In another thread, someone mentioned that gmail cuts off certain portions of their email, or puts in weird formatting, etc. I'm curious what other programs people use to send queries/partials/manuscripts.
What email do you use to query/submit?
- Thread starter kposa
- Start date
- Status
Yahoo has worked fine for me so far.
ETA: If you are thinking of setting one up specifically for your writing, I would avoid Hotmail because many corporate email servers (such as at publishing companies!) block it, and I would avoid gmail because of the problem noted and because it will not accept .zip files, which are handy for sending multiple files such as chapters.
ETA: If you are thinking of setting one up specifically for your writing, I would avoid Hotmail because many corporate email servers (such as at publishing companies!) block it, and I would avoid gmail because of the problem noted and because it will not accept .zip files, which are handy for sending multiple files such as chapters.
Last edited:
I use gmail, but I've never been asked to add more than 10 pages in the body of the letter. I was quite surprised that some agent (or was it a publisher) asked for 50 but not as an attachment. That's a lot.
Maryn, who has one serious-sounding email account
Maryn, who has one serious-sounding email account
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2009
- Messages
- 499
- Reaction score
- 24
- Location
- Heart-Shaped Box
- Website
- www.cameronchapman.com
I use the email associated with my website. The actual host is Media Temple, but it's through my domain name.
I use gmail which does accept zip files - not that I've ever sent a zippy with a sub.
Also, I've never pasted more than the query letter in the body of an email. For attachments, I use .rtf files.
Also, I've never pasted more than the query letter in the body of an email. For attachments, I use .rtf files.
... yahoo for queries and co. I use gmail for friends and have noticed that with some of the gmails I receive the text is mis-formatted, perhaps because the person who sent it was copying from a Word document and pasting into the gmail. I have to ask them.
Really? Any zip I've sent to a gmail account bounces with an "illegal file type" error.
And I'm batting 1000 with you today for some reason.
I use spam.com. [email protected]. For some reason, no one will respond to me. 
I use gmail. I like it.
I use gmail. I like it.
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2010
- Messages
- 1,728
- Reaction score
- 275
- Location
- CLE / Wonderland
- Website
- www.lydiasharp.blogspot.com
How do you think me and tt42 exchange all our...uh...'interesting' photos files?
But srsly. Me and Madam have emailed zip files back and forth a number of times. Maybe it's different because we both use gmail? I don't know. I can't remember if I've ever sent a zip file to a non-gmail account, but I must have done at some point...
Do you access through the web or through a desktop program (eg., Outlook)?
Really? I've been using Hotmail for a while now, but I haven't encountered any problems. Granted, I have only been associating with agents on the account, but they all seem to be getting to me just fine, and vice versa. Than again, the ones I've been counting off as no-replies could be doesn't-recieves. But I doubt that, since there wasn't a spike in no replies when I moved to hotmail from a different type of email account.
Gmail looks inside zip files and will reject them if they contain an 'illegal' file type. I came across this when I wanted to send an exe to a friend. It shouldn't reject a zip if it just contains text files or something.
(Not that it stopped me sending an exe... I renamed it to txt and got the friend to change it back before running it. Gmail only looks at the extension apparently.)
Than again, the ones I've been counting off as no-replies could be doesn't-recieves. But I doubt that, since there wasn't a spike in no replies when I moved to hotmail from a different type of email account.
I can't get hotmail messages at work, but then again the nature of my work mostly involves dealing with people from other corporate accounts. Since publishers deal more with individuals than maybe they don't block it. It seems to be working, so keep using it.
Thanks for explaining that! Makes perfect sense.
Hotmail's been great up to the ten pages that I sent out (never been asked for more that wasn't in an attachment).
Had a few really weird formatting things happen (that I didn't notice until after I sent the message) but I'm pretty sure that was as a result of copying form word. I've since been copying from word to a text document to remove the formatting, then from the text document to the web browser and never had an issue since.
Had a few really weird formatting things happen (that I didn't notice until after I sent the message) but I'm pretty sure that was as a result of copying form word. I've since been copying from word to a text document to remove the formatting, then from the text document to the web browser and never had an issue since.
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2008
- Messages
- 2,004
- Reaction score
- 244
- Location
- New Hampshire
- Website
- kaitlinward.blogspot.com
I use gmail.
The reason it might sometimes come out to the recipient with strange formatting is if you paste it directly from word. But you can either: paste it into notepad first and then paste it in (to remove formatting) or once you've pasted it in, there's a place at the top where you can hit 'plain text' and it removes all your formatting.
I've also sent zip files using gmail, and I've pasted up to 50 pages worth of material into the body of an email without problem.
Yahoo also works well, as others have said.
The reason it might sometimes come out to the recipient with strange formatting is if you paste it directly from word. But you can either: paste it into notepad first and then paste it in (to remove formatting) or once you've pasted it in, there's a place at the top where you can hit 'plain text' and it removes all your formatting.
I've also sent zip files using gmail, and I've pasted up to 50 pages worth of material into the body of an email without problem.
Yahoo also works well, as others have said.
I use gmail. It formats as you want it to, which is a big plus, but you do have to take the time to learn how to use it. And you can send zip files.
You can paste directly from Word just fine, but the Word file has to be rtf, and gmail has to be set to take the formatting.
But the smart thing to do is to use Gmail through MS Outlook, using Word as your e-mail editor. You never have to cut and paste, you can send fully formatted e-mails within teh body of an e-mail, you can attache any sort of file you like, etc. No one should ever have to cut and paste with today's software. That's outdated.
I avoid Yahoo and Hotmail because I've known too many agents and editors who would not open anything from them. Particularly Hotmail, but very often Yahoo, as well.
You can paste directly from Word just fine, but the Word file has to be rtf, and gmail has to be set to take the formatting.
But the smart thing to do is to use Gmail through MS Outlook, using Word as your e-mail editor. You never have to cut and paste, you can send fully formatted e-mails within teh body of an e-mail, you can attache any sort of file you like, etc. No one should ever have to cut and paste with today's software. That's outdated.
I avoid Yahoo and Hotmail because I've known too many agents and editors who would not open anything from them. Particularly Hotmail, but very often Yahoo, as well.
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2008
- Messages
- 4,010
- Reaction score
- 4,825
Great blog post from Agent Nathan Bransford on formatting e-queries today:
http://bit.ly/9tcXjk
~suki
http://bit.ly/9tcXjk
~suki
I use my ISP, Roadrunner, for mail, and Outlook to format the messages. I've never had a problem. I can send as plain text, Html, or RTF.
Thanks, guys, I now know that yahoo is best for submitting. I have Gmail and Hotmail accounts but I will use those for friends.
Me, I like gmail best, because of the conversation feature. I might have to set up a new account just for submitting, though.
- Joined
- Sep 16, 2009
- Messages
- 253
- Reaction score
- 11
- Location
- Toronto, Canada
- Website
- jinkang.livejournal.com
I use gmail, but with another account.
With gmail, you can forward one email to the other, and even send out an email as another.
So I usually log onto my personal gmail account, where I can see all the emails, then submit 'with' my non-personal email address.
The only tricky thing is that, when you send, you ought to make sure the 'From' field is not your 'personal' address.
With gmail, you can forward one email to the other, and even send out an email as another.
So I usually log onto my personal gmail account, where I can see all the emails, then submit 'with' my non-personal email address.
The only tricky thing is that, when you send, you ought to make sure the 'From' field is not your 'personal' address.
- Status