Thoughts on SASE for entire manuscript?

perfectpawn · May 8, 2009

I've read that some agencies will spurn your manuscript if it's sent without a SASE that covers postage for mailing back the entire manuscript -- even if they've requested a full. Of course the cost for this could get pretty high if you're sending out a lot of manuscripts -- price of a big envelope, along with the price to mail it back.

Does everyone follow this, or do you:

1. Include only a regular-sized envelope with one-stamp postage, with a note in the query that the agency can recycle the manuscript if they pass on it.

or

2. Don't include any SASE, but mention in your cover letter that the agency can recycle the manuscript if they pass on it.

My issue with these two alternatives is that expressly stating in your cover letter that there is a chance the manuscript might be passed on -- I think it places a subtle negativity in the agent's mind. Like you're already giving them the go-ahead to return the manuscript.

I've also read that agencies will just chuck aside packets that do not include a full-manuscript SASE (http://www.annemini.com/?p=1286).

So I guess it just comes down to how much value you put in your writing...is it worth an extra $6 (for return SASE) for an agent to read your work? I'd say "Yes," but again, my concern is that the cost could get high eventually. (Not considering the fact that the agent might -- cross fingers -- accept the manuscript and you don't have to send any more out!)

So, long post short, just wondering what other people think.

scope · May 8, 2009

perfectpawn said:
2. Don't include any SASE, but mention in your cover letter that the agency can recycle the manuscript if they pass.

This is what I do.

Danthia · May 8, 2009

I sent a #10 SASE for the agent's response, and said they could recycle the ms. pages. You need to provide some way for them to get back to you, otherwise they might not. Risking your writing future over a stamp seems foolish to me.

Recycling the pages is standard practice these days. No one thinks twice about it. Especially since so many agents take electronic queries now.

waylander · May 8, 2009

What they said.
This is nothing to worry about.
It's all about the writing

scope · May 8, 2009

Yes, as Danthia said (I forgot to include in my post), you should include a #10 SASE for the agent's ease of reply.

perfectpawn · May 8, 2009

So then the URL I posted -- for the blog which claims you must include a packet for the entire manuscript -- is incorrect? Have to admit, I was hoping so.

Little Bird · May 8, 2009

Wow, it never occurred to me to send a SASE for responses to requested fulls. Isn't that what my e-mail address is for? Or was this agent queried by snail mail? Is that the determining factor?

Erin · May 8, 2009

I send a #10 SASE for a response and let them recycle material--even on a full request.

Henri Bauholz · May 8, 2009

I agree. Including a #10 envelope for correspondence is probably the best way to go. By including a large envelope and oodles of stamps you are just setting up yourself for a quick return and a rejection of the manuscript.

ChaosTitan · May 9, 2009

perfectpawn said:
So then the URL I posted -- for the blog which claims you must include a packet for the entire manuscript -- is incorrect? Have to admit, I was hoping so.

It's one author's take on the querying process, not an agent's. Every agent I submitted a full to said (somewhere on their websites/with their submission requirements) fulls could be marked as recyclable. Just send an SASE for response (which still strikes me as funny, b/c every reply came via email, so I never saw those stamped envelopes again).

Julie Worth · May 9, 2009

perfectpawn said:
I've read that some agencies will spurn your manuscript if it's sent without a SASE that covers postage for mailing back the entire manuscript -- even if they've requested a full.

Recycling is the standard practice, even if you include postage. I had a marked up MS returned recently (at the agent's expense), but this was most unusual.

perfectpawn · May 11, 2009

Thanks again everyone for your responses -- wish I'd had time to post this question before sending my full, but I was in a hurry to get to the post office on Friday morning. A quick Googling yielded that snarky URL above, so I figured "better safe than sorry," and sprung for full manuscript-return postage.

In future I'll just go with the regular SASE and tell them to recycle. BTW, how do all of you normally work that in your query? Something like, "If you decide to pass on my novel, please feel free to recycle the manuscript." ?

waylander · May 11, 2009

I type disposable manuscript in bold somewhere on the front cover sheet and in the covering letter say 'I have enclosed a SASE for your reply, the manuscript is disposable'

eqb · May 11, 2009

waylander said:
I type disposable manuscript in bold somewhere on the front cover sheet and in the covering letter say 'I have enclosed a SASE for your reply, the manuscript is disposable'

That's exactly what I did during my agent search.

I get suspicious when someone uses the phrase "secret handshake." There are no secret handshakes to submitting manuscripts.

scope · May 11, 2009

waylander said:
'I have enclosed a SASE for your reply, the manuscript is disposable'

Ditto.

RainbowDragon · May 11, 2009

Since anything over a lb or whatever needs to be brought to the PO counter to mail, agencies don't like to have any routine tasks that involve standing in post office lines. They don't want to have to sign for arriving MS's (use the cheap delivery confirmation they scan in and out, not registered mail/return receipt requested) and they don't want to stand in line to mail out rejections. I don't blame them.

Don't they usually call or e-mail if they like a full enough to offer representation? Has anyone gotten an offer through their SASE from a full? (Maybe that should be a new thread).

ETA: I did! I did! I did start a new thread - a poll, even!

waylander · May 11, 2009

I had one partial request come in my SASE. All the other good news came by e-mail

Danthia · May 11, 2009

I actually had an agent e-mail me to say pass, but she sent back my empty SASE.

I suspect it got tangled up in the "to returns" and she didn't realize nothing was in it. But it made me laugh.

STKlingaman · May 11, 2009

I've heard that if the writer doesn't
value their work enough to want it back,
that an agent may think, "if they don't
thinks it's worth the postage, how are
going to sell it?"
This could be a negative for the writer.

waylander · May 11, 2009

STKlingaman said:
I've heard that if the writer doesn't
value their work enough to want it back,
that an agent may think, "if they don't
thinks it's worth the postage, how are
going to sell it?"
This could be a negative for the writer.

Total bollocks.
Whoever you heard that from doesn't know much about how agents work

Little Bird · May 11, 2009

STKlingaman said:
I've heard that if the writer doesn't
value their work enough to want it back,
that an agent may think, "if they don't
thinks it's worth the postage, how are
going to sell it?"
This could be a negative for the writer.

Are you kidding me?

I refill my own ink and it costs me a fraction of what return postage would be to print a new copy. I figure the opposite of what you say is true, that agents wonder why anyone would want to waste eight bucks to have a totally replaceable manuscript sent back. Are you really going to send the dinged-up, dog-eared, chocolate-stained copy to another agent, anyway?

Thoughts on SASE for entire manuscript?

perfectpawn

scope

Commonsensical Maverick

Danthia

waylander

Who's going for a beer?

scope

Commonsensical Maverick

perfectpawn

Little Bird

Erin

Listening to my other selves

Henri Bauholz

ChaosTitan

Around

Julie Worth

What? I have a title?

perfectpawn

waylander

Who's going for a beer?

eqb

I write novels

scope

Commonsensical Maverick

RainbowDragon

Perpetuous Revisasaurus

waylander

Who's going for a beer?

Danthia

STKlingaman

Followed the Red Brick Road

waylander

Who's going for a beer?

Little Bird