Cover Letters
I'm going to take a risk here and say something publicly that many editors only acknowledge privately:
Most cover letters are a waste of time.
Unless a market specifically requests one or I'm submitting a work via e-mail, I do not send a cover letter. Of the stories I've sent, a majority of the accepted ones lacked a cover letter, and a majority of the rejected ones included one.
Unless you have a list of previous credits to your name or something extraordinarily insightful to say about your story, such a letter isn't necessary. Let your work speak for itself. There's nothing more you can say in a cover letter that can save a bad story.
Likewise, if you have significant publishing credits, it's likely your editor has already heard about you. If he or she hasn't heard of your credits, mentioning them may or may not help, depending upon the market. "I've been published three times on my friend's home page" does not impress.
As for your contact information, that should be on the title page of a correctly formatted manuscript.
Should you not send a cover letter, then?
Remember the rule:
Never do anything that can annoy an editor.
For some smaller markets, editors insist on cover letters. In the small and semi-pro press, relationships are important. Sometimes an editor wants to know you're a human being.
For larger markets, a cover letter in the hands of a beginner is more a liability than an asset. An editor's time is valuable; there are only so many variations of "Here's my story. I wrote it because..." before an editor's eyes blur from reading them. Unless you have something unusual to say ("My decade of experience among the Tykngney aborigines helped me learn about alien cultures"), you risk writing something inane that puts your work off to a rocky start.
Remember the old adage: "It is better to be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt."
If you still want to write a cover letter, follow these guidelines:
Keep it brief.
Again, time is at a premium both for you and your editor. My usual format for a cover letter is:
Dear Mr./Ms. [Name]:
Enclosed, please find a 3,000-word story entitled, "Who Wants a Piece of Will?" that I believe is well-suited to your magazine. I've also included a self-addressed, stamped envelope for your response; please consider the manuscript disposable.
I wrote it [compelling and amazing reason].
My previous credits include appearances in such magazines as The American Journal of Mortuary Science and Oui.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Will Ludwigsen
Follow the guidelines.
Sometimes, specific magazines want specific information in the cover letter such as a social security number, rights offered, or a biography. Be sure to include this information as requested.
A word about biographies: you have relatively little space to convey the essence of your being. Choose wisely. Resist the temptation to mention your cats. Try to be creative without being cute.
If you can't do that, just keep to the basics: where you live, what you do by day, where you're from, etc.