It’s not always easy writing a submission email. Each magazine is as different as each editor. As an editor, I wanted to leave my mark on the magazine and make it a ‘useful’ magazine. I focussed on ‘teaching’: a lot of how-to tutorials, and tips that you could incorporate into your own work. But that is not true of all magazines. So, here are the top eight tips to preparing the best submission email possible.
Read all the way to the bottom where I include an example of (what I would have considered) a good submission email.
Before we start: Disclaimer (again)!
These are just my personal opinions: I can not guarantee that these things will get you published. However, I am 99% sure that by doing some of these things means your email will not be overlooked. Always read the submission guidelines (especially when it comes to the size of the image to submit).
1. Know the publication.
Buy a couple of recent issues of the publication. Soak in the pages; see how the projects are displayed. Read everything: what type of tips do they give, what are the projects and features like, do they use metric or imperial measurements? Get to know the publication your submitting to first and foremost.
2. Write an actual email.
Layout attached.
That is not an email. That is part of an email. Write an actual letter, please.
3. Get in, get out.
Follow on from tip two: that being said, get in and get out as quickly as possible. I don’t need to know your scrapbooking story from beginning to end: this is our first date after all. I only need to hear about the project you’ve sent me.
A quick guide: say hello, tell me about your layout, say goodbye.
4. Send to one publication at a time.
Nothing irritated me more than seeing more than just my submissions email in the “To” field. I understand you’re excited about finishing a project and that you’re super proud of it and that you want it published. We want to publish it. But sending a generic email to a multitude of submission email addresses is likely to get your email skipped.
That being said, as editors, we know you are submitting to all publications possible. So let us know in the email if you’ve submitted elsewhere or if you’re going to submit elsewhere.
5. Understand the turn-around time for magazines.
At Scrapbook Creations, all content was due from the editor three months before publication. This meant I would start commissioning six months before publication because I needed to confirm with contributors that they would be in the magazine, get them to send their projects (via mail) and text (via email) to me.
The projects needed to be in my hands four months before publication so I could get photography done. Text also needed to be with me at that stage so I could edit the text and query contributors on things that didn’t make sense.
Two months before publication the magazine needed to be at the printers.
Each Scrapbook Creations magazine took eight months, from start to finish (including sending back projects and invoicing after the magazine was published). I don’t say this for any reason other than letting you know that it takes a long time to publish a magazine. Please be realistic in your expectations of turn around. It’s very unlikely we’ll get to your email twenty minutes after you send it.
6. Answer this one little question.
What makes this project better than any other the editor will see today? Make sure you include that answer in your email.
7. Know your editor.
I don’t mean you need to become friends with them on Facebook, nor do you need to stalk their Instagram or Pinterest(1) accounts. All editors work differently. Some will reply shortly after you submit, some will reply in six weeks. Some (and I am guilty of this) will not reply at all. Editors will not make exceptions for you, because you are such an amazing papercrafter(2) — they have a work flow and will stick to it.
I would recommend to never follow up on a submission. A good rule of thumb is that if you haven’t heard from them in two months(3), then they’ve passed on your submission.
(1) It actually may be worth looking at the editor’s Pinterest page, since you will get a sense of the style of work they like. This doesn’t mean they won’t publish your style, but it might help you understand why they don’t.
(2) The exception to this rule is if an editor gives you their direct email address and says that it’s okay for you to email submissions directly.
(3) I say two months because that’s how often Scrapbook Creations was published. If your magazine comes out more frequently or less frequently, use that time span as a guideline.
8. Check the submission guidelines.
I have written this post based on the idea that submissions happen via email. This is not always the case, and you must must MUST read the submission guidelines closely. If you don’t submit as suggested by the guidelines, there is a high chance that your submission will get overlooked (or worse: binned!).
The perfect email.
In my personal opinion.
Dear Ellen,
Please find attached an image (and one close-up) of “Happy Happy Day”, a layout I have recently completed.
I am submitting this layout to your ‘Yellow’ theme and would like to point out the use of hand-made resin embellishments I have included. (You can see this in detail in the close-up image.)
Thank you for your time in reading my submission. Please note that this is a simultaneous submission and I look forward to hearing from you.
Kindest regards,
A. Beecee
p: +0123-456-789
email: email@email.email
The commentary that goes with this email:
First, there’s a greeting just for me! I feel loved. Let me keep reading.
Check that there are only two attachments as the emails suggests: yes, keep reading!
Oh, okay, this is for the yellow theme. (Check spreadsheet to see if there’s room for another layout.) Oh wait! A DIY resin embellishment? Must check this out now. (Open image: so pretty.)
Read rest of email very quickly and I see the note about simultaneous submission. At this point I would email A. Beecee back and see if the layout is still available. However, maybe the layout doesn’t fit the theme as well as I’d like, but I desperately want the hand-made resin: I might ask you to create a feature around DIY resin embellishments. By giving an editor a little more information, they may be able to offer you something anyway.
Further reading:
Eight Tips for Getting Published in Magazines, Gary Bell.
While this particular article is for those writing magazine articles, it would help those of you who wish to do longer pieces / features in papercraft magazines.
Online Writing Submissions: Mistakes Writers Make Submitting To Literary Agents And Editors, Writer’s Relief.
Some guidelines apply, some don’t. My favourite: “Don’t rush through the process.”