submissions -email/post

Misty_Blue · Dec 23, 2006

I know that some of you out there have handled loads of agents/publishers when sending out your queries, and that some send out multiple queries at the same time. But do you find that they mostly prefer them by post or email? I know it can vary from company to company, however I wondered if anyone has stumbled upon a preference from these guys.

Of course email is always easiest, but I always found that emails are more likely to get left unread or never replied to.

Monet · Dec 23, 2006

I prefer snail mail. I get more response to my snail mail.

Elektra · Dec 23, 2006

I'm compiling a list of agents right now, actually. E-mail preferers are ahead by a long shot.

johnnysannie · Dec 23, 2006

Read each agency's submisison guidelines; most are very specific and indicate preferences.

bsolah · Dec 23, 2006

Yeah, I've found that specific agents give a preference. If they don't, I'd email.

kristie911 · Dec 23, 2006

I prefer snail mail. It just seems so much more professional and I get a much better rate of return. However, if an agent only accepts e-mail queries then, of course, I e-mail.

Good luck!

PeeDee · Dec 23, 2006

I prefer e-mail which I can do in the next window while writing or talking here. Snail mail means I have to get up, find the envelopes, find the stamps, find a good copy of my manuscript with a minimum of tea on it, etc.

scarletpeaches · Dec 23, 2006

There's a limited choice of agents where I am. Looking through the W&A Yearbook, I can see there are approximately 90-100 who take the kind of stuff I write and many, in fact most, don't take email submissions. Others don't specify but I'd still use snail-mail, just to be on the safe side. I always include an SAE of course.

90-100 might seem like a huge number but in other, bigger countries, we're talking squillions, so I only feel ickle in comparison.

Carmy · Dec 23, 2006

I email whenever possible. My target audience is UK and US rather than Canada and it isn't always easy to get stamps for snail mail. I refuse to use IRCs.

UrsusMinor · Dec 23, 2006

I always snail mailed unless the agent specified they preferred e-mails. I think e-mails are easier to skim and ignore.

bsolah · Dec 23, 2006

Carmy said:
...and it isn't always easy to get stamps for snail mail. I refuse to use IRCs.

I started a thread about this over in 'Short Fiction.' I live in Australia and can't hold of USPS stamps without a credit card.

Also, what are IRCs?

scarletpeaches · Dec 23, 2006

International reply coupons...I've heard tell of such items, but never had cause to use one, or even seen one.

bsolah · Dec 23, 2006

Ah k, so I'll avoid them as Cemetery Dance specifies no IRCs.

janetbellinger · Dec 23, 2006

You need IRCs if you want to include postage for a reply from another country. I have to include them when submitting snail mail to U.S. editors and agents and half the time I have to explain to the post office what they are as most of the clerks don't know. The Canadian IRCs are all in French, there are no English versions, which can be problematical for the recipient. They are also about $5.00 just for return postage. In short, they're a pain. I don't mind getting them, if there's some interest in my novel, but for an unsolicited query, it's pretty wasteful. I prefer now to query by email. If I get a request for a partial or complete, of course I'll gladly buy the IRCs.

scarletpeaches said:
International reply coupons...I've heard tell of such items, but never had cause to use one, or even seen one.

Shadow_Ferret · Dec 23, 2006

I have never emailed and never plan to. With post and a SASE you get a response. I've heard too many agents only respond to email queries if it's a yes. Otherwise you get no response. I find that rude.

janetbellinger · Dec 23, 2006

I don't think it's rude. If they don't reply, I know they're not interested, so I don't waste money and time submitting by snail. If they're interested, I know they'll contact me. Everybody has their own preferences though. As my day always said, and I've quoted him before "If everybody was the same, we'd all eat beans." (He loved beans.)

Shadow_Ferret said:
I have never emailed and never plan to. With post and a SASE you get a response. I've heard too many agents only respond to email queries if it's a yes. Otherwise you get no response. I find that rude.

bsolah · Dec 23, 2006

janetbellinger said:
You need IRCs if you want to include postage for a reply from another country.

But a lot of markets specify no IRCs and you should use US international postage purchased from USPS.com

scarletpeaches · Dec 23, 2006

Only possible if you have plastic, though, which I don't.

But then, I don't submit to the US anyway, so it doesn't matter. Others would be annoyed, though, at the increasing pressure from some companies to use credit cards.

No, really...I can't get a contract mobile 'cause I don't have one. I have to have pay-as-you-go.

janetbellinger · Dec 23, 2006

I'd purchase it from USPS if I got a request for a partial or complete. I am not about to do that just to shoot off material they might not even be interested in.

]But a lot of markets specify no IRCs and you should use US international postage purchased from USPS.com[/quote]

bsolah · Dec 23, 2006

scarletpeaches said:
But then, I don't submit to the US anyway, so it doesn't matter. Others would be annoyed, though, at the increasing pressure from some companies to use credit cards.

Yes, I'm very annoyed. Hence my (unanswered) thread in Short Fiction. I'm on a trainee wage, so a CC would be very bad for me.

submissions -email/post

Misty_Blue

Monet

Elektra

Don't Call Me Sweetheart

johnnysannie

bsolah

AW's Resident Commie

kristie911

Happy to be here

PeeDee

Where's my tea, please...?

scarletpeaches

Carmy

UrsusMinor

bsolah

AW's Resident Commie

scarletpeaches

bsolah

AW's Resident Commie

janetbellinger

Shadow_Ferret

Court Jester

janetbellinger

bsolah

AW's Resident Commie

scarletpeaches

janetbellinger

bsolah

AW's Resident Commie