A well-crafted cover letter inevitably sets the tone for your literary submission, offering editors a glimpse into your professionalism, personality, and passion for your work. While your submission should speak for itself, a thoughtful cover letter adds essential context and can help your application stand out.
It’s worth noting that literary magazine cover letters differ from the query letters you’d write for a consumer magazine—your piece for a lit mag is already complete, which simplifies things a bit. But in many ways, they follow similar principles.
This advice reflects one editor’s perspective and is tailored to prose, but I’d wager it hits on key elements most editors appreciate in a cover letter. Take what resonates with you, leave the rest, and make it your own.