When to List Story on Cover Letter

ACFantasy

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Hey all:

I know it's good practice to put on cover letters one's last few acceptances, but I'm not sure exactly when you can do it. Is it:

* Once the editor tells you they're buying your story?
* Once you sign the contract?
* Once you get paid?
* Once the story is actually published?
* Something else?
 

CL_Hilbert

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I usually put it on my initial submission email. Mine tend to look like:
Dear (Editor):

Please consider (XYZ story) for inclusion in (XYZ Magazine). My previous stories have appeared in Apex, Betwixt and Kaleidotrope.

Thanks,
(me)
I've never had a problem doing it this way and often my publishers have just taken that part of my submission cover for my bio, easy and done.

I know book subs are different, but I'd expect they're more or less the same. I don't figure you can go wrong tacking it in there real quick on the end.
 
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Aggy B.

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Usually once I've signed the contract and sent it back. And I have two different statements in the cover letter. "My work has appeared in Magazine X, Mag Y and Column Z, and is forthcoming in Cheeselovers Anonymous."

I don't usually list more than three already published markets, and usually only one "forthcoming" market unless I have more than one forthcoming that seem very similar to the market I'm currently querying and the already published are less similar. If that makes sense.
 

Aislinn

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Same as Aggy, and usually I've only listed the 'forthcoming' if it's a significant market (ie pro or notably hard to crack). For forthcoming, I have sometimes listed a story as soon as it's accepted, but I wouldn't do that for every market. Only if the process is highly professional and an acceptance is reliably followed by a contract and by publication.
 

Polenth

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I like to wait until the contract is signed, though as others have said, only if it's a particularly notable sale. I only really did that for my first few sales, where I didn't have equivalent things already published.
 

Amy Writes

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I use appeared in x, y, z, and forthcoming in a, b (but only after I´ve signed the contract.) If you can include an expected date (eg. currently slated for the June 2015 issue), then that is good, too.

My feeling is, once you´ve signed the contract then it is real & official.
 

Deirdre

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Speaking as an occasional editor, I'm less interested in your last few acceptances and interested in your most relevant acceptances. An editor saying they're buying your story is enough to earn "forthcoming" if it's an important sale.