking for a little help with your mother-in-law or your wayward garden, you might be better off perusing the Yellow Pages.

http://www.writersrelief.com/
Author’s Submission Service Since 1994

The following are a few general guidelines for script formatting (the formatting suggestions listed below are based on letter-sized 8.5 x 11 inch paper):

1. To allow for three-hole punching, set left margin at 1.5 inches; right at 1 inch.
2. Use 11 or 12 point Courier New font. Use one space after end-sentence punctuation.
3. Place page numbers in the upper right-hand corner, 1 inch from right, ½ inch from top, with ½ inch between number and text.
4. Capitalize sluglines and scene setting indicators. "Interior" and "Exterior" are abbreviated INT. and EXT. Example INT. LIVING ROOM — DAY (note punctuation and spacing).
5. Descriptive text is 60 characters, or six inches wide, left justified and single-spaced.
6. The first time a character appears in descriptive text, the character's name should be in all caps. After that, initial cap only. Sound effects also appear in descriptive text in caps.
7. Capitalize character names for dialogue and set at 4 inches from left margin.
8. Place parentheticals one or two tabs (depending on length) to the left of the character name. (Parentheticals give extra information about how a line is to be delivered. Use sparingly.)
9. Dialogue is indented left and right and is 3.5 inches wide.
10. If descriptive text interrupts a character's dialogue, insert (cont'd) or (cont) to the right of the character's name, the second time the name appears.
11. Try not to break dialogue across pages.
12. If a character is speaking off-screen, insert (O.S.) to the right of the character's name. If you want to indicate a voice-over, insert (V.O.) to the right of the name.
13. Double-space between dialogue blocks and blocks of descriptive text.
14. Ideal page length for feature film or full-length stage play is 110 to 115 pages, about 2 hours.
15. For the title page, center the title and your name in the middle of the page. Don't use quotation marks. Type your name and address in the lower right-hand corner.
16. Copy your script on three-hole paper and bind with metal fasteners.

Setting up your own computer

Using the above margins and tabs, any word processing program can be set up to format a screenplay. You can also purchase screenwriting software that automatically formats as you type. Final Draft 6.0, Hollywood Screenwriter, Movie Magic Screenwriter 2000, and Scriptware are popular, screenplay-formatting programs.

http://www.writersrelief.com/
Author’s Submission Service Since 1994

It’s easy to get tripped up when writing dialogue. In North America, the rule is to use double quotation marks around the words of the speaker; this seems simple enough, but the most common problem lies in the placement of punctuation other than quotation marks.

The standard rule is to include periods and commas within the quotation marks:

She said, "I don’t believe you are telling the truth."

"I don’t believe you are telling the truth," she said.

"I don’t believe you," she said, "and I no longer trust you."

"I don’t believe you!" she exlaimed.

"Should I believe you?" she asked.

"Fine, don’t believe me," he replied. "You’ve never trusted me."

Note that dialogue tags (she said, he replied) must be a "speaking action," whereas non-speaking actions (he snorted, she glared) are not punctuated as tags and should be treated as separate sentences:

"I don’t believe you are telling the truth." She glared at him.

"Fine, don’t believe me." He snorted with disgust.

Use single quotation marks to mark dialogue within dialogue:

"And then I looked at him and said, ‘I don’t believe you!’" she said.

She said, "And then I looked at him and said, ‘I don’t believe you!’"

"And then I looked at him and said, ‘I don’t believe you!’ and he walked away."

Another general rule is to start a new paragraph for each new speaker. It makes for a clearer picture of the give and take of a "conversation" and helps the reader switch from speaker to speaker.

Some writers use italics to set off dialogue, while others use no special punctuation at all. However, unless you’re Hemingway or Joyce, it’s best to save the italics for quoted thoughts and use traditional punctuation for your dialogue. For clarity’s sake, whatever format you choose, keep it consistent, and your readers will thank you.

http://www.writersrelief.com/
Author’s Submission Service Since 1994

Don't know how to create a header without it being on the first page and typing in every single page number? Here are step-by-step instructions to alleviate the stress:

1. In the View menu, click Header and Footer.

2. In the Header and Footer toolbar, click Page Setup (looks like an open book).

3. Click on the Layout tab.

4. Check the "Different first page" box, then click OK.

5. Go back into the first-page header and delete the text.

http://www.writersrelief.com/
Author’s Submission Service Since 1994

The first and most important part of the cover letter (besides accurate contact information) is the salutation, but with so many names available, this gets tricky. When we say tricky, we're referring to gender-neutral names. Unless you have a personal acquaintance with the editor/agent, you cannot know if the name is male or female. Many clients over the years have insisted on Writer's Relief using salutations such as Dear Mr. So-and-So or Attention Ms. Whoever. Addressing editors and agents using Mr. or Mrs. or Ms. used to be the norm. This is no longer true. In order to avoid embarrassment and alienating an editor (and NOT getting a good read), follow what has now become industry standard rules for addressing these decision makers. Simply use the first and last name of the editor/agent to whom you are sending your submission. This technique was used for mass mailings but has now become standard business protocol. Using both names for your submissions won't be held against you. On the contrary, the editor/agent will know you're not an amateur. For example, if the editor of a publication you are submitting to is named Alex Young, don't begin your letter with Dear Mr. Alex Young, because when she opens up the envelope she's likely to feel at least a little annoyed.

