How to use this Page

 
Anastasia Suen has started a fun new event: Nonfiction Mondays, where bloggers will post about nonfiction books and writing nonfiction, along the same lines as Poetry Fridays.

I've been posting about my latest nonfiction project recently, so I thought I'd do something else today.

I've been teaching a class for people interested in writing children's nonfiction books for the educational market. Recently, everyone wrote cover letters for introductory packets and we critiqued them. Wow! They did an impressive job, and each one of them is really prepared and qualified to take on an assignment.

But what if there's only one assignment to hand out? Who stands out?

As I read everyone's cover letters, I had a small taste of what it's like to be an assigning editor. After reading each one, I thought, "OK, this person understands what's involved in this process; she has the necessary background; and she seems professional, intelligent, and competent." But at the end of reading 10 or 12 letters, it was hard to remember each person. In a group of 10 (or 50 or 100), how do you make your own cover letter stand out?

For me, it was the personal touch. People who wove in a personal anecdote, preferably one related to some really unusual topic (perhaps even one covered by their writing sample) were more memorable for me.

What tips to do you have? When introducing yourself to a nonfiction editor, how do you make your cover letter the one she'll remember?

Check out the Nonfiction Monday roundup later today at Anastasia's blog! Thanks for starting this, Anastasia!

Dear Publisher/Agent,

I am writing in the hope that you will be interested in reading my picture book, X X X. It is a humorous adventure and tells the story of ____________. With your success with children's books like Spoofy Bagoda's CAT IN THE SEWER and Pretty Boy's DINOS AT THE DUMP, I think this might be a good fit for your list.

I have had short stories published in the following children's magazines __________, and won honorable mention in _________ award.

I hope this will be of interest to you, and I include my picture book manuscript, along with an SASE for your reply.

Sincerely,

Jane Doe 

I came across this in my research and felt it worth keeping and sharing. Of course I changed some of it so as not to be in error with copyrights or anything. Even though the original was a ficticious work anyhow.