Paper or plastic? No seriously, paper or email?

Pamster · Oct 5, 2007

I am wondering if I need to switch gears in my querying, and move up to snail mail queries. What do you all think? Do agents value them more somehow? I asked in the Ask Nathan thread so we'll see what he weighs in on this subject, but until then what do you think and why?

Shadow_Ferret · Oct 5, 2007

I'm not sure it matters what the mode of transportation is as long as the message is good.

Pamster · Oct 5, 2007

That's what I thought too, but maybe I am wrong...Just wanted to put forth the question and see.

JoNightshade · Oct 5, 2007

I don't think it matters too much, but here's my reasoning. I could be totally wrong.

1) Snail mail gets an answer. It may be a long time coming, but if you include an SASE, 99% of the time you will get it back. With email, sometimes you never get a response. That drives me batty.
2) I know in my own work, I pay more careful attention to snail mail than I do email. Mainly because email is so easy to skim and then just delete. My eyes glaze over sometimes. But physically opening an envelope and unfolding something, and having to respond... that gets my attention.

Judg · Oct 5, 2007

It depends on the agent. Give them what they prefer.

Carrie R. · Oct 5, 2007

Pamster said:
I am wondering if I need to switch gears in my querying, and move up to snail mail queries. What do you all think? Do agents value them more somehow?

When I was querying I wondered the same thing, but I realized that if the ms is something they're interested in, it doesn't matter how they hear about it. My first priority was to send my query the way the agent prefers, and then, if I had a choice between snail or email, to send it the way that would allow me to include sample pages. Then, if there was still no difference, I'd go with snail mail over email thinking that maybe the agent would see how much effort I put into querying. I made that decision for two agents -- those are the two agents I never heard anything back from.

Looking back on it, I got such fast responses with e-queries that I'd prob choose that route if I had a decision to make. But I always chose the agent first, without any reference to what kind of query they wanted (I know some people will only e-query and won't submit to an agent who wants snail mail).

So I guess I would say focus on finding the agents you really think would be best for your work -- how the agent finds out about your work won't make a difference if they're truly interested. Best of luck!!

J. R. Tomlin · Oct 5, 2007

I think I connect better with people who are comfortable with technology, so I prefer people who prefer email. But that's me. As has been pointed out, I'd go with the agent's preference.

Prawn · Oct 6, 2007

E-mail for me. I think a query is business letter. You are a writer, the agent is looking for writers, so fastest you get your query out there, the better. I have had many of my e-mail queries answered in minutes, about 25% of e-mail queries were answered with a polite rejection the same day. Those rejections let me send out more queries quickly. I had four requests for partials in my querying, and three of those requests came in less than a day.

The rest of the publishing process is so slow, why use snail-mail and make the queries take forever too?

In my opinion, the only reason to send a snail-mail query is if you are querying a dream agent (like Stephen King's or Dan Brown's) and they want them that way. But the odds are an agent like that is inundated by letters such as yours and an intern will read them anyway.

My 2 cents.

P

sneakers145 · Oct 6, 2007

I agree with following the guidelines of the agency. That said, when I queried a few years back, very few of the agents accepted e-queries, so all of mine were snail-mailed. I did get 3 rejections within a week, one request for a partial, one for a full, and one (that I'd sent 5 pages per instructions) came back several weeks later with a positive rejection (as in this will find a home, but not for us). Eventually the other requests were rejected, too (also positively). I'm not sure that novel (the under the bed novel) is ready for prime time (though I only queried those 6). All told it was likely 6-8 weeks max.

Now I'm sure I'll use e-queries more, since it seems a lot of agents prefer them. Maybe novel #4 is the charm.

spacejock2 · Oct 6, 2007

My snail mail agent query is still out there somewhere, six years after I sent it. My emailed query got a response in five minutes, and I signed with my agent a week later.

I LIKE email.

Pamster · Oct 6, 2007

Great answers everyone! I just love that I can pose such a question and have so many talented people who I greatly respect, sound off with such wisdom. I knew that I could ask the question and hear from some of you who already have agents and are published. So thank you for sounding off and helping me feel a little better about equeries.

Have I said how much I LOVE this place?? LOL!!!

You guys ROCK!

*is off to work on her WIP*

Will Lavender · Oct 6, 2007

Most all agents accept e-queries now.

After a short burst of five or six snails, I decided to go a different route. I browsed through Preditors and Editors, found 50 or so reputable agents, all of which accepted electronically, and sent only to them. Didn't send one snail mail.

scarletpeaches · Oct 6, 2007

I have to disagree with Will to a certain extent - although I notice he's in the U.S.

In Britain, many agents specify 'no e-queries'. Those that don't, I assume it's okay to send e-queries, especially if their email address is listed. Some agents say 'no attachments' which I take to mean e-queries are A-okay, but you've to send your sample in the body of the email.

