Help please - SASE question

Evelyn

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Yeah - I have a request for a full!

EEEK! - I realize I'm not sure how to follow the agent's instructions.

Here is her email to me:

Please do send me a copy of the book, and an outline and your promotion plan, with SASE & phone #

I'm okay with getting together the manuscript, outline, and promotion plan - but what sort of SASE is she probably expecting? A business-sized envelope for a letter, or something big enough to return both my 350-page manuscript and a letter? (I would like the MS back, if possible.)

Should I just go ahead and send a huge envelope, hoping she'll use it? How should I package the bundle for mailing?

Yikes, this is a bit more complicated than I thought.

Thank you for any guidance, I appreciate your help.

Evelyn
 

CaroGirl

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Yeah - I have a request for a full!

EEEK! - I realize I'm not sure how to follow the agent's instructions.

Here is her email to me:

Please do send me a copy of the book, and an outline and your promotion plan, with SASE & phone #

I'm okay with getting together the manuscript, outline, and promotion plan - but what sort of SASE is she probably expecting? A business-sized envelope for a letter, or something big enough to return both my 350-page manuscript and a letter? (I would like the MS back, if possible.)

Should I just go ahead and send a huge envelope, hoping she'll use it? How should I package the bundle for mailing?

Yikes, this is a bit more complicated than I thought.

Thank you for any guidance, I appreciate your help.

Evelyn

Why do you want the ms back?

I'd enclose an envelope with correct postage, the size required for a folded piece of paper. I would also include permission to recycle the manuscript should the answer be a "no."

And huge congratulations on your request for a full!
 

DeleyanLee

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Include a SASE for whatever you want back.

If you want the entire manuscript back, then go to the office supply store and get a 8 1/2 by 11 box. But the pages and everything in the box. Get your return postage and all that stuff on the box. Then stuff the SASB into a tyvek envelope for the actual sending of everything.

Using the box keeps the book from being mangled on the way there, mostly. Not getting mangled pages is a good thing. ;)

If you just want the response, then include the note that your ms is recyclable and put in a standard SASE.

Not that complicated at all.

Good luck!
 

hillaryjacques

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Evelyn, if you want the entire manuscript back then put in an appropriate size envelope and postage.
 

Drachen Jager

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Look into the agent. I have never heard of a good agency that requires submission of materials through snail mail. There are only a scant handful who do it at all, and the only one I know of with a sales record has a reputation for non responses on fulls (yes, after you spend $20 or more to mail it to them!).

As for the SASE, all it needs to be is letter-sized. They want to be able to send you a response by mail, just in case their dinosaur-powered phone is busy chasing the pterodactyls off the lawn again. Don't be surprised if your answer comes in the form of a stone tablet.
 

Evelyn

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Wow, you guys are fast!

Thank you for the advice - I'll figure it out and get it sent off. I know it's not that big a deal, but I got my head twisted in knots, ha ha.

Thanks,

Evelyn