A Well-written Cover Letter: Necessary Aid in Writing Business
*** The following cover letter is one I would send with a copy of my short story “Hidden Lies” to an agent. Addresses, phone numbers, and names used (except for my name and email address) are not real. Any information between asterisks (**) are not part of the letter but information about what goes in the letter. ***
2912 My Street
My Town, State zipcode
April 13, 2006
John Johns **Use name of correct editor, call company to ask.**
Johns Literary Agency
Mailing address
Sometown, Somestate zip
Dear Mr. Johns: **If person is a woman, use Ms. unless you know differently.**
Life has many conflicts, and relationships aren’t always as the members involved believe. The enclosed short story “Hidden Lies” reveals that members of the same family don’t always know the “skeletons” hidden in the family “closet.” In fact, none ever viewed a freezer in the same way again.
As a teacher of English and composition for twenty-five years, I not only taught writing, but also studied and honed my own skills. From 1974 thorough 1977, I had short stories, articles, and poetry published in Potpourri magazine. Later years, articles and short stories appeared in regional publications, in the Teachers of English anthology Teachers Write, and in Standard magazine. More current information may be found on my web site, http://www.viviangilbertzabel.com.
Thank you for considering my short story. I will await a decision at your earliest convenience. You may also reach me by phone, 405-555-1411, or by email, vzabel@writing.com. Enclosed is a SASE for your use.
Sincerely,
(signature here)
Vivian Gilbert Zabel
2 enclosures:
Manuscript: “Hidden Lies”
SASE
* * * Notes about cover (sent with submission) letter * * *
1. Author’s address and current date goes in upper left hand corner (if using block letter) or upper right hand corner . The author’s email address may go under date.
2. The inside address for the publisher, agent, or publisher goes next, using the name of the person who should get the manuscript according to the type of writing and genre. Call the company or agency and ask for the correct editor or agent if necessary.
3. Address the person by Mr. or Ms. (unless you know the woman prefers Miss or Mrs.) and his or her last name. Do NOT address the person by a first name unless you already know him or her extremely well.
4. The first paragraph should get the attention of the editor or agent as well as informing him of the material you are sending and a bit about the story. Do not go into great depth.
5. The next paragraph should give only a small amount of biographical information and only that which is related to closely to what you are submitting or your expertise. I included that I taught and learned more about writing while teaching, which gives support for me as a writer. Then I gave information about my published work and my website address, so if the agent/editor wants more information, she can find it. Do not falsify anything. If you have clips (news releases or clippings) and have them on a website, be sure to include that information. For example, I am in the process of scanning and adding clips to my website.
6. Do not over praise yourself or your writing, complain about anyone else’s not accepting it, or give your friends’ opinions. At the same time don’t belittle yourself or your work.
7. Finally, thanking the person for taking time to consider submitted material is good manners. Notice that I don’t set a deadline but let the agent know I will be waiting for his decision. I also include other ways he can reach me: phone number and email address. I let him know that I have enclosed a Self Addressed Stamped (with enough postage to return the material to me) Envelope (which is large enough to hold the material) - better known as SASE.
8. Then add a list of enclosures after the signature area.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Even one misspelled word, grammar error, or confusing passage would result in an agent or editor returning the manuscript or throwing the material away if no SASE were enclosed.
If the letter is boring or contains any errors, agents and editors will often not read more than the first paragraph. The submitted material would then never be read.
If the cover letter is written well enough to attract the agent’s or editor’s attention, then the author must keep that attention through the manuscript - with NO errors.
I cannot stress that idea enough: Spelling, grammar, and other errors will destroy chances of an item being accepted by an agent or editor. This idea is not my opinion but is stressed over and over by editors, agents, and other writing experts.
Give your business a chance to be successful: Promote a well-written story, article, novel, or other item with a well-written cover letter.
After years in teaching, Vivian Gilbert Zabel turned her writing into a business. An author on Writing.Com, http://www.Writing.Com/authors/vzabel, she also has books on Amazon.com, Hidden Lies and Other Storied and Walking the Earth. This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.Facimile.Com/ which is a site for Fax Machines.
Anti-Spammers Need to Develop Better Manners
I sent my e-zine out last week and I received a copy of it
back. It had been forwarded to me by a subscriber. In the
subject line was a two word sentence; since most
publications and websites frown upon vulgarity, obscenity,
and profanity, I have spared you the exact wording. Be
assured, however, that Miss Manners would definitely not
approve.
