One of our recent comments mentioned not knowing how to address an editor when you don’t know the name. In the past, the short answer would be “do your homework” but this advice, while short and snarky, is a bit behind the times.
I’m discovering more and more websites which simply ask freelancers to send queries and story ideas to a general e-mail address. In some cases this might be specifically aimed at weeding out people who haven’t done their homework, but in others it’s a legit time-saving measure aimed at letting multiple editors handle a busy inbox.
My take on this is simple. If you don’t know the editor’s name, simply omit the salutation and get right into the body of your letter. When I have to do this, I try to be extra polite at the END of the letter just to show that I do have SOME social skills. It’s also a good idea to drop a reference or two to the publication’s recent material just to give the editor a hint that you’re actually familiar with the publication and aren’t firing blindly into the Internet looking for work.
Another related question: Should you use the first name only in the salutation, or the last name with Ms. or Mr.? (Assuming you know the name, or course.)
I usually go with the first name.
Good question. I usually use Mr. or Ms. + the last name upon first contact. Then I let the editor dictate the level of formality upon the response. If they sign with their first name, then I use that from then on.
Catherine, that’s a good way to go about it. In my writing field, I’m usually dealing with editors who are younger than me and often have less education, so I tend to be informal so they know they can call me by my first name.
If I don’t know the editor–if I haven’t done any work with them previously–I try to keep it formal but not too formal. After I’ve had a successful exchange with the publication, it’s first names only for me 🙂
I never use a salutation unless I’ve got a name, though. Saves me the awkward intro.
Joe