proper salutation in query

[frisco]

I've run into a bit of a problem. What is the best salutation when sending out queries to female agents? I'm not sure to go with Miss or Mrs. and there is no real way of knowing outside of asking the agent--which I don't think would be a good idea. I go to agent query and it says Mildred Stone (example) and I have no idea if it's Ms. Stone or Mrs. Stone.

[Dorian W. Gray]

Really?

[frisco]

uh. yeah. Really.

[suki]

I've run into a bit of a problem. What is the best salutation when sending out queries to female agents? I'm not sure to go with Miss or Mrs. and there is no real way of knowing outside of asking the agent--which I don't think would be a good idea. I go to agent query and it says Mildred Stone (example) and I have no idea if it's Ms. Stone or Mrs. Stone.

Ms. is what is the default in business communications. So unless the agent has specifically stated somewhere that she wishes to be called "Mrs." use "Ms." And frankly, I wouldn't look beyond her submission guidelines for preference. No agent in today's business world is likely to be put off by Ms. - on the contrary, I often hear professional women put off by others using Mrs. to refer to them in their professional capacities.

~suki

[Emily Winslow]

Ms. is what is the default in business communications.

I agree.

Frisco, I notice in your post you contrast "Miss and Mrs." and then "Ms. and Mrs.", as if Miss and Ms. were the same. That may be just a slip, but, in case you don't realize: Miss means (or used to mean) not married, Mrs. means married, and Ms. was invented for just the purpose you describe--as a general title for women, married or not.

[frisco]

I agree.

Frisco, I notice in your post you contrast "Miss and Mrs." and then "Ms. and Mrs.", as if Miss and Ms. were the same. That may be just a slip, but, in case you don't realize: Miss means (or used to mean) not married, Mrs. means married, and Ms. was invented for just the purpose you describe--as a general title for women, married or not.

Really? I did not know that. I always thought Ms. and Miss were the same. I have sent my queries with the Ms. salutation, so I guess I got lucky and picked the right one.

[alleycat]

Emily is right, frisco. And just for future reference, they are even pronounced differently (Ms. is pronounced miz).

Also, I believe in the UK the preferred form is Ms (no period).

[Emily Winslow]

Also, I believe in the UK the preferred form is Ms (no period).

Yup. Weirds me out. Dr, Mrs, Mr, Ms...all with no periods here (in the UK). The US way is so ingrained in me that it looks unfinished to me.

In the US, Dr., Mrs., Mr., Ms., all with periods. (When I was learning this in fourth grade, I zealously added a period to "Miss". I was horrified to get a red mark on that. While "Dr." is an abbreviation of "Doctor" and "Mr." is an abbreviation of "Mister", for example, "Miss" is the whole word, not an abbreviation, so gets no period in either country.)