email malfunction has put me in an awkward agent position

E-mail him simply to explain the malfunction, and because of that, wish to confirm that it was received. That would be reasonable, and no sane agent would consider it otherwise. Chances are that it was received, but in the odd possibility that it was not, he might want you to re-send. Do not give any indication that you are impatient for a response on the manuscript, or it will look desperate and amateurish. A fortnight (two weeks for us benighted colonials) is not much time.

caw

Sage said:

Alternatively, you could wait until the 3-month nudge time and if he hasn't responded before then, give him a status query, including the date you tried to send. This is pretty standard, and it wouldn't require any explanation or risk looking impatient.

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well i think the issue is the uncertainty that he didnt receive it, and the idea he might deem his request for material was ignored.

I'd side with the bird on this one.

I've had a few agents who told me they never received my submissions in the last couple of years. I suspect my author email account has problems. When I resent using my 'real name' email account, they were received.

I don't think the agent will deem it desperate if you simply ask for confirmation of receipt.

If you mentioned the email malfunction, I'm sure they won't consider you desperate. Go for it.

Sage said:

But obviously the three-month status query would show him that his request wasn't ignored.

Assuming, the e-mail even had a problem.

(After all, if there was only one person who didn't receive an e-mail from her, it's just as likely that the other person's e-mail was having the problems, not the OP's, right?)

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yes but fingernails only have a two week shelf life. Tops.

LadyA said:

Thanks everyone. So if i did send him an email to explain the email malfunction, and ask if he'd recieved it, how do i word it without sounding amateurish and desperate?

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Dear XXX:

I have discovered, through communications with others, that my e-mails of recent weeks often have not been received. Please let me know if the material you requested did arrive. If it has not, I will re-submit. Thank you.

caw

(well, don't include the caw part).

caw

I just want to add here, I work in Advertising and Marketing and I get a lot of work emails all day on things ranging from resumes coming in, jobs coming in, requests for pricing, invoices, copywriting samples, and so on. Every now and then I get one and don't get to it and then like a day later it comes through again.I totally recognize that I got it already and just delete the first one and go with the second, assuming that the person thought maybe I didn't get it.

I think my point is , that never once have I gotten annoyed! I sit here and think the exact same way you do LadyA , and how so many of us do! "What if I aggravate the agent?!!?!?!?!!?" Then I realize wait a second....I have a really important job too, and I am assuming that the people emailing me are normal, intelligent and honest and completely understand when there's a glitch in the system. I get a lot of "sent from my blackberry, making sure you got it" or "iphone is whack, making sure this went through" or "sorry for the dupe, got a weird error message first time around". It's almost like the way we used to get bad connections on our phones and have to dial again.

Just popping in with that support. For all of us. We need to stop worrying ...and for me stop procrastinating with my damn advice and start writing!!!!!!!!!! Signing off!