I see a lot of cover letters that tell me they don't know what to include in cover letters. You can do worse than remember Inigo Montoya.

Dear Editor:

My name is A. Uthor. (Choose one or more.) I'm a new writer/Clarion grad/the best-selling author of Trylogy. I saw that you're looking for stories about space dragons. I hope you like my story and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

I mean, you can see how it maps, right? Polite greeting, introduce yourself, provide relevant information or any type, manage expectations. That's all you need.

As merylisk and siderealsandman on tumblr pointed out, Luke Skywalker's message to Jabba the Hut in Return of the Jedi also works as a great example, especially if you want to include a little more nuance.

Anyway, cover letters don't have to cause you any anxiety or stress. And if you follow the examples you already know from popular movies, it's pretty hard to screw them up. Never let them get in the way of sending out your stories!

Let me also give credit to @allymcleangames for making the Inigo Montoya introduction slide. That is a brilliant observation and incredibly useful. Thanks, @allymcleangames.

You can find the original Inigo Montoya slide and other resources at @allymcleangames's mentorship program @Working1unch for women and non-binary people entering the games industry.