E-Mail Query Protocol

I think it depends on the agent. I've always assumed that if they don't respond within two weeks, they're not interested...but I've also had the occasional straggler that would show up a month later, requesting the full or partial.

So if they don't state a guideline on their webpage, I'd probably give it a few more weeks.

I once heard that email submissions could take almost as long as normal submissions. Perhaps they only look at so many per day, I'm not really sure but a couple of my email queries were answered after 6 weeks and this was not exactly an overly busy editor (by that I mean receiving a lot of queries).

I would give it at least a month and then a gentle reminder wouldn't hurt.

eclipse115 said:

I would give it at least a month and then a gentle reminder wouldn't hurt.

Click to expand...

I would never send a reminder. After two months and no response, assume it got lost and send them a paper submission. And stick in the three chapters. If the agent actually rejected you but didn't bother to tell you, a query by itself won't do any good. Now your only hope is that they might look at the writing and like it.

I've had agents respond to my email queries three months later. Probably when they were cleaning out their in box. Of those, some were interested and asked for partials, others not. If you don't hear back from them within two or three months, you could send a follow-up query. Then if you don't hear anything in two weeks, scratch that agent off your list. They're not interested.

My experience

with e-mail queries, more often than not, within the same day I heard back. The longest was 2.5 days and that agent is who I am now signed with. I was shocked that he took so long to reply.


Go figure, huh?

Once it gets going hang on for the ride is fast.



Keep writing and your day will come. All good wishes to you!

Where do you find agents that take e-queries? Most of the ones I have found have been on the scam or watch list. Seriously.
Sara

Go to agentquery. Also, cross-reference with the agent's web site. Most have them. I'd say about half accept e-queries.