Correct form for addressing letters?

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Symphony

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Hello,

Still working my way around this HUGE site so apologies if this is in the wrong place. I'll get there - eventually.

I've read so many different 'absolutes' on this one - and yet they're all different. Would love your input.

Addressing letters to publishers /agents/anyone ...

Dear Editor, Dear Sir or Madam, or Dear X (must have name)?

In the yearbooks, they often don't give editors but only have directors' names, so would you address a query or ms directly to a director?

When it's a woman - e.g. Clare Conville (came across this one yesterday) of Conville & Walsh, would you write to:

Dear Ms Conville (which I personally hate, but is it correct?)
or, as I read recently but also don't like: Dear Clare Conville (isn't that really strange? It seems 'wrong' to me, but I'd love to know if this is what I should be doing)

Thank you very much for your help. There's nothing worse than your manuscript not getting past the first ADDRESS, is there?

Symphony
 
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alleycat

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As I understand it, agents are not as common in the UK as in the US, and that queries and manuscripts are more often submitted directly to the publisher. In that case I would find out who the acquisition editor is and direct my letter to that person.

If you can't find it on the publisher's website, or in some other source, just pick up the phone and call and ask to whom a query should be addressed.
 
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It's not true that yearbooks don't have this information; they often do. Not always, but most of the time. It usually goes by genre. Women's editor, children's, crime, etc.

What you can't find there can often be found on the agency website. I dislike cold calling myself and have never had to do it, but I guess you could pick up the phone and ask to whom a query should be addressed. I'm always scared they'll ask me to pitch my book over the phone, which makes me nervous!
 

Symphony

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Thanks - so a 'name' is the way to go. Got that. But what about the female names? Dear Ms Conville, Dear Clare Conville - or WHAT? I read somewhere that calling and asking for names just irritates people - so I was hoping to avoid that.

I'm amending my first post to include publishers as well as agents because the point really isn't about agents at all - it's about how to address people. Thanks a million. It'll be good to be comfortable at the first hurdle.

Symphony
 
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Soccer Mom

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Dear Ms. Conville. It's always appropriate. Anything else might sound presumptuous.
 

Toothpaste

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Actually agents are common in the UK and just like in the states many publishing houses won't accept submissions without one.

Also I cold called the few agencies that didn't have a name listed in the yearbooks (to be honest though, most of them did). Everyone was friendly and I made sure to make it implicit that all I was doing was asking for a name. Twice oddly I was put through to the actual agent which startled me, one just told me to whom to address the letter, the other asked about my credentials and then when I revealed I was subbing a children's novel said very kindly that he didn't represent children's books (I had got his name from the yearbook so obviously it just hadn't been clear). But he was really nice about it, and we had a nice laugh when I was all, "Oh well, never mind then!"

It isn't as scary as you think. The key is to be professional, and practice sounding sane on the phone. And then simply say, "Hello yes, I was curious to whom I should address my submission at your agency." "John Smith." "Thank you very much."

Done and done.
 

mysterygrl

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Do:
Dear Ms. Conville
Dear Clare Conville (if you're unsure of the person's gender)

Don't:
Dear (Title)
Dear Sir or Madam
Dear Clare
Deer Claire Convil
Hey, Girlfriend!
 

Symphony

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I think though that "Yo bitch!" is universally accepted.

rofl2.gif



Thanks, everyone. Got it sussed now.
 
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