In my case, I always go for the snail mail anyway, even if I suspect e-queries are acceptable.

reenkam · Oct 6, 2007

I know there are a good amount of agents, especially some big names, who only take snail-mail. What I'md doing is going with only email for a while, since it's easier, less expensive, usually faster, etc. and then, if I don't have an agent after querying a couple works that way I'll switch to snail-mail querying.

lkp · Oct 6, 2007

First choice is to do what the agent prefers. Some say they'll take either, but if you look deeper (into a blog or on their website), you'll find they actually prefer one over another.

That being said, when the agent seems completely neutral on the subject, I always preferred snail queries because I felt I had more control over the package they saw, and I liked getting a reply of some kind. I also felt I had a slightly better chance of my query being read by the agent rather than an intern if I went snail (some agents hire interns at a distance to handle e-mail queries).

What I never did was chose agents according to what method of querying they preferred. That seems nuts to me --- to restrict yourself to a factor that is going to have no bearing on yur relationship if they sign you.
And the query that got me my agent was a snail query. So I'm biased!

D.J. · Oct 6, 2007

This is a good thread - thank you Pamster.
I have a question as to what is the longest time frame that any of you have experienced with e-queries? I sent a query via e-mail on yesterday afternoon (Friday) to a large Literary Agency with a specific agent name in the subject line. On the guidelines it said they do not respond to e-queries unless they want more.
I'm just curious if I shoud go ahead and count them as not interested?

reenkam · Oct 6, 2007

D.J. said:
This is a good thread - thank you Pamster.
I have a question as to what is the longest time frame that any of you have experienced with e-queries? I sent a query via e-mail on yesterday afternoon (Friday) to a large Literary Agency with a specific agent name in the subject line. On the guidelines it said they do not respond to e-queries unless they want more.
I'm just curious if I shoud go ahead and count them as not interested?

If you don't hear back in 3 months I'd say write it off. Sure, they could always get back after that, but for your records and everything I'd mark a 'not interested' for them.

Personally, I find the whole "answer only if interested" thing annoying and kind of unfair...but that's just me.

Pamster · Oct 6, 2007

D.J. said:
This is a good thread - thank you Pamster.
I have a question as to what is the longest time frame that any of you have experienced with e-queries? I sent a query via e-mail on yesterday afternoon (Friday) to a large Literary Agency with a specific agent name in the subject line. On the guidelines it said they do not respond to e-queries unless they want more.
I'm just curious if I shoud go ahead and count them as not interested?

I have gone as long as a month to hear from an agent, still rejected but still it shows someone went through their queries. Usually it's much faster, more like a two weeks at the most, sometimes as soon as the next day or same day even.

Glad you like ths thread D.J. I had to post it because it's been on my mind and I knew others would have good advice and feedback on the subject.

RG570 · Oct 6, 2007

I only use email right now. It's just impossible to find US postage here, so it's all I really have.

I can't see the point of wasting all that paper and money when there are plenty of agents who use email.

I'd use snail mail if agents or publishers would at least compromise and use email for their response. I mean, there's no reason not to in that case. Making me bend over backwards to find postage from their country is a bit too much.

Prawn · Oct 6, 2007

The longest I have had to wait for a request for a partial was there weeks. The longest for a rejection was five weeks.

amber_grosjean · Oct 6, 2007

Some agents and publishers only accept emails because it saves time and money, no trees are wasted and the waste basket can be filled less often. Personally, I like emails because I live on my computer (not really lol). I've tried the snail mail and never recieved feedback either way (well one time I did but was rejected after making changes they suggested--it sucked).

Either way you look at it, waiting time is going to be there but at least with emails, you can save your postage for mailing out your manuscript if requested.

Amber

Will Lavender · Oct 6, 2007

Longest I had to wait for a partial was about four or five months.

Actually got the request the day my book sold.

D.J. · Oct 7, 2007

Thanks everyone for responding to my question about time frame for hearing back.
I guess since I just sent it in Friday afternoon, it might be a bit soon to give up on it!

Paper or plastic? No seriously, paper or email?

Pamster

Counting Stars

Shadow_Ferret

Court Jester

Pamster

Counting Stars

JoNightshade

has finally arrived

Judg

DISENCHANTED coming soon

Carrie R.

Procrastinating, clearly

J. R. Tomlin

Prawn

Writing is finite,revising infinite

sneakers145

spacejock2

Pamster

Counting Stars

Will Lavender

Everything is what it seems.

scarletpeaches

reenkam

aka cupcake

lkp

D.J.

reenkam

aka cupcake

Pamster

Counting Stars

RG570

Prawn

Writing is finite,revising infinite

amber_grosjean

AW Addict

Will Lavender

Everything is what it seems.

D.J.