It is understandable the frustration that people feel when
they are inundated with unsolicited commercial e-mail. I
myself get more than my fair share.
Despite my Internet Service Provider (ISP) enabling a spam
filter and in spite of configuring my own e-mail program
filters, I still get spam.
However, the situation with my subscriber is different.
He opted in and confirmed his subscription. I use an
outside service to handle my mailing lists, in part, to
protect myself from false spam complaints.
There are a number of possibilities here. Perhaps my dear
subscriber forgot that he subscribed and honestly believed
that he received spam.
Another possibility is that he didn’t enjoy the content.
The correct response when someone offers you something you
don’t want is “No, thank you” not “Expletive deleted”.
If you are offered dessert after dinner by your host and
you don’t want any, simply say “No, thanks.” If you accept
one piece of pie and then you’re offered another, you may
either accept or decline.
My subscriber could simply have unsubscribed. Instead,
he retaliated (either because he believes I’m spamming him
or he doesn’t like the newsletter).
He said “yes” when he subscribed; he can always say “no”
by unsubscribing. Again, “No, thank you” not “Expletive
deleted”.
Related to this rudeness is the ignorance some America
Online, Inc. (AOL) subscribers show. By ignorance, I
mean that they may not even realize they are doing
anything wrong when they report e-mail they don’t like
as spam.
AOL makes it very easy for their subscribers to report
spam. I would say they make it too easy.
Just click the button “Report Spam”. Unfortunately,
there is no notation near that button that says “If you
subscribed, just unsubscribe.” No, simply “Report Spam.”
And they do. Rather than unsubscribe, some AOL
subscribers will report your e-zine as spam. They
opted in and subscribed. They confirmed their
subscription by e-mail. Their name, e-mail address,
IP address, and date and time of subscribing have all
been recorded. But, they are reporting you as a spammer.
This, to me, goes beyond rude, as it could affect the
reputation and livelihood of the one being reported.
I wish I could say that receiving obscenities or threats
by e-mail is rare. Sadly, this is not the first time for
me.
Among the many messages I receive are some that say that
the e-mail I tried to send (from some strange or
nonsensical name at my domain) was undeliverable or
blocked and is being returned to me. Of course, I never
sent that e-mail in the first place.
Occasionally, I receive rude (sometimes threatening)
e-mails from people who thought I sent them some of these
spoofed e-mails. This is the equivalent of swearing at
and threatening someone who you believe allowed his dog
to defecate on your lawn. The only problem is that the
man doesn’t have a dog.
Again, I sympathize with those who are irritated by spam.
I just wish they would direct their indignation at the
spammers instead of me. In fact, Miss Manners would have
reminded us all that there is never any excuse for
rudeness.
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Improving Lead Generating and Conversation Rates: Think Like a Farmer
John’s a freelance photographer in Ohio who called to tell me of his frustration with the advertising and promotional campaigns he has tried in the last couple of years. Each time he does a promotional mailing to his list of 10,000, he is lucky if he gets one or two inquiries. I had a similar call from a corporation that was spending its time and money driving traffic to its web site. With six thousand visitors a day, they were only getting a couple of inquiries per week.
Both businesses were spending a lot of money to get attention but weren’t converting this attention to leads.
Are you having the same problem?
Marketing is a lot like farming. You can’t just head out to your fields and bring in a bountiful harvest. First, you buy seed from the money you’ve budgeted. You buy enough to be sure that a good crop will germinate and thrive until harvest, and you’re likely to plant several different crops to hedge the weather and the market.
You may not be interested in becoming a farmer, but if you want to see your business grow there are three ways thinking like a farmer can help you.
1. Learn How to Collect More Leads
A farmer needs seed and lots of it to bring in a bountiful harvest. You need a lot of quality leads to increase your clientele.
If your ads or mailings aren’t resulting in a steady stream of inquiries, find out what’s not working and change it. By changing a couple of sentences of your marketing copy or your offer, for example, you can increase response rates by a factor of ten or more.
Could you collect more leads with the right marketing strategy and marketing copy?
2. Learn How to Increase Your Lead Conversion Rate
A farmer who had spent his savings on seed wouldn’t plant his field, then go on vacation and come back months later expecting to find a healthy crop. While you may be the exception, this is the way most people market their businesses. According to The Yankee Group, between 40% to 80% of new business leads aren’t converted simply due to lack of follow-up.
