From: mdhangton@gmail.com   
      
   Raymond Daley wrote:   
   >   
   > Word count. This is where electronic is your friend as most word processors   
   > have a word count.   
      
   MS Word takes the character count and divides it by 6 (which defines a   
   word as 5 characters).  The editors define a word as the average length   
   of a word per line, with is somewhat longer than 5 characters.  So the   
   word count that processors give you is not what you want.   
      
   > Round down to the nearest 10 words.   
      
   I have never heard "10 words" before.   
   What I have heard is "two significant figures," or rules like "to   
   nearest hundred words under 5000words," or "to nearest 500 words at   
   novelette length."   
      
   > Never give an exact   
   > word count, always say 'about X words'.   
   >   
   I leave off "about."   
      
   > Bio/cover letter. I generally find it's best to say where your work has   
   > previously appeared.   
      
   If you haven't been published in a prozine, then don't list anything.   
      
   Don't write a bio or pitchline for the story unless submission   
   guidelines ask for it.   
      
   Try to find the editor's name and begin it with "Dear Mr. Smith,"   
   If you can't, or the magazine seems to be run by a panel of Feminists,   
   write "Dear Editorial Staff,"   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)