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Examples of Cover Letters and Manuscript Format (for Story #1)

 SAMPLE COVER LETER

 

Dear Connor, Jessika, Kara, or Other Editor, (you can find the editors' names on the website) 

Please accept my story science-fiction story, "The Real Mona Lisa," for consideration in a future issue of Chatterbox Literary. The story is 6,051 words and has not been submitted elsewhere or published previously. (always give the genre, title, word count, and if you're sending it to other publications at the same time). 

I am a professor of English at a small university in Oklahoma, where I teach classes in writing (mostly to people who hate writing), British literature, and the Humanities. My stories have most recently appeared in After Dinner Conversation, Allegory, and The Lorelei Signal. (if you don't have any publications, you can just leave this blank, or add more of your bio--something colorful and interesting without being too cute) 

Thank you,

Joshua Grasso


SAMPLE MANUSCRIPT FORMAT


Joshua Grasso                                                                              6,051 words

jgrasso91@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 (go down to line 9, 10, or 11)

The Real Mona Lisa

by Joshua Grasso

 

I was never the kind of guy to be suspicious of his wife. Not Cassie, not in our relationship. Which is why I never saw it coming. It’s not like she cheated on me, or had a secret drug habit or a hidden Only Fans. This was more subtle, and in some ways, more hurtful than an outright betrayal. Maybe she didn’t even realize she was doing it, since after all these years, it had become a way of life. But that didn’t make it any easier to stomach. It still kills me to think I might have never found out (or not for a while, anyway) if I had just skipped Mona’s art show like everyone else in the department. But it’s hard to say no to a friend, because if I didn’t go, I would have a hard time explaining why not.

Of course, I also knew it would be an uphill struggle to sell it to Cassie. She had She had had it up to here with my colleagues, most of whom she found verbose, paranoid, and pretentious. English professors often are. And even though Mona was better than most...


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