Many businesses spend money on getting attention and then don’t follow up on a prospect’s interest by giving them the information or contact opportunity they want. What you tell a prospect and how promptly you respond when they show an interest determines whether they continue to stay in touch.
Of the people who see your ads, what percentage respond?
Of the people who visit your web site, what percentage contact you?
Of the people who contact you, what percentage become clients and customers?
Could you increase your lead conversion rates by improving your Internet, phone and mail follow-up?
3. Learn to Use Systems that Generate Leads, Nurture Them and Increase Conversion Rates
Today’s farmers are as technologically and information savvy as any of us. Farmers use GPS in their tractors to plant their crops, the web to connect to weather forecasting and crop price information web sites to track their markets.
Using high tech information and machines to get the work done, today’s farmer has a system for buying seed and supplies, planting, maintaining and harvesting his or her crops. They make good use of systems and machines to increase their chances of bringing in a bountiful harvest.
In the case of the corporation mentioned above, a simple change to their web site increased their lead conversion from 1 or 2 a week to 80 a week.
Could your lead conversion rates increase with a better system for capturing and following up on leads?
If you’re like me, you get hungry often. Whether you’re taking photographs or growing lettuce, you want to generate more leads and grow your business. To fill your larder and bring in a steadily increasing number of clients, think like a farmer. Use your marketing strategy and lead generation system to bring in many more prospects and increase your conversion rates. When you do you’ll find yourself with a bountiful crop of new clients.
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2005 © In Mind Communications, LLC. All rights reserved.
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The author, Charlie Cook, helps service professionals, small business owners and marketing professionals attract more clients and be more successful. Sign up to receive the F.ree Marketing Strategy eBook, ‘7 Steps to get more clients and grow your business’ at http://www.marketingforsuccess.com
It Is A Man Vs. Machine Kind of Poker World
A team of researchers at the University of Alberta developed Polaris, a computer program that plays poker against humans. Previously developers have perfected the chess and checker playing machines, but poker seems to be a bit more complicated. The artificial Intelligence team designed various strategies and introduced the art of bluffing, difficult behavior for machines to achieve, to the program.
During the first Man vs. Machine Poker championship two well-known poker players teamed up against Polaris. Although in the end they won, both agree that the program is by far more challenging than playing against another human.
In early July Las Vegas hosted another man vs. Polaris Texas Holdem tournament, in which the computer beat the professional players. This was mainly due to the changes that the developers had added to the program, and the eight billion games that Polaris played against itself. The innovative program is now able to recognize different playing styles of the opponents, and select its own style that counteracts their play.
It seems that the developers have really perfected the program, and unlike humans who are bound to make mistakes, Polaris can do no wrong. Their next projects will include expanding Polaris’ poker abilities to playing with different or no betting limits and against multiple players at a time.
Now Lets See What a Sex Ring is Why Penis Rings are Outstanding
Tool rings are sensual aids and put to use to make the penis seem firmer and bigger. If men use a tool ring males will stay firmer for longer and help delay orgasm. Penis rings, like most martial toys, are incredible for the flat. Martial toys like tool rings work by restricting the blood flow in the male privates until the gentleman actually finishes love making. Check out Adult Sex Toys for the best night in.
Plentiful chicks revel in the look of a penis ring on their bloke and gentlemen delight in the sexy toy because it makes their tool seem larger. As a martial toy for boys it is one of the most popular. This sexual toy comes in different materials such as metal.
Gentlemen can wear a willy ring by making sure you are flaccid and then sliding the willy through as well as the nuts. Then you are ready. The sensual aid will make the gentlemen feel really hard and give your girlfriend an awesome smile. The beautiful thing about sexy toys is sex rings are here to give your love life an amazing lift. The super sexual life you experience will really spice up your love life with your partner. Lads can find penis rings in any major sexy toy shops. If chaps want to find out more about sexy toys you might search on the net.
Introduction WWW Sport Laying
Tie together two of men’s first interests and what you will find is a vogue that’s generally termed a web based sportsbook. Well: what could be more imaginative. Picture a set of devotees cheering on any preferred local sports heroes, and constantly lays are pinned down to complement the tumult. Keen to get a share of the anticipation, bystanders will typically try to envisage who will make it in the approaching meet. In the end, this all will develop into a nice and friendly meet named web based sportsbook. Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense to stand at stud for $75,000; Hard Spun for $50,000
Conceded that it might well seem neurotic, yet sportsbook wagering is essentially simply an amusement and to bond with friends. Here, you can wager a a petty sum of chicamin and still enjoy an extravagant time. Also, read on for a group of guidelines and details to get you started sportsbook wagering.
