Does it really matter what time you send a query? Does it matter if you are up all night emailing agents or does that look bad? Do they even notice what time the email query was sent? I just can't sleep so I thought it couldn't hurt to send one out, but maybe I should wait for morning.
Is it bad to query at midnight?
- Thread starter gettingby
- Start date
I think it doesn't matter. I live in Hawaii, so 6 PM for me is already midnight for New York. Sometimes I send queries out 9 PM my time. I would say, just go for it.
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2006
- Messages
- 4,527
- Reaction score
- 1,182
- Location
- Ottawa, Canada and Spring City, PA
- Website
- janetursel.com
Half the time the agents are up at that hour reading queries anyway. I sincerely doubt they ever check or ever care what time queries are sent.
Nope. Doesn't matter. If you're not bleary-eyed, the query looks great and is polished to perfection, go for it.
This is important. I once sent a query when I was starting to get sleepy and I messed it all up, so don't make that mistake!
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2006
- Messages
- 1,996
- Reaction score
- 348
- Location
- Hawaii
- Website
- patriciawoodauthor.com
There are other more important things to worry about besides the time of day or night to send an equery. IMHO
Then why are you posting, Orion? I'm sure you must have more important things to do than tell me my question is stupid.
Thanks to everyone else. I wasn't sure if it would look bad so I have not been sending anything out late night.
Thanks to everyone else. I wasn't sure if it would look bad so I have not been sending anything out late night.
Definitely.
I posted an e-mail query once around 8 PM, and when I checked the reply, it was around 10 AM the next day.
If you want it quick, then send it to an agent around the time they're buisness hours are there.
If you can wait, send it anytime.
I posted an e-mail query once around 8 PM, and when I checked the reply, it was around 10 AM the next day.
If you want it quick, then send it to an agent around the time they're buisness hours are there.
If you can wait, send it anytime.
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2006
- Messages
- 8,745
- Reaction score
- 3,097
- Location
- Toronto, Canada
- Website
- www.adriennekress.com
gettingby - I don't think Orion meant to tell you your question was stupid. I took it to be more of a reassurance that the time of a query sent out is one of the few things we authors DON'T need to worry about. Considering all the stuff we DO have to worry about, it's kind of nice to know this isn't one of them. Seriously, I think you read a bit much into her post.
Hey toothpaste - You are probably right. My bad. I just honestly didn't know if an agent would think some writer up at 1 am should not be taken seriously or something like that. I know there are more important questions and topics related to querying, but this was just something I was wondering about. Thanks for you help.
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2006
- Messages
- 8,745
- Reaction score
- 3,097
- Location
- Toronto, Canada
- Website
- www.adriennekress.com
Look I totally get it, I mean with all the agent blogs out there, each one telling us something different about queries etc . . . it's pretty crazy inducing. And it was a totally valid question, and so something I probably would have thought about too. In a way snail mail was so much nicer. There was an understanding that it would take a bit of time to hear back, as opposed to the instant need for gratification with an email. Yes there was date stamping, but no time stamping. And you didn't need to worry about "do I cut and paste the MS into the email, or send it as an attachment . . .?".
Things don't get easier. They just get complicated in new and exciting ways!
Things don't get easier. They just get complicated in new and exciting ways!
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2006
- Messages
- 1,996
- Reaction score
- 348
- Location
- Hawaii
- Website
- patriciawoodauthor.com
I wasn't being mean- I am not that way- like toothpaste says - I truly feel that you do not have to worry about the time of day or night you query- That is MY answer to your question.
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2006
- Messages
- 1,996
- Reaction score
- 348
- Location
- Hawaii
- Website
- patriciawoodauthor.com
Besides as Maui says- agents get queries from all over and time differences make arrival times moot.
Yup, as the old adage goes: one person's noon is another's midnight. Or was it, "it's always noon somewhere"?
And as you can see from the time stamp on this post (coming from Western Europe), if the stamp *is* important then I'm in real deep doo-doo.
And as you can see from the time stamp on this post (coming from Western Europe), if the stamp *is* important then I'm in real deep doo-doo.
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2005
- Messages
- 6,704
- Reaction score
- 1,318
- Location
- Far from the madding crowd
- Website
- www.victoriastrauss.com
I think what Orion is saying (and I agree) is "Don't sweat the small stuff." Hunting for agents and/or publishers is frustrating enough without spiraling down into the minutiae of it all. Sometimes it's a good idea to take a step back, look at the questions that are buzzing round inside your head, and say "Wait a sec. Is that really important?"
Agents and editors are human beings, not computers narrowly programmed to trash your submission if you're a micron off the straight and narrow. You need to have the basics down, and make every effort to follow guidelines--but within those parameters, there's quite a bit of wiggle room. Always assuming, of course, that you have a marketable manuscript. If you don't, all the rule-following in the world is not going to make a difference.
- Victoria
Agents and editors are human beings, not computers narrowly programmed to trash your submission if you're a micron off the straight and narrow. You need to have the basics down, and make every effort to follow guidelines--but within those parameters, there's quite a bit of wiggle room. Always assuming, of course, that you have a marketable manuscript. If you don't, all the rule-following in the world is not going to make a difference.
- Victoria
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2008
- Messages
- 13,979
- Reaction score
- 1,533
- Location
- Wisconsin's (sore) thumb
- Website
- www.firefromthesky.org
I also doubt if the agent is checking your time zone against the time sent/received, if the time is noticed at all.
So...the Wicked Agent looks at the query, takes an instant dislike to you based on your address (it starts with the wrong letter and/or he/she hates someone else from the same domain) and then starts looking for more excuses to reject you based on your location and lousy sleep habits.
So...the Wicked Agent looks at the query, takes an instant dislike to you based on your address (it starts with the wrong letter and/or he/she hates someone else from the same domain) and then starts looking for more excuses to reject you based on your location and lousy sleep habits.