- Joined
- Jun 26, 2013
- Messages
- 298
- Reaction score
- 23
Nudged on a query, since they don't *seem* to have a no response means no policy, and got the strangest form letter:
Thank you for your submission. Unfortunately, we will not be pursuing representation of your work. We encourage you to continue working with critique partners, revising your ms until it is the best it can possibly be and then continuing to submit elsewhere. We wish you every success in your writing career. Thanks again for thinking of Holloway Literary.
This is obviously a form letter. Didn't have any salutation at all - no "Dear Author" and no name. It seems VERY strange to tell writers to keep revising in a form letter, oh but don't submit here again. Obviously what they mean is "It's just not for us, for whatever reason," but I can see that this could potentially be taken the wrong (extremely discouraging) way.
Also, every email I sent to them came back from a different person: Original query addressed to Nikki Terpilowski (who seems to be the only agent, although it's hard to tell?), auto-reply from Elle Stafford, Submissions Editor. I re-addressed my nudge to Ms. Stafford and got a reply... from a Destiny Vandeput.
I've never seen that before. Of course a lot of agents DO use interns or assistants to help with the slush pile, but I've never seen form letters that weren't signed by the agent or the agency as a whole. Again, doesn't BOTHER me that Ms. Terpilowski never saw the query, but it just seems weird that nothing was even signed "Assistant, on behalf of Agent."
None of that means that they can't make good sales. But a weirdly discouraging form letter (I HOPE it's obvious that it's a form, but if not, could be a lot more hurtful than "not right for our lists") and NO idea who I'm talking to at any given time or even how many actual agents there are... kind of left a weird taste in my mouth.
Anyone with a partial have a different/better experience?
Thank you for your submission. Unfortunately, we will not be pursuing representation of your work. We encourage you to continue working with critique partners, revising your ms until it is the best it can possibly be and then continuing to submit elsewhere. We wish you every success in your writing career. Thanks again for thinking of Holloway Literary.
This is obviously a form letter. Didn't have any salutation at all - no "Dear Author" and no name. It seems VERY strange to tell writers to keep revising in a form letter, oh but don't submit here again. Obviously what they mean is "It's just not for us, for whatever reason," but I can see that this could potentially be taken the wrong (extremely discouraging) way.
Also, every email I sent to them came back from a different person: Original query addressed to Nikki Terpilowski (who seems to be the only agent, although it's hard to tell?), auto-reply from Elle Stafford, Submissions Editor. I re-addressed my nudge to Ms. Stafford and got a reply... from a Destiny Vandeput.
I've never seen that before. Of course a lot of agents DO use interns or assistants to help with the slush pile, but I've never seen form letters that weren't signed by the agent or the agency as a whole. Again, doesn't BOTHER me that Ms. Terpilowski never saw the query, but it just seems weird that nothing was even signed "Assistant, on behalf of Agent."
None of that means that they can't make good sales. But a weirdly discouraging form letter (I HOPE it's obvious that it's a form, but if not, could be a lot more hurtful than "not right for our lists") and NO idea who I'm talking to at any given time or even how many actual agents there are... kind of left a weird taste in my mouth.
Anyone with a partial have a different/better experience?