Different email addresses for different query stages?

Treehouseman · Mar 20, 2014

Here's something either an agent or someone who has been submitting for a while might answer.

An agent requested a partial on a "different" mail to their listed query@... one - which oddly I haven't come across before, normally they're doing all their work off the one email account.

Is this common? I'd hate to have sent a partial off to the great unknown.

Old Hack · Mar 20, 2014

Agents are people, just like us. It's perfectly possible that they might have more than one email address.

Are you concerned about the security of your submission, or did you have a different concern?

Treehouseman · Mar 20, 2014

Old Hack said:
Agents are people, just like us. It's perfectly possible that they might have more than one email address.

Are you concerned about the security of your submission, or did you have a different concern?

It was definitly the same person

I'm quite fine with there being an alternate address, I wasn't sure if all correspondence (the chain of back and forth) should continue uninterrupted, with all the replies and so-on in the field because it was all on the same account? Maybe I'm being unnecessarily worried that I've sent the sub to the ipad address. Anyway, I cut/pasted the original query at the bottom of their reply.

BradCarsten · Mar 20, 2014

Treehouseman said:
Here's something either an agent or someone who has been submitting for a while might answer.

An agent requested a partial on a "different" mail to their listed query@... one - which oddly I haven't come across before, normally they're doing all their work off the one email account.

Is this common? I'd hate to have sent a partial off to the great unknown.

Some agents get 150 submissions a day, so you can imagine how frustrating it must be to sift through those trying to find (without missing) the higher priority mails.
It's probably a very good idea to keep their mail boxes separate.

EMaree · Mar 20, 2014

Yeah, it's quite a common thing. An example: a mid-size YA imprint I know of has a generic e-mail address for their unsolicited submissions (similar to a 'query@' email) and then a more personal '[email protected]' address for business contacts, agented submissions, and full requests from the open door.

mayqueen · Mar 20, 2014

It's pretty common. I reply to the original email (the request) and paste the new email address in the to space. Keeps the thread in tact but sends it to the place the agent requests.

I'm not an agent, but I myself have several email addresses for managing several different things in my day job. Just makes it easier!

Aggy B. · Mar 20, 2014

Jenn Jackson is one I know of who has one address for queries and one for MS submissions. If she makes a request for partial or full, she gives you the second address.

Sage · Mar 20, 2014

Also, sometimes queries go to a general inbox for the agency in general and then are separated out by the agent who it was addressed to. You also sometimes have interns or assistants going through the queries, and then forwarding the potential acceptances to the agent, so it would make sense to have 2 different e-mails in those cases.

kenpochick · Mar 20, 2014

It's very common for them to have a specific email account for queries. Those typically have the word "query" or "info" in them. Think about it, why would they use that email address for regular work?

Treehouseman · Mar 21, 2014

Cool thanks everyone. Will go back to waiting (which I've become very good at, ha!)

Different email addresses for different query stages?

Treehouseman

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman

Treehouseman

BradCarsten

practical experience, FTW

EMaree

a demon for tea

mayqueen

practical experience, FTW

Aggy B.

Not as sweet as you think

Sage

Supreme Guessinator

kenpochick

I should be writing, not on AW.:-)

Treehouseman