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[Agency] Inkwell Management

Cel_Fleur

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Anybody else had trouble with the InkWell submissions email? I got a 'undeliverable' from post-master: "The recipient's mailbox is full and can't accept messages now" a couple of days ago and tried again today, but with the same issue. I didn't, however, see anywhere on site that said they were currently closed to queries.
 

Krista G.

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Anybody else had trouble with the InkWell submissions email? I got a 'undeliverable' from post-master: "The recipient's mailbox is full and can't accept messages now" a couple of days ago and tried again today, but with the same issue. I didn't, however, see anywhere on site that said they were currently closed to queries.

I got the same message when I tried to query earlier today, Cel_Fleur. I'm pretty sure it means they've received so many queries (that they either haven't gone through or deleted) that they've maxed out the storage space on their submissions inbox. I've had brief but cordial interactions with Stephen Barbara in the past (when he was at Foundry), so I went out on a limb and sent my query directly to his e-mail address. It's a risk, I know, but a calculated one. I'll let you know if/when I hear something.
 

Cel_Fleur

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I got the same message when I tried to query earlier today, Cel_Fleur. I'm pretty sure it means they've received so many queries (that they either haven't gone through or deleted) that they've maxed out the storage space on their submissions inbox. I've had brief but cordial interactions with Stephen Barbara in the past (when he was at Foundry), so I went out on a limb and sent my query directly to his e-mail address. It's a risk, I know, but a calculated one. I'll let you know if/when I hear something.

Okay thanks, Krista. Keep us posted. :)
 

Krista G.

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Heard back from Mr. Barbara today with a gracious rejection. I followed up yesterday after I received an offer, so he responded to that e-mail, but for what it's worth, he didn't seem at all perturbed that I'd sent a query to his direct address.
 

Cel_Fleur

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Congrats on the offer! What's your genre and audience?

Don't want to jinx it, but I haven't got a postmaster undeliverable yet, so hopefully my email got through to the usual submissions email this time. Do you know if they acknowledge receipt?
 

J.B.Kantt

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Back on December 20th, 2015, I queried Ms. Catherine Drayton (with a query letter and the first two chapters). On January 7th, 2016, I received a partial request from Ms. Drayton: the first thirty pages as an attachment, with a copy to her assistant Masie. On January 8th, I sent the partial in the body of the email since her email didn't specify whether to attach the pages or not. On January 11th, Ms. Drayton asked if I could resend the pages as an attachment (which I did the same day, along with an apology for any confusion I may have caused).

I've yet to hear back from her, and I don't know if I should nudge ... I think what I'm still trying to figure out is why she requested a thirty-page partial when the sample I sent along with the query letter was twenty-six pages.

Do you think I should nudge, or is it still too early? I'm sure she's busy with client work, and I don't want to seem like a pest.
 

Smiley0501

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JB, I would definitely nudge. I always nudge at the 4-6 month mark for partials/fulls, just to check in. Just don't forget to be polite about it.

I queried Stephen Barbara in the beginning of May (2016) and he req'd a full :snoopy: unfortunately about two days later he rejected, with complimentary notes. All in all, I was glad it was speedy and it wasn't a form!

Good luck to everyone querying these guys-they seem top notch
 

J.B.Kantt

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JB, I would definitely nudge. I always nudge at the 4-6 month mark for partials/fulls, just to check in. Just don't forget to be polite about it.

I queried Stephen Barbara in the beginning of May (2016) and he req'd a full :snoopy: unfortunately about two days later he rejected, with complimentary notes. All in all, I was glad it was speedy and it wasn't a form!

Good luck to everyone querying these guys-they seem top notch


Thanks for the advice, Smiley! And sorry about the rejection. Best of luck with your other queries!
 

ajwinter

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Hi there! I'm a little confused with their submission process. According to their submission page, it goes to a collective email. Do we put the agent we want to query within the query itself or in the subject? What did you all put for the subject as well? I hate when agents don't specify subject titles....
 

Liz_V

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ajwinter - When I queried them, I put "Attn: [name of agent]" at the beginning of the email -- per a suggestion here, IIRC. Don't know if that helped or hurt or didn't matter; the form rejection was signed by "the Inkwell Management team".

If I had it to do over, I'd probably put the agent's name in the subject (something like "QUERY: Nifty Title (Attn: Joe Smith)"), and just start the email with "Dear Mr. Smith". But anything that's polite and gets the general idea across should be fine; they've got to have seen every possible variation by now, and if they were going to be picky, they'd have put specifics in their guidelines.
 

Sage

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Cheering you all on!
Got an interesting #pitmad request yesterday from Claire Draper. Usually #pitmad requests are just a request to query the agent, but this one specifically asked for the first 50 pages, so that was cool. It also was on a pitch I made in March. I didn't have time to pitch yesterday, so I was just skipping it, but my March pitch must have been very searchable because she wasn't the only agent to find and like it.
 

Debbie V

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It's been over a year since anyone commented here. Anything new? I'm particularly interested in Stephen Barbara.
 

Wizera

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Queried Jessica Mileo with an MG fantasy: 5/16
Rejection: 5/24
 

JackieMcMahonWriter

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Their website says you can address a query to the agency at large, rather than a specific agent. Anyone ever have any success doing that?
 

Debbie V

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I queried Stephen in 2019. Rejection in a day.
 

arkady

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Hi there! I'm a little confused with their submission process. According to their submission page, it goes to a collective email. Do we put the agent we want to query within the query itself or in the subject? What did you all put for the subject as well? I hate when agents don't specify subject titles....
The website says:

You may specify the name of the agent to whom you are submitting in the subject line of your query or address your query to the agency at large.

..so I did the latter, and didn't specify an agent.