Another frequent mistake young writers make is in the area of what I like to call SASE etiquette. Many new writers scrawl their names and addresses on submission and return envelopes, frequently in thick black or red Sharpie marker, making the submission envelope look like something sent by a stalker or a terrorist group. Not a good impression.
Take my advice: invest in some return address labels and maybe even get some blank labels you can print off on a laser or inkjet printer. And as for the return address labels, if you have them professionally done, don’t get Dumbo or Marvel Comics or anything cutesy like that.
You wouldn’t show up to a job interview at Trump International wearing a clown suit, would you? How you present your submission to an editor it your equivalent of a business suit.
Most places don’t charge much for return address label printing, and the cost of blank labels you can print out yourself is even more economical. Use such tools for both the TO and FROM addresses, on both the outgoing and return envelopes. It’ll give you a much more professional appearance, and that is what you want.
