Readers letter: How to submit your work to magazines, websites or potential employers

Illustration by Cathryn Weatherhead.

We receive submissions from people who would like us to use their work on a daily basis and I can’t help but get disappointed by how little effort the majority of people put into the task. This lack-luster approach isn’t limited to submissions for the magazine either, over the years I’ve had to review countless portfolios for people wanting an interview for different creative positions within various companies. The good news is, most people do it so badly, it’s really easy for YOU to do it well and stand out!

Here are the 3 most common mistakes I see people make;

1) Mediocre. They simply don’t don’t put enough effort in, they don’t try to sell themselves. They don’t try to stand out.

2) The confession. A surprising number of people find it almost impossible to make contact with strangers without pointing out all their personal weaknesses and insecurities.

3) One shot wonder. There’s nothing, I repeat NOTHING in life worth having that you can expect to obtain on your first try, but 99% of people will only ever submit their work once before giving up.

So what does a good cover letter look like?

Here’s a letter we received this week (published with permission). I’ll break down why I like it in a minute…

Subject: I would really like to be featured in Subvert Magazine. :)

Dear Angel,
 
My name is Cathryn Weatherhead. I am an Illustration graduate from Swansea Metropolitan University and I would really like to be featured in Subvert Magazine. Currently based in South Wales I am embarking upon an illustration career with much gusto, imagination and patience. However, I am in need of exposure to really get going :)

While studying in Swansea, I developed a style of contemporary illustration that utilizes different media; including embroidery and mono-printing to create original artworks. I have sent some of my favourite work for you to look at with this email.
 
Since graduating I have worked on a number of self initiated projects, launched my own website, www.cathrynweatherhead.com. I also achieved a ‘High Commendation’ in the Cheltenham Illustration awards and I am going to be appearing in Martin Dawber’s ‘Big Book of Illustration’ which is out this autumn. And although this is all good, I want to be in YOUR magazine!
 
If you want to see more or know more please feel free to contact me on [phone] or at . I would be over the moooon if you selected me to appear in Subvert or even if you just had some advice to offer.
 
Thank you for taking the time to read this
 
Cathryn Weatherhead

So let’s break it down…

Subject: I would really like to be featured in Subvert Magazine. :)

She kicks off with a good title, it’s clear and confident in it’s intention and the smilie adds an informal friendly feel like a real email from one human to another. (Why should ‘first contact’ be formal and fake as suggested in so many resume guides?) Most emails we get contain the single word ‘submission’ which generally results in it being filed in the ‘submissions’ folder to be dealt with later. That’s what you don’t want.

My name is Cathryn Weatherhead. I am an Illustration graduate from Swansea Metropolitan University and I would really like to be featured in Subvert Magazine. Currently based in South Wales I am embarking upon an illustration career with much gusto, imagination and patience. However, I am in need of exposure to really get going :)

Angel has connections with this particular university, so pointing out the connection, or any connection between you the author and the publisher you are contacting will start to build the rapport. As humans we are always looking for connections and similarities in the people we meet.

But the next sentence is the real killer for me because she does two things;

a) She makes it clear that she’s doing her part “embarking upon an illustration career with much gusto, imagination and patience.”
b) Whilst acknowledging that she can’t do it all on her own and she needs our help “However, I am in need of exposure to really get going :)”

If you’re submitting your work to someone you’re actually asking a lot of them. You’re asking them to put their neck on the line in one way or another. If we publish your work or give you a job, then we’re publicly staking our reputation on your performance. That’s a big deal. Publishers and employers want to see that you are hungry for it, you will really make use of an opportunity that you are given and that you won’t make us look like fools for backing you.

On top of that, never forget that there is a human being at the other end of your email. And human beings love to feel wanted, we like it when someone says they need something that we can give them. (Even when we know we aren’t the only one getting this email)

While studying in Swansea, I developed a style of contemporary illustration that utilizes different media; including embroidery and mono-printing to create original artworks. I have sent some of my favourite work for you to look at with this email.

