Cover photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash
Gangs & Girlies,
This year I decided it would be good if I started acting like a writer again and perhaps 1. Wrote some things and 2. Submitted them. Picking up my serious (well semi-serious) writer hat has proven eegh. Not only cause of well, the actual writing, the myriad of rejections or the waiting for the myriad of rejects, but also just the admin surrounding every submission. After perusing quite a few guidelines and sending out my work here’s some documents as a writer (especially one who is submitting to literary magazine) you should always have in handy.
1. Short bio
If a literary magazine, publisher, interviewer etc doesn’t ask you for any sort of bio, they are about to scam you. Flee. Any entity trying to platform you in one way or the other wants to know at least a little about you and post that along side your work. 8/10 times they want a short bio.
General rules for a short bio:
- Keep it under 100 words.
- Always use third person.
- Lead with your name.
- Include nationality or where you’re based.
- Mention what you write in one phrase.
- List a selection of publications if you have them – starting with the most acclaimed work or your most long form work. Don’t fret if you don’t have any.
- For good measure always add one specific human detail to add some personality.
Generic Template:
[Full name] is a [nationality] writer based in [location]. Her work explores [one specific phrase about what it is your write about ]. Her work has appeared in [Publication] and [Publication]. She is currently working on [project]
My short bio:
Tamanda Kanjaye is a Malawian writer, poet and editor. Her work has been published in a few magazines including Doek! Literary Magazine, Guernica Magazine and Briefly Write. She’s also a senior editor with African in Dialogue and guest edited for Lolwe issue 9. She has a Master’s Degree in Media Studies from Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences where she also has a full time job as a lecturer. She lives alone in Blantyre with her plants and pet fish in what should be a solitary home but is curiously always full of people. tamandakanjaye.com is her little corner of the internet.
N.B. My “short bio” pushes the 100 word because I don’t have a longer bio. If I wanted to keep this shorter, I’d remove my education and work experience.
2. Longer bio
Despite the fact that I don’t have one of my own, it’s necessary every writer should have a long bio (do as I say not as I do shindig). A long bio provides a bit more narrative and depth than a short version would. And sometimes the people that want to platform you want to get to know you at that level. A long bio allows you to expand on sections that a shorter one would skim over.
General rules:
Not more than 300 words but otherwise has the same rules as a short bio. However you can expand on the following:
- What you write about: Go beyond a single phrase. You have room to name themes, genres, the kind of stories you’re drawn to, and why.
- Your publication history: Instead of a curated selection, you can list more credits. Lead with the most prestigious or longest form work, then move down. If any of your work was nominated, commissioned, or anthologised, mention that context here.
- Awards, fellowships and residencies: If you have any, list these after your publications.
- Your current projects: a long bio is a good place to mention what you’re working on, especially if it’s something you’d want a publisher or interviewer to ask you about.
Generic template (if I had one):
[Full name] is a [nationality] writer based in [location]. Her work explores [expanded description of themes, genres or approach — two to three sentences]. Her writing has appeared in [Publication], [Publication] and [Publication], among others. She has been [nominated/shortlisted/awarded] for [award] and has held fellowships or residencies with [institution]. She is currently working on [project — be specific: a novel, a collection, a piece of long form nonfiction]. Outside of her writing life, [one or two human details that add personality and texture].
3. Generic cover letter
If you’re lucky, most places you submit won’t ask for a cover letter, but don’t hold your breath. Editors and publishers usually ask for one because it lets them sort submissions fast, and confirms the basics like title, word count and genre. It also tells them what to expect from the work you’ve submitted. I genuinely hate writing these and I’ve on many occasions dissuaded myself from submitting just so I didn’t have to write one. This year however, I’ve written a few, and this is what you’ll most likely need to know.
General rules:
- Keep it under 200 words. Editors are reading hundreds of these and every word past 200 is a word too long.
- Address it to the editors by name if you can find one. “Dear Editors” is fine if you can not.
- Lead with the submission details — title, word count, genre. Describe the piece in one or two sentences max: what happens, who it’s about. No need to explained the themes, metaphors, meaning or your intentions.
