Happy Publication Day, Ben Miller! We are so proud!
the blog of Ecotone magazine and Lookout Books
the blog of Ecotone magazine and Lookout Books
Happy Publication Day, Ben Miller! We are so proud!
Today is the official release date of Ben Miller’s River Bend Chronicle: The Junkification of a Boyhood Idyll amid the Curious Glory of Urban Iowa. This weekend, Steve Almond said that he read his copy of RBC while commuting to and from work. Three times in one week, he missed his stop because he was so engrossed in the book.
1. Like all writers, we love animals, but after a while we get a little tired of hearing about your pets. If you have three turtles, we don’t think, oh but those three turtles probably need some fancy flies that could be bought with the money from publishing this story. We’re happy you have things in your life that you love—but this is a cover letter. Let’s get to your story!
2. It’s usually best to keep the letter brief. Sure, we want to know that you’ve been published by the Paris Review, the New Yorker, and Agni—Hooray!—but then you’re fine with the phrase “and many other journals.” Listing another twenty places feels unnecessary. Plus the block of text makes our eyes glaze. Pick the top three or four—maybe five—and keep some mystery in this relationship.