Here, she tells us why she’s different and why her work is original. The human brain is exposed to so much information on a daily basis, to help us cope its hard wired to pay particular attention to what’s new and novel, so making sure you have something new and novel and pointing out what it is, can make all the difference.

Since graduating I have worked on a number of self initiated projects, launched my own website, www.cathrynweatherhead.com. I also achieved a ‘High Commendation’ in the Cheltenham Illustration awards and I am going to be appearing in Martin Dawber’s ‘Big Book of Illustration’ which is out this autumn. And although this is all good, I want to be in YOUR magazine!

Now, she continues to tell us about her achievements so far, further reinforcing the idea that she’s a self-starter, a person who can be trusted to get the job done, who won’t let us down and is someone worth backing. It doesn’t matter that we’ve never heard of the award or the book, it tells us that she’s active, she’s out there, doing her work and getting it out into the world. The more we can see that she is likely to succeed and still have a creative career in 5, 10 years time, the more we will want to help her. She also emphasizes for the third time that she wants to be in OUR magazine. The magic number of times you should repeat anything of importance in a communication.

If you want to see more or know more please feel free to contact me on [phone] or at . I would be over the moooon if you selected me to appear in Subvert or even if you just had some advice to offer.

Thank you for taking the time to read this

Cathryn Weatherhead

And now to the closing. I’d say the email length is about just right. Although you can always add more information if it’s relevant, I’d suggest that multiple emails over a period of time each containing new information are a better way to go. She closes by giving us a mobile and email address, a clear sign that she’s accessible and waiting for our contact. (Most people don’t include a phone number and many will take up to a week between checking their emails. )

She adds a very clever touch by telling us how much it would mean to her to be selected. We all want to make people happy, especially if it’s helping them get closer to their goals and particularly when they have demonstrated who much effort they are putting into it themselves.

Her email ends with a strong finish, acknowledging that the process of even looking at submissions is very time consuming and therefore costly and thanking us for taking the time to read it.

To top it all off, she finishes with her full name. Cathryn Weatherhead. Now this might sound like the simplest step in the world, but it’s one that shouldn’t be overlooked. The fact of the matter is, we get a lot of correspondence from a lot of people, as does any other publisher or employer you will contact. Until they hear from you a few times, unless you make an instant impression, people will forget you! It’s nothing personal, they just will. So making sure that your name is clear is very important.

In this case, “Cathryn Weatherhead” is included, (in full), four times in the email.
It’s in the ‘From’ header of the email, it’s in the introduction at the very start of the letter, it’s in her website domain in the middle and it’s in her closing at the end.

“Cathryn Weatherhead”
“Cathryn Weatherhead”
“Cathryn Weatherhead”
“Cathryn Weatherhead”

We are going to remember Cathryn Weatherhead.

Now, is this the only way to write a submission? No
Is this how YOU should write a submission? That’s not what I’m suggesting.
Isn’t it all about the work and not the email? No, of course your work must be great – but talent alone will not get you selected, it certainly won’t get you selected more than once. Attitude is more important to most people, because most situations are about one person having to work with and trust another person, the work is just the end result.

A summary of what you CAN DO to get your submission noticed

1) Make the HEADLINES. A catchy title always sets the tone.

2) Create rapport, explain why there is a connection between you and the publisher.

3) Tell them how much you want it and why you’re worth backing. Show them how other people have backed you. Convince them that you’re doing your part, you’re willing to put in the work and you’re not just out for what you can get.

4) Remember you’re talking to a human, make them feel special, make them feel valued.

5) Tell them what makes you new, UNIQUE and different.

6) Create a clear distinguishable brand (how you want people to remember you) and repeat your most important messages, the things you really want to sink in at least 3 times! Not once or twice but three times. You don’t have to repeat your point in exactly the same way, you can say the same thing, different ways, as long as you are repeating it; 1,2,3 times :)

If you’re currently submitting your work to publishers or employers, why not run a split test between your current method and this one? Send out half your emails or letters as normal and half like this. Let us know what you learn.

Paul.

Tweet