What do I do now?

Southern_girl29 · Sep 23, 2007

Last week, my computer crashed. Luckily, I had almost everything backed up, except for my file with all my literary agent information. I feel so stupid for not backing it up.

I had the file divided into e-mailed queries, snail mail queries, who I needed to send to, who I had sent it to, who had rejected it and who had asked for more. We thought we might be able to get it back, but I found out today that it's gone.

I can piece together the agents I've e-mailed, because my e-mail program saves all the sent items. It will take me a while, but I can do it. My problem is with the snail mail items. I've only sent out 11, and I've heard back from six. After I moved those six to the rejectioned list, I threw away the rejections. So, now, I have no way of knowing who I've queried and who I haven't.

What do I do? I don't want to requery someone I've already queried. I remember probably two names from the list. Should I just forget about snail mail queries for right now?

Siddow · Sep 23, 2007

From now on, email yourself a copy of the file every time you update, silly girl!

But you knew that, didn't you?

Andre_Laurent · Sep 23, 2007

Siddow said:
From now on, email yourself a copy of the file every time you update, silly girl!

But you knew that, didn't you?

I email my files to myself and use a flash drive. You can't cover your rearend enough.

Southern_girl29 · Sep 23, 2007

Yeah, I don't know why I didn't do it. I did it for my novel, for my short stories, for all of my non-fiction articles, but I didn't for the literary agents. I'm beating myself over the head for this one.

Andre_Laurent · Sep 23, 2007

I put everything relating to an ms in one directory. Everything. Research, outline, notes, the ms, my agent info. Then when you back up that one directory, you are good to go.

Southern_girl29 · Sep 23, 2007

Yeah, I also lost a bunch of research for the sequel to Psychic Straits, if I ever get the it published. I'm not as worried about that, though, because I have most of it in long-hand notes that I just transferred to the computer.

David I · Sep 23, 2007

Ouch! Though it sounds as if it could be worse.

I back everything up on memeory sticks and drop them into the glove box of my car. That way I don't lose everything when the house burns down.

Unless someone vindictive burns down my house and steals my car. So I also e-mail stuff to other people to keep for me.

Call me overcautious. Call me paranoid. Call me Ishmael. I've worked with computers since the early 1980s, and all it's done is expand my awareness of how they can go awry.

DamaNegra · Sep 23, 2007

The question was "what do I do now?", not "what should I have done to avoid this?"

Do you still have a list of agents you were planning to query? If you go through some of the names, some of them may still be familiar. Also, I'm assuming you wrote the queries in your computer and saved them. Were those backed up too? If so, you can get the names from those.

Southern_girl29 · Sep 23, 2007

DamaNegra said:
The question was "what do I do now?", not "what should I have done to avoid this?"

Do you still have a list of agents you were planning to query? If you go through some of the names, some of them may still be familiar. Also, I'm assuming you wrote the queries in your computer and saved them. Were those backed up too? If so, you can get the names from those.

No, that was in the file, too. And, yes, my question was to do now.

Nateskate · Sep 23, 2007

Here's my thoughts. What's the worst that can happen if you send a duplicate query??? I'm sure that happens all the time. People don't hear back, and wonder if it got lost.

I'm sure you could preface a query letter if there's a few companies you're almost certain you sent one to.

"My computer crashed along with my records... I would much rather chance that you received one too many copies of my query letter, than none. ..."

If they have the remotest heart, they'll understand. If not, then maybe it's for the best anyway.

Southern_girl29 said:
Last week, my computer crashed. Luckily, I had almost everything backed up, except for my file with all my literary agent information. I feel so stupid for not backing it up.

I had the file divided into e-mailed queries, snail mail queries, who I needed to send to, who I had sent it to, who had rejected it and who had asked for more. We thought we might be able to get it back, but I found out today that it's gone.

I can piece together the agents I've e-mailed, because my e-mail program saves all the sent items. It will take me a while, but I can do it. My problem is with the snail mail items. I've only sent out 11, and I've heard back from six. After I moved those six to the rejectioned list, I threw away the rejections. So, now, I have no way of knowing who I've queried and who I haven't.

What do I do? I don't want to requery someone I've already queried. I remember probably two names from the list. Should I just forget about snail mail queries for right now?

Prawn · Sep 24, 2007

Call me a masochist, but I keep all of my rejection letters. I am running out of room.

Southern_girl29 · Sep 24, 2007

Prawn said:
Call me a masochist, but I keep all of my rejection letters. I am running out of room.

I saved all of my e-mail rejections, but I have so much paperwork at home already that I threw away the snail mail ones. I wish I hadn't.

What do I do now?

Southern_girl29

Siddow

I'm super! Thanks for asking

Andre_Laurent

Southern_girl29

Andre_Laurent

Southern_girl29

David I

DamaNegra

Mexican on the loose!

Southern_girl29

Nateskate

Prawn

Writing is finite,revising infinite

Southern_girl29