How to nudge?

Yes, that's the best nudge. Just make sure plenty of time has passed.

Gravity said:

but after a couple months have passed, how do you ask them if they ever GOT the silly thing without looking like a total idiot?

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After the three month mark, I just resent the query via snail mail to every agent who never responded. Never mentioned the first query at all.

I actually landed my agent from one of there re-queries too. First email had never arrived.

Nudge? On a query? Really?

Honestly, I wouldn't nudge on a query. I would take the no response means no. However, if after an extended time period went by and the agent in question was on your top five list... I would just go ahead a send it again. No harm in that.

AlishaS said:

After an extended time period I would just go ahead a send it again.

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I've done this a bunch of times and a couple of times I got requests for the full manuscript within a couple of days.

AlishaS said:

I would take the no response means no.

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Please do not do this.

If you get no response, assume they never got it and query again after three months (preferrably via a different channel). The worst that can happen is that you get no response again. The best is a full request, followed by an offer of representation (and then, holy shit, a book deal), which happened to me.

Seriously peoples, no response =/= No.

Kristoff said:

Please do not do this.

If you get no response, assume they never got it and query again after three months (preferrably via a different channel). The worst that can happen is that you get no response again. The best is a full request, followed by an offer of representation (and then, holy shit, a book deal), which happened to me.

Seriously peoples, no response =/= No.

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Unless the agency specifically states that that is their policy. Then I'd be pretty sure they mean it.

Of course this is only the thoughts of one agent:

In general, I would never nudge for a query (no means no, etc.), but always nudge for a partial or full after a reasonable period of time.

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Thanks Michael

I think when it comes to nudging use your best instincts. For many of my no responses, based on what I read in bewares, query tracker and what not, it wasn't out of the ordinary, so in that instance, no means no. If their website says, responds in X amount of time, and you don't get a response, well then, go ahead and requery.

There are always exceptions to every "rule". As I said above, if a no response came from an agent I really, really wanted, I would re-query, just for that last chance.

It seems at least a couple people here got responses by nudging, so I think it's a good idea to give it a try. Yes, the worst that can happen is another ignore. Just be polite, I suppose, and that's all that matters?

AlishaS said:

If their website says, responds in X amount of time, and you don't get a response, well then, go ahead and requery.

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No, always wait longer than X amount of time to take into account vacations, holiday schedules, backlog etc.

Requerying without being asked is a bad idea, no matter who has had success with it. Ask first. If they received the query and didn't like it, the last thing they want is the same damn query again. If they didn't receive it, which almost never happens, then asking means you'll be asked to send again. This is just as fast, and stops you from looking like an insistent idiot who can't take no for an answer.

There's never anything wrong with a nudge, be it on a query, a partial, or a full, as long as you allow a reasonable amount of time to go by before the nudge.

Really, too many worry that an agent or editor didn't actually receive something, but I don't know of any e-mail system that won't notify you if your e-mail didn't get through. That only danger is being routed to spam, and if this happens, you goofed, and you'll probably repeat the unknown goof again when you resend.

Besides, agents and editors, at least the ones I know, check their spam folder regularly.

I'd only nudge on a query if the agency's website specifically says they answer all emails sent to them. If, on the other hand, the site says they only respond if interested, you should assume it's a no. As James mentions above, it's unlikely that your original email didn't get through if you haven't received a notification to that effect.

Once attachments are involved, though (ie. with a partial or full), it's always worth checking that the agent has received the requested material if you're anxious about such things.

Becca C. said:

Unless the agency specifically states that that is their policy. Then I'd be pretty sure they mean it.

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Thing is, unless you get some kind of response, you're never going to be sure if the query arrived and you got a "no response means no", or whether it never arrived at all.

To illustrate (true story, names left out):

I queried Agent X. She has a "no response means no" policy. I got no response.
I queried Agent Y. This gent works at the same agency as Agent X. He has a strict policy of always replying, and usually very quickly. I got no response.
Realizing that something was amiss, I queried Agent Y again from a different ISP. Got a reply (rejection, not his bag)
I realize Agent X, being on the same agency server, probably never got my first query. Requeried from different ISP. Received request for first 50 pages.

Shit like this happens all the time. Emails get lost. Deleted. Chewed by internet gremlins. Letters get misplaced. Eaten by dogs. Stuffed into the crawlspace of a mailman terminally behind on his route. Now, you can assume that the no response meant no if you like. But really, what does it cost you to re-query in three months time via a different method?

The worst that will happen is you get no response again.

Jamesaritchie said:

Requerying without being asked is a bad idea, no matter who has had success with it.

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I find it confusing that you speak in generalizations with such absolute certainty. It's obviously not a bad idea if someone did exactly that and landed a top notch agent by doing so, is it?

Jamesaritchie said:

If they didn't receive it, which almost never happens

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Of the 42 e-queries I sent on my last round of submissions, at least four (~10%) did not arrive at the sender. One agency server was blocking my ISP (for which the sender will receive no error notification). One mail got routed to spam (which the agent only found after the second query arrived). One simply disappeared with no explanation (this was the agency that I eventually signed at). And these are mails sent from gmail, a well resourced and reputable webmail application.

You are quite simply wrong.

I also had several e-mails go missing without receiving any sort of notification during my last query round (which was quite small). So yes, it definitely happens.

Unless they have a stated "no response means no" policy, I think you can never go wrong with:

a) "I sent a query to you on X date and have not heard back; sorry if either my initial email or your response went astray"
b) "Here is the query included below"

Because if you just say "Hey, I'm John Smith, did you get my query?" they're not likely to remember. Including the query gives them context. Wait until the initial stated response time goes by, plus a little, and then nudge very gently.

Kristoff,
Thank you for chiming in, here, as I have agonized over whether to nudge a query. I particularly like the idea of requerying by snail mail after three months. Makes sense to me. However, some of the agents I've e-queried through querytracker are listed as not taking snail mail queries. Is it then better to email again? Or do you look up the agency's address and just go ahead with snail mail anyway?
Thanks for the advice!

rosehips said:

Kristoff,
Thank you for chiming in, here, as I have agonized over whether to nudge a query.

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I don't claim to be an absolute authority. Not many on these boards can. All I can speak about with certainty is my own experiences. Results may vary.

rosehips said:

However, some of the agents I've e-queried through querytracker are listed as not taking snail mail queries. Is it then better to email again? Or do you look up the agency's address and just go ahead with snail mail anyway?

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If it were me, I'd probably email them again using a different ISP, possibly even a different mail account (that way you can be reasonably sure if you get no response, they mean it).

Always follow submission guidelines. If they don't accept a certain kind of query, don't query them that way.

No answer, means no. Most say that in their guidelines...

This is a topic where everyone has a different opinion, but I personally think it's asinine to nudge for a query. Sure, it could get lost. But if your work is good, the other 90% of agents you queried will know that. And they'll want to rep you.

The only, only, ONLY, time I'd ever nudge for a query is if the agent in question has a blog/twitter where they say "all queries as of this date have been replied to" and I knew they didn't get it.