- If asked for your bio to be included in the cover letter, keep it to six lines max unless asked otherwise.
- Write one clean line of thanking them for their time and consideration.
- Mention if it is a simultaneous submissions especially if asked.
- Don’t apologize for anything.
Generic template:
Dear [Editors of X / Editor’s name],
I am submitting my [word count]-word [story/flash fiction/essay], “[Title],” for your consideration.
[One to two sentences of plot summary]
[Two to three sentence bio.]
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely, [Your name].
Sample Cover Letter to a publication I submitted to recently:
Dear [Editor],
I am submitting my short story, “Ice Lolly Summer”, for your consideration. It is a work of fiction that has 3318 words. The story follows a young Malawian woman who is in love with her closest friend but can only do so from a distance and how she watches a relationship slowly destroy her friend. It is about queer longing and the limits of it in such a country.
Below is my short bio:
Tamanda Kanjaye is a Malawian writer, poet and editor. Her work has been published in a few magazines including Doek! Literary Magazine, Guernica Magazine and Briefly Write. She lives alone in Blantyre with her plants and pet fish in what should be a solitary home but is curiously always full of people. tamandakanjaye.com is her little corner of the internet.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Tamanda Kanjaye
4. Portfolio of where you’ve been published
Before I got my website, when people would say they like my work, I used to ask “where did you find it.” Because how can you claim to be a writer when there’s no evidence of said writing. A portfolio is perhaps the most essential thing you need as a writer . A bio and a cover letter tell editors who you are in a sentence or two. A portfolio is where you actually prove it, otherwise all your claims might as well be false.
General rules:
- Always keep it updated.
- Lead with your most recent or most prestigious work.
- Link directly to the work where possible.
- Include your short bio at the top where ambiguous that the portfolio is yours
- Keep contact information visible and easy to find.
Portfolio format ideas:
- Website
The very best option, if you ask me. It doesn’t need to be complicated — the simplest version known to man is fine: a home page, an about page, a contact page and a publications page listing your work with links. A website is clean and entirely yours. The catch is that maintaining one (and paying for one that actually looks good) can be a doozy, especially if you’re not already inclined to fuss over web design.
- Substack
Second best option if a full website feels like too much. You can use it to publish original work, link to your external publications, and build a small readership all at once. Substack can function as a portfolio and a newsletter simultaneously. The only reason, I prefer website to substack is because substack can comparatively be limited in personalisation.
- A Google Doc
This is the bare-bones option. A simple doc in your Google account listing your publications, with links to where the work is online, and your short bio at the top. If you can’t be bothered with either of the admin that comes with the two previous options then a simple Google Docs work. It’s at the very least functional and you can share the link on request or attach it as a PDF to a submission email.
5. Author pictures
You should, in general, have some professional pictures taken. Having a few good photographs means you aren’t always scrambling to find the best picture you’ve ever taken of yourself five minutes before a deadline.
The important thing is that the pictures should capture how you want to be viewed. You don’t have to have one stiff, formal headshot. Get a variety. A straightforward headshot, something more relaxed, something that shows a bit of personality. Honestly. whatever feels like you and fits the kind of work you do.
I am personally due to get some done. I quite like using a line illustration of myself for submissions when I’m asked for a photograph, but having a few actual pictures of my face would probably be useful too.
The general rule: have them before you need them. Future You will be grateful.
Bonus: Submission tracker
I wouldn’t categorise this as essential but I am personally prone to forgetting what I sent where and when. And to avoid the embarrasment of sending the same story to magazine that already rejected, I have decided, perhaps it’s best to keep a tracker. It isn’t anything fancy. I use a simple Excel sheet that you can view and download here.
And pretty much that’s it. Keep all of these in one folder in your Google Drive so you know exactly where to find them when you need them, so you don’t have to scarmble wity every single submission. I would also keep the editable versions there, rather than only saving PDFs, because you will inevitably need to change a publication name, add a new credit or update your bio five minutes before a deadline.
Otherwise, happy writing/submitting!
