Wow Them with Your Cover Letter

Cover letters are tough, regardless of the reason you’re crafting one. But crafting one for a potential agent or publisher can feel like the pressure is really on! What should you include? What should you leave out? How can you distill your writing and your personality into one page? Obviously, it’s important to keep your authenticity and passion for your book in your cover letter, but let’s talk about some specific things that can help wow an agent or publisher.

Get Personal

It can be super tempting to create a basic form letter for your cover letter submissions, especially if you’re sending several submission packages. And while it’s okay to keep some stuff standardized, make sure to create a personalized cover letter to the specific agency, publisher, or individual at the agency or publisher to whom you’re sending your query. Not only should you be sure to include any specifics requested by that specific agent or publisher, but in cases where you can, try to put in something specific about that agent or publisher and why you want to work with them. No need to get too mushy, but letting the agency or publisher know that you’re familiar with their work and fans of it is never a bad thing!

Introduce your book

Make sure your cover letter introduces the book, but briefly. This isn’t the space to go into big details or include a massive synopsis unless that’s been specifically requested by the agent or publisher. Instead, use this space to give the big specifics of the book: genre, word count, relevant comps (and how yours differs), and an elevator pitch. The rest of your submission packet will go into more detail about the book itself, so just make sure you hit the important basics of your book.

Introduce Yourself

Don’t forget to introduce yourself as well! Offer some important information about who you are, any relevant bits of professional or educational accomplishments, or any other facts about yourself that will help the agent or publisher understand why you are the right person to write this book. Making sure you list pertinent credentials is especially important if you’re writing a non-fiction book. But be sure to let your personality shine through in this section. Don’t just write a list of your achievements, but try to give the agent or publisher a window into how you think and you are passionate about.

Overall, a cover letter that wows is one that gives a concise look at the book, goes deeper than a form letter, and shows a bit of your personality. Above all, try not to stress too much about making your cover letter perfect—instead, do your best to show who you are, what your book is, and a hint into why it’s so awesome. Authenticity and passion in your writing, even a cover letter, is always a great way to wow readers!