Coincidentally right on the heels of today's post, my friend Wyatt Perko texted me a few pictures. Apparently, he never throws out anything, and he was going through some old files and came across a cover letter I wrote back when I was seventeen (had just recently turned seventeen, I must point out, though that's not much excuse) and which is quite humorous in an embarrassing way. But the reason I want to point it out is that oftentimes a lot of newer and younger writers just try too hard. I mean, an editor doesn't care that you're currently engaged in extra curricular activities at school. They just want to know the basics -- your story's name, the word count (an approximate word count), maybe a short bio, and contact information. These editors (or agents) are not your friends. They are just editors (or agents), and quite honestly, even those titles don't mean much. As I've said before, it doesn't take much for someone to become an "editor" or "agent." Regardless, a professional cover letter should be clear and concise and, oftentimes, short. Nothing more. As you can see, a bunch of newbie mistakes are included in this letter. How many can you count?
