(Rant Hat on and buzzing.)
Today, agent Nephele Tempest blogs about following directions on Romancing the Blog. Yesterday, she answered similar questions on the Knight Agency Blog.
And then, the synchronicity of the following quote from a recent Publisher’s Weekly column from a concerned writer:
“For many of us who spend hundreds of dollars on… mailings to agents who most of the time do not even have the courtesy to reply…”
Really? When I queried agents in the fall of 2004, I heard from every single one. Most of them were form rejections, to be sure, but I received a response to every single query that I sent out.
So I am a little skeptical about all the times I see statements on blogs to this effect. “Most agents don’t respond…” I hear it all the time. Either I was extremely and incredibly lucky, and picked the most courteous agents in the business, or it was something else that meant that I got a response (megative though it may be) and all of these blog posters did not.
Could it be that I followed directions? That I sent exactly what the agent asked to be sent, and therefore merited a read in the first place? (Nephele admits to not reading queries that do not conform with her agency’s electronic submission guidelines.) Could it be that I only sent queries to agents who stated they were taking new clients? Could it be that when I sent out the packages, if I was including three chapters off the bat or anything else more than a query letter, I said something to the effect of “as per the guidelines listed for your agency on your website/the RWA website/Jeff Herman’s Guide/whatever, I’ve enclosed…” so that, should it NOT be what the agent wanted , they at least knew that I wasn’t pulling it out of my butt (and they could go correct the info if wrong).
I see blog posters saying that agents should “streamline what they want” because it’s too hard to keep track of what agent wants sample pages and what agent wants a synopsis and blah blah blah. It’s hard? Really? Maybe it’s my background in waitressing, because I think that’s no harder than keeping a list of who is drinking the rum and diet and who wants ginger ale.
I still have my list. It took less than an hour to make a list of twenty agents, their submission guidelines and what they were looking for. It’s not hard at all. It took slightly longer to research each agent and see what kind of things they were selling and to whom. It’s no more difficult to find out what the agent wants sent than to jot down the address to which they want it sent.
Could it be that I didn’t call them, that I didn’t hassle them, and that I didn’t expect them to make an exception for my query, because it was “too hard” to keep all those different agents straight?
Yes, I know that there are some agents who fully admit that they only respond if they are interested. Usually, they admit these things on their submission guidelines. If you want a response, even if it’s negative, then don’t query these people. There are plenty of agents to query if you do want a response. I personally got responses from 22 of them.
September 30th, 2006 at 6:13 am
As another former waitress, I really loved this line,
“Maybe it’s my background in waitressing, because I think that’s no harder than keeping a list of who is drinking the rum and diet and who wants ginger ale.”
September 30th, 2006 at 12:32 pm
*smooch!* It’s lovely to receive vindication from the other side of the desk, so to speak.
September 30th, 2006 at 12:43 pm
Vindication that shouldn’t even be necessary. People who can’t follow simple instructions are going to be in trouble when they see how complicated this business really is.
September 30th, 2006 at 1:25 pm
I queried a total of 20 agents. They were all currently (and officially) accepting queries and represented what I was pitching. Some were looking for it specifically. And I was very careful to follow the posted instructions to the letter.
Still, there were (I think) 5 agents I just never heard back from. I’ve sense heard that one of them was leaving her agency at the time (though I didn’t know it then) and stopped answering queries at the old agency.
But the others are complete mysteries.
When I signed with Miriam, I wrote to tell the other agents considering partials and fulls that I’d accepted representation, but I didn’t write to those who had never responded to the initial queries, so that couldn’t be why I didn’t hear from them.
That means that I never heard back from, what, a fifth of those I queried?
Still, I agree that if you follow the instructions and are professional in your approach, you’ll get a response more often than not.
September 30th, 2006 at 2:14 pm
Hmmm… how much of the non-response do you think is a function of a simple failoure to respond, and how much do you htink is a function of not having receieved your query? You previously stated that you only sent e-queries. I think they are more subject to going astray than mail. I regularly accidentally delete emails, find htings months later buried in spam folders, or just plain don’t ever get them. One friend of mine is NEVER able to get through to me when composing email (though any replies to emails I send her get through just fine). I myself only sent 2 equeries, both of which received responses.
September 30th, 2006 at 4:52 pm
I find this discussion so interesting – even Miss Snark had someone recently question whether they should follow the clear guidelines on the eHarelquin website or do what their Harlequin pubbed friends suggested and send more. Furthermore, I just listened to a tape from RWA where two very highly respected authors suggested ignoring guidelines and sending in the first few pages of a chapter (and they’re reasoning was convincing, though I’d never ignore guidelines). I can understand why someone submitting might be tempted to do the wrong thing.
Good tip, Diana, on mentioning where you got the submission guidelines from in your letter.
September 30th, 2006 at 5:00 pm
Carrie, did you see my response on Miss Snark’s blog?
I just don’t see what the PROBLEM is with following the directions. When I was submitting to harlequin, I did exactly what they asked, and I got responses in exactly the time they said I would. If you send them a query, if they request the partial it means you get to put requested on the cover and they look at it. If you send a partial when tey say you shouldn’t (and if you look at the HQ website, you’ll note that now, MOST lines say send a partial straightaway) then it’s going to go into slush and no one will be waiting for it.
