One thing that I had not known prior to reading this classes readings was that there is a difference between a query letter and a cover letter. I had previously thought that they were just different names for the same thing. However, upon reading, I realized that a cover letter was used to sell a person and their resume. A query letter is like a cover letter for a manuscript sent in to a literary agent in order to sell a story.
I had not ever felt the need to know how to write a query letter, as I had never aspired to have anything published by a publishing company. Yeah, I write stories, but since they are considered fanfiction, I have no shame in "publishing" a story on fanfiction.net, unlike SOME authors (*cough*E.L. James*cough*) who change the names of their fanfiction's title characters in order to get their story published. I am proud that I write something considered fanfiction, because it means that I valued another story to the point where I felt it was important enough to continue the story. Besides, the fanfiction I tend to write is based on out-of-copyright stories, meaning they are legally allowed to be published, if I felt so inclined. In fact, my favorite story (Phantom by Susan Kay) is a "fanfiction" of The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. So, some good things come of fanfictions.
Knowing how to write a successful query letter is always a bonus, because I may not use it now, but I may use it in the future. A cover letter is useful at any point in time, so that is also a good skill to have. Either way, having the ability to successfully sell yourself, your resume, or your story, may lead to better things and can lead to opportunities for jobs that we might not have ever known existed.
I had not ever felt the need to know how to write a query letter, as I had never aspired to have anything published by a publishing company. Yeah, I write stories, but since they are considered fanfiction, I have no shame in "publishing" a story on fanfiction.net, unlike SOME authors (*cough*E.L. James*cough*) who change the names of their fanfiction's title characters in order to get their story published. I am proud that I write something considered fanfiction, because it means that I valued another story to the point where I felt it was important enough to continue the story. Besides, the fanfiction I tend to write is based on out-of-copyright stories, meaning they are legally allowed to be published, if I felt so inclined. In fact, my favorite story (Phantom by Susan Kay) is a "fanfiction" of The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. So, some good things come of fanfictions.
Knowing how to write a successful query letter is always a bonus, because I may not use it now, but I may use it in the future. A cover letter is useful at any point in time, so that is also a good skill to have. Either way, having the ability to successfully sell yourself, your resume, or your story, may lead to better things and can lead to opportunities for jobs that we might not have ever known existed.
