In a query to agents, is it best to generically say 'dear agent' or personally address the letter 'dear Mr./Ms. so and so?'
Dear who??
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For me it was always Dear Mr./Ms.--it shows you cared enough and did at least enough research to know who you're querying.
I agree with mscelina. Take the time to do the research to know who you are querying.
And welcome!!
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Never, ever say Dear Agent. They'll see it as a mass query and may just trash it.
Good luck with querying agents! It may seem overwhelming when you start, but if you stick around AW and do your research, it'll get easier.
Good luck with querying agents! It may seem overwhelming when you start, but if you stick around AW and do your research, it'll get easier.
I believe the proper, business term is: Yo!
Don't worry, you'll soon have more conflicting replies on what's right or wrong than you would if you'd asked the propper grammar usage of Guns.
ETA: I'd love to see a room devoted to just that, called Guns 'n Grammar. More conflicting views than the Gaza strip. Able to put a hole through your Strunk and Wagnel from fifty paces!
That's it - I've snapped. I'm going to go lie down now, before I'm censored.
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Yo? Wassup? Hmmm... No wonder I didn't get an agent right away.
Opinions, so like belly buttons. Everyone's got one, but not everyone should show theirs.
Opinions, so like belly buttons. Everyone's got one, but not everyone should show theirs.
If you don't use Dear what should you use to open the letter?
"Yo homez!" works well for me.
LOL...I popped over to agentquery.com, since I remembered them having a great page on query writing, and this is listed under the 'how to address' section:
Do address your query specifically to an agent. There are lots of greetings from which to choose. Here are your options in order of best to worst:
Attn. Ms. Shermanstein:
Dear Adrian Shermanstein:
Dear Ms. Shermanstein:
Dear Ms. Shermanstein,
Dear Adrian,
Yo Adrian,
(bolding mine)
Do address your query specifically to an agent. There are lots of greetings from which to choose. Here are your options in order of best to worst:
Attn. Ms. Shermanstein:
Dear Adrian Shermanstein:
Dear Ms. Shermanstein:
Dear Ms. Shermanstein,
Dear Adrian,
Yo Adrian,
(bolding mine)
But seriously, what is the correct business linke opening if Dear is too informal?
Seriously. I used "Dear" and got plenty of nice responses.
Congrats on querying. It takes guts and nerves of steel.
Dear Mr./Ms. Lastname:
or
Dear Firstname Lastname:
if you can't tell the gender with 100% certainty from the first name.
I admit sometimes I forget the : and use a , but technically it's a business letter...
Use the same formality in an e-mail as you would in a snail-letter. Wait until you've established a rapport to break out the :-> faces.
or
Dear Firstname Lastname:
if you can't tell the gender with 100% certainty from the first name.
I admit sometimes I forget the : and use a , but technically it's a business letter...
Use the same formality in an e-mail as you would in a snail-letter. Wait until you've established a rapport to break out the
:-> faces.
But seriously, what is the correct business linke opening if Dear is too informal?
I always use "Dear" to agents and publishers. It's just another way of being polite, like holding a door.
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On my business correspondence I usually just go with:
First Last:
No opener, just the name.
Once I have communicated with that person frequently I drop down to just
First,
Unless they make me angry or are engaging me in an argument, then I carefully ratchet things back to the land of frosty formality, beginning with
First:
then
First Last: if things still require efficient resolution.
--fje
First Last:
No opener, just the name.
Once I have communicated with that person frequently I drop down to just
First,
Unless they make me angry or are engaging me in an argument, then I carefully ratchet things back to the land of frosty formality, beginning with
First:
then
First Last: if things still require efficient resolution.
--fje
"Dear Ms./Mr.*** :"
And if you don't know if the person is male or female (as in the name Robin or Shawn or Chris or Pat), say "Dear (first and last name):"
And if you don't know if the person is male or female (as in the name Robin or Shawn or Chris or Pat), say "Dear (first and last name):"
I did my first round of queries with Attn Mr/Ms. xxx, and my second with Dear Mr/Ms. xxx. As far as I could tell, it made no difference.
But ditto what everyone else said. No "dear agent"s.
But ditto what everyone else said. No "dear agent"s.
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