Dear Ed,
For the cover letter, is there a limit to how creative I can get? Would it be appropriate to paste my cover letter on a collage that I made?
And also, what exactly are the responsibilities of the features department of a magazine?
-Julie, Plymouth, MN
Hi Julie,
The best cover letters Ed’s read show that the applicants have a demonstrated interest in magazines, know and enjoy the particular magazines to which they’re applying, have great writing/editing experience, and can point out how their past experiences can benefit the magazines to which they’re applying.
Sure, a collage can get you noticed, but if you’re not able to show the aforementioned things, you won’t get an interview anyway. It’s best to show your creativity through your writing (unless you’re applying for art department internships).
The features department generally is responsible for coming up with ideas for the well of the magazine, the section in the middle of the magazine made up of long-form articles and essays, finding writers to write these stories, editing these stories, and finding ways to package these stories (coming up with sidebars, quizzes, polls, and art ideas). The features department may also be responsible for the other stories in the magazine, like the front-of-book and back-of-book articles, which tend to be shorter items in specific departments.
Love,
Ed