In the US, gender-neutral names are becoming trendier each year. Before 1960, these names were almost nonexistent. Since then, more and more parents have turned to names such as Dakota, Drew, and Zane. Also, when dealing with names from cultures other than your own—don't assume. Be cautious and tread lightly because you don't want an editor turned off by your lack of knowledge. This silly mistake could lead to you missing the opportunity of publication or at least a good first impression. If you feel uncomfortable about names in general, you can always begin your letter with "Dear Editor." Using a personal name is still considered the best option, so choose Dear Editor rarely. Here is a partial list of some of the names that we've run across over the years. Can you tell whether you should choose Mr. or Ms. when addressing your submission? Remember that the wrong assumption may cost you that good first impression.

Sam, Dale, Shemayahu, Fran, Aziz, Joel, Herm, Bobby, Sydney, Kinza, Marion, Gerry, Kerry, Joyce, Keiko, Gale, Flo, Jamie, Pupa, Thikhathali, Corey, Thabo, Zujun, and Don't Forget . . .

Ronnie!

http://www.writersrelief.com/
Author’s Submission Service Since 1994

Biographical information: A cover letter should include, if warranted, your education (college degrees), publishing credits (no vanity presses such as poetry.com), and any interesting facts (such as well-known authors you've worked with). You may share a short sentence or two of personal information. What makes you tick? Do you play jazz piano on the weekend? This personal information will make you more real in the mind of an editor or agent. Just don't get too cutesy or talk about your grandchildren for two paragraphs!

Length: Your letter should NEVER be longer than one page with one-inch left and right margins (top and bottom margins may be adjusted if more room is needed).

Contact Information: You must include your name, address, phone number, and e-mail. Having your own letterhead designed to your liking helps with this.

Show appreciation: You need to thank the editor for taking his/her time to read your submission.

Short and sweet: Prepare a cover letter that provides what the editor requires and then "gets out of the way" so your writing stands on its own.

Reference your SASE: All submissions should contain your self-addressed, stamped envelope. Say you've included it when you thank the editor for her/his time.

Appearance: Use high-quality bond paper (at least 24 lb. weight) and easy-to-read font, no larger than 12-point in the body of the letter, and no larger than 18-point for letterhead/contact information. Be certain your cover letter is presentable—no bent corners, smudges, etc. (The first impression an editor has of your work is your cover letter.)

http://www.writersrelief.com/
Author’s Submission Service Since 1994

The recipe for creating the perfect cover/query letter is simple: give editors and agents what they want, no more and no less. That's it. Basically, you need to prepare a letter that provides what the editor/agent requires and then "gets out of the way" so your writing (as illustrated by your work) stands on its own. Since 1994, we have helped many clients fine-tune their cover letters with great success.

Your letter must follow industry guidelines. It must be only one page, and it must contain editor/agent contact information. It may or may not contain a biographical paragraph if your writing credentials warrant such, and you must thank the editor/agent for his/her time. You may also include some interesting personal information that will grab the attention of the editor/agent such as: "I live in a 200-year-old registered historic landmark on the edge of a forest."

For Short Prose and Poetry: A cover letter accompanies short prose and poetry. It includes the title of the work in addition to some biographical information. With the cover letter you will include a master of your work, which has been professionally prepared (again, within industry standards), and your SASE ($.41 for response only; the sample pages will be recycled).

Query/cover letter which accompanies a book submission: In addition to the information contained in a standard cover letter, the query letter contains a "blurb" about the book. A short paragraph covering the basic premise of the novel or nonfiction work will draw the agent in and will encourage him/her to move on to the short synopsis or outline. (When we refer to query letters here, we are not referring to query letters used to "pitch" ideas for articles or books. These query/cover letters accompany sample pages of a book submission.)

http://www.writersrelief.com/
Author’s Submission Service Since 1994

Formatting titles gives some writers a headache. There is so much to remember (and so many exceptions) in the English language . . . titles aren't really that difficult. When you're trying to remember if you're supposed to use underlining or italics or quotation marks, here are a few simple rules. Remember that people used to type their work or write it longhand. When titles needed to be italicized, those italics were represented by underlining. With the age of computers, we can choose to do one or the other.

1) Underlining and italics serve the same purpose. Never do both. Do NOT use quotation marks, underline, or italics together.

2) For any work that stands on its own, you should use italics or underline. (Stories or chapters from within a book are considered PARTS of the book.)

3) A work that is part of a larger work goes in quotation marks.

4) No quotation marks around titles of your own composition. 

Books: Italics or Underline

CDs: Italics or Underline

Articles (Newspaper or Magazine): Quotation Marks

Chapter Titles (not chapter numbers): Quotation Marks

Magazines, Newspapers, Journals: Italics or Underline

Names of Ships, Trains, Airplanes, Spacecraft: Italics

Poems: Quotation Marks

Poems (Long): Underlined or Italics

Plays: Italics

Short Stories: Quotation Marks

Song Titles: Quotation Marks

Special Phrases ("let them eat cake"), Words, or Sentences: Quotation Marks

Television Shows and Movies: Italics

Television and Radio Episode Titles: Quotation Marks

Writer’s Relief, Inc.
http://www.writersrelief.com/
Author’s Submission Service Since 1994