To wager, you should look up a web based sportsbook, i.e. a setup which offers web based sportsbook. In the U.S., we currently have no less than four states to do sportsbook wagering in a legit manner, but informally you can attempt it anywhere you like if you can determine a bookie AND happen to be legally of age. Included among the sports you have a choice of betting on are pro along with college class football & basketball, professional hockey, professional hockey, along with wagers on both dog and horse racing. You’ll be able to wager on the entire result of a competition, when any given contestant will be vanquished, and even whether a given tossed coin in a competition will land either heads or tails.
The sportsbook provider place their trust pure statistics be of assistance to you conclude which sports heroes you may judge will make it. Primarily, there’s likelihood, that’s specific points leverage allocated to the trailing side that is anticipated to be beaten by x number points. Of Course, this describes the odds maker’s official modality of enabling balanced antes for a Sports Book. For instance, you can bet on a team that is anticipated to be beaten and and still profit from that bet if the side goes under by x number of points.
We can find innumerable sorts of wagers: straight, parlay wagers, teaser stakes as well as, of course, over-unders, the straight bets being the most prevalent in sportsbook wagering. Why not just have a crack at it, and enjoy the recreation in the process. But take pains to ensure that you won’t get too enthusiastic and deplete your entire income on a caprice. For you’re likely to find yourself feeling sorry for yourself for the rest of your life.
Hockey and Its History
How long has hockey been around? It has been around in one form or another almost as long as history. In Ethiopia evidence has been found that dates back 4,000 years. In Greece a tablet that dates B.C. pictures young people playing field hockey. There are records and evidence of this ball and stick game in Rome, Ireland, Scotland, Egypt and South America as well. It was called by different names, but the idea is still the same. “Hockie” as it was called in Ireland centuries ago, is here to stay.
If you made a visit to England in the 17th or 18th century, you might see a slightly different and more chaotic version of hockey. Villages would play against each other-and it could actually be the whole village. Sixty to one hundred players on a hockey team were not uncommon. The teams would try to get the ball into the opposing team’s common ground. The hockey games often took several days to play and many players ended up with broken limbs and other injuries. They had umpires, but the umpires could not make any calls unless a player or team asked them to.
Finally, some common sense was used, and stricter rules began to be introduced. A headmaster in England limited his students to a mere 30 players on the field for each team at one time. In the 1860’s Eton College of England actually wrote down some rules. Then, in the 1875, the Hockey Association was formed and more rules were agreed on. The field at this time was 200 meters long and all of the players on each team ran around following the ball. Even more structure was added to hockey with the “pyramid” formation of 11 players: one goalie, 2 backs, 5 forwards, and 3 halves. The umpires were also given the authority to make calls without being asked to by the players.
The first year that this sport was played in the Olympics was 1908 when men were allowed to play. Women were not allowed to compete in the Olympics in this sport until 1980. Now every continent has teams and many countries send teams to compete not only in the Olympics, but in The World Cup and The Champion’s Trophy as well.
There are still many variations of this sport which can appeal to all ages, abilities and situations. So, if you are interested, look for a league and get into it.
Eriani Doyel writes articles about Recreation and Sports. For more information about hockey visit flyhockey.com
Discover Mijares Mexican Restaurant In Pasadena California
Mijares Mexican Restaurant in Pasadena, California is extremely well known for two things, their margaritas and their all you can eat Sunday champaign buffet brunch, both of which are excellent. This restaurant has been around for what seems like forever and has developed a crowd of very loyal patrons.
Although it is justly well known for it’s Sunday buffet, this is a good place to dine in at any time. Their food is always fresh and well prepared and their service is usually above average. The atmosphere is casual, relaxed and friendly and their prices are very reasonable.
Every once in a while someone will tell me that the food here is not authentic Mexican cuisine (most of these people, by the way, are not Mexican or Hispanic and have never been to Mexico). When I ask them why they feel that the food is not authentic, they say that the food is not spicy or hot enough. They say that Mexican food is very hot because of all the chili that is added during cooking. Well, I have news for those people, not all Mexicans like their food extra spicy and many that do enjoy it hot like to add their chili while they are eating. Every Mexican that I know who has eaten here likes the way the food is prepared and likes the chilis and salses that are served with the food. My son, who is one half Mexican, likes his food hot, the hotter the better, yet this is one of his favorite Mexican restaurants. He says that neither the food nor the salsas can compare with those prepared by his mother or grandmother but they are better those served in most Mexican restaurants that he has been to.