September 30th, 2006 at 5:06 pm
I think all this “disregard guidelines” crap is people being a) lazy, or b) looking for a secret trick. The people who got great responses by flouting the rules would have had the EXACT same response had they sent a query. How do I know this?
Because I got a great response and I followed the directions. It’s the PROJECT, not the method you use to get it in front of someone.
September 30th, 2006 at 7:06 pm
There also seems to be a huge number of authors sending group mail to agents. I know most agents will ignore a query addressed to a hundred agents at once.
I have a feeling some of the non-response, too, is from stuff sent to agents who are less than legitimate, but that’s pure speculation on my part.
In 13 years, I’ve never had a submission to an agent go unresponded to.
September 30th, 2006 at 7:10 pm
Okay, I’m obviously not in the business, but it boggles my mind why someone would disregard guidelines. My assumption, Diana, would be that they are indeed looking for a secret trick. At least, I would really hope that’s the case because I can’t think someone would be so lazy with something so personal as a manuscript they want published.
I do skim Miss Snark’s blog occasionally and a lot of it is over my head since I’m not in the business (or seeking to be). But quite a bit of it just seems like plain common sense.
I suppose my analogy would be getting permits for new construction. My company builds in several counties and states. Some counties have individual city permits that are required. Each place I submit a permit application to requires something different. And it’s my job to know that County A wants 3 sets of blueprints and a survey certificate and City B wants 4 sets of plans and an electrician to sign off on it. If I don’t provide exactly what they want, I don’t get a permit. And that’s just the way it is; I don’t sit on my journal and whine about it.
September 30th, 2006 at 7:53 pm
Note that on Miss Snark’s page, the commenter’s “friends” were not PUBLISHED Harlequin authors. They were simply authors who had had their work requested.
I’m an advocate of following the rules. Do I know someone who broke the rules and published? Yes. But I think that’s an exception and not what happens to most people.
September 30th, 2006 at 8:04 pm
When I started querying agents with Rumble, I only missed hearing from one. Don’t know what happened there and really don’t care. 1 out of probably 20-25 was still a good number.
And since I’m an Excel geek, tracking submissions, the date, what they require, the response, etc was really easy. And if you’re not tracking this – you should. Especially if you plan to take tax deductions for your writing expenses prior to making a profit. This is a great way to prove intent.
Oh god, the accountant snuck out.
September 30th, 2006 at 9:47 pm
Julie – you’re totally right, I have such a terrible memory for details (which is why I double check sumbission guidelines before sending)… the woman submitting to Harlequin was getting different advice not from published friends but from folks who’d had requested fulls. Diana, I hadn’t read your response (I tend to avoid the responses on Miss Snark) but you’re also totally right.
I’m the type of person who would only send what was requested in guidelines, but that’s also because if I were in the agent’s shoes, I’d delete those who couldn’t follow the rules.
BUT, I can understand the people who feel pulled to do otherwise with so many people out there who say otherwise. I’m talking NYT bestsellers who are saying otherwise with convincing arguments (at the RWA conference, no less – when you know you’re talking to newbies). Part of it for me is that I feel like I have a strong query letter. But, if I felt like I couldn’t write a query letter to save my life but that the first few pages of my ms were very strong, I think I’d feel the pull of submitting a few sample pages as well. I feel lucky that I’m not in that position…
Ok, no more drinking on dates and blog commenting
October 1st, 2006 at 1:29 pm
I think I didn’t hear from a total of two agents I queried… But they were both agents whose guidelines said they only repsonded if they were interested in seeing more material.
I did, however, send 5 or so sample pages to a few “query only” agents. (Colour me rebel.) I got at least one request this way.
October 1st, 2006 at 1:37 pm
re Nathalie’s comment on people who send group queries to agents.
I cannot understand why any writer would think this is okay. Especially when we complain about getting form rejections. Why make it so obvious that you’re sending a form query?
I worked really hard to research each agent I sent to and to tailor my query to him/her. (And, in spite of what I said in my previous comment, if the agent had a rant on their website about not following rules, or if during my research I found out they were a real stickler for rules? I didn’t include any sneaky sample pages if they said query only…) On the other hand, I didn’t get too anal about the number of pages my synopsis was and other (I think small) details like that… If they said short, I wouldn’t send a 6 pager, but I had a short (2 page) and longer (about 6) for most of my ms’s and picked the one that fit best based on that agent’s guidelines. I didn’t rewrite for every submission.
October 2nd, 2006 at 2:30 pm
Diana:
I’m afraid I’m with Rachel. On the first round I queried 12 agents (I just consulted the spreadsheet; yes, I do keep track). I also was extremely careful to follow the instructions precisely, just as you and Rachel did. I did not hear at all from 4/12. Yes, one of those said she would only respond if interested, and 2 of the others requested email queries only, so it’s possible there was a foul-up? (there wasn’t on my other email queries, but…) I don’t know what happened to the 4th. I just assume after 4 months or so that I won’t be hearing from them.
Of course I just got a rejection in the mail for a children’s book I queried…a year and a half ago. {sigh}
Susan
October 2nd, 2006 at 3:19 pm
Guidelines are guidelines. Just like sending your resume (and maybe samples of your work) for a job. Why should this be any different.
Agreed. 100% Diana. Is it really that hard? No. And blatantly IGNORING guidelines? Well, isn’t a wonder your stuff isn’t getting read.