I have been a fan of Mexican cuisine since I met my wife in 1966. I do not like hot or very spicey food but I do like well prepared food with good flavor. I do not think that anyone can cook better than my wife, however we both like to go out to eat and we both enjoy good Mexican restaurants. While there are some Mexican restaurants that I prefer over Mijares, none of them are in Pasadena.
The Sunday brunch at Mijares is very good and at $16.95 per person is very cheap. Some people I know drink that much in free champaign and mimosas. If you are not that much into Mexican food the buffet also has eggs, hash browns, bacon, ham and delicious ribs. Their omelet chef makes excellent omelets and definitely doesn’t stint on the ingredients. If you are into Mexican food they serve menudo, fajitas, various types of tacos, enchiladas, carnitas, rice, beans and more. They have a nice variety of desserts including flan and plenty of fruit.
Mijares has a fairly small but well stocked bar. It seems, however that almost everyone goes there for the margaritas which are inexpensive, generously proportioned and made with good quality tequila. The bartenders are friendly and the patrons at the bar always seem to be part of one big party.
Mijares Mexican Restaurant is a family owned restaurant and is located in it’s own hacienda style building at 145 Palmetto Drive, Pasadena, California. It has plenty of free and valet parking except on Friday and Saturday nights when it seems as if almost everybody in the San Gabriel Valley is there partying, eating, drinking margaritas and listening to mariachi music.
Reservations are not required but they are a good idea. The telephone number for Mijares is 626-792-2763.
For a directory of restaurants and restaurant reviews in the city of Pasadena, California see http://pasadena.usacitydirectories.com/restaurants.html, a directory listing Pasadena restaurants alphabetically and by category or type with reviews written by restaurant customers.
David G. Hallstrom, Sr. is a retired private investigator and is currently the publisher of several internet directories, including www.usacitydirectories.com a directory of national, state, county and city guides and directories listing local guides, directories, web sites and web pages providing resources, services and information about things to do and places to go.
Southpaw Throwing
Southpaw throwing baseball players are a prize in that there are a real scarcity of these lefthanders. Major league teams are constantly scouring the countryside looking for exceptional left handed throwers. First priority is to have good left handed pitchers on the team.
Check the roster of your favorite major league team and tell me how many southpaw pitchers are on the team. The professional roster will normally reflect only two or maybe three lefties on an eight man pitching rotation roster. Well ! you might say the team owners and managers had rather have a top heavy roster with right handed pitchers. I contend the shortage is simply a shortfall in jam up good southpaw pitchers.
How can it be? A kid who picks up his pencil with his left hand and attempts to demonstrate his writing gets the attention of his elders. Invariably, at least, to often the youngsters pencil is placed into his right hand as if it was a mistake for him to use that left hand. Now if this act is repeated enough times there will always be a shortfall in great left handed dexterity simply by the numbers. That is of course assuming the use of the right hand becomes the use by fiat and not by choice.
Enough of what might be here is the reality of it.
How many left handed third baseman have you seen playing baseball?
The natural throw of the ball around the infield from the third base position almost dictates a left handed third baseman to be a no no. The timely natural throw from third base to second base to initiate the double-play is extremely awkward. It can be done smoothly by the blind spin throw but the player would be an exception instead of the rule.
How many left handed first baseman have you seen playing baseball?
Without the use of actual numbers to back me up on this it is probably 90 percent of the first basemen throw left handed. The use of a left handed playing first baseman is the natural play motion involved in throwing to the other bases. The requirement for a left handed first baseman is based on the defensive fielding and play making. Now when there is a rock solid hard hitting right handed first baseman needed for his hitting abilities then bingo he is tagged to get the job done.
Could you right off the top of your head tell me the name of a southpaw thrower who just might be considered the most popular name to ever play the game? He was called the Sultan of Swat, The Great Bambino, and we all know him as The Babe. Yes indeed Babe Ruth.
Major Wiley B. Channell USMC (retired) is proud to bring baseball strategies, training and winning at http://www.baseballfarming.com for your enjoyment.