How does good news arrive?

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j.s.cutler

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I've sent out 3 batches of queries. So far mostly all rejections, with one request for a partial that one came back in my SASE.

I was told that when you see that familiar SASE return it's not ususually good news. But my questions is, how does good news usually arrive?

If an agent justs want a partial are they going to bother calling me or is an email more likely?

I'm sure it varies from agent to agent but I'm just curious what others' experience has been?
 

Shady Lane

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I do all my correspondence by email, when possible. I have to say, it arrives the same way as bad news.

I recieved an email today with this as the first line:

Thank you for your email to Luke Janklow about your book CHRISTMASTIME.

Great, I thought. Another rejection. I almost didn't open it.

Request for a partial.
 

Calla Lily

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I've opened emails that were rejections, form and personalized. I've opened emails that were requests for partials and fulls. (I always take a deep breath when I see an email from someone i've queries, bracing for the "no".)

The best emails I've opened? The one that said I won a writing contest (cash prize). And the one from my agent that asked me for my phone number and a good time to call. :D

And then that phone call.
 

Just Me 2021

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Requests for partials and full ms come as emails or (less frequently) in your SASE. Rejections come in emails and your SASE.

Offers of representation come on the phone, though you might get an email first asking when the best time is to call.
 

Legionsynch

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I just try and assume every email that pops up in my little thing is just another rejection - sometimes they're just personalized.

It makes me smile when I realize that there's a request for more in there.
 

CaroGirl

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My only request for a partial came by email, but that's because I sent the query by email. My rejections tend to come the way they were sent, either by SASE or email.

If I ever get an offer of representation, I'll let you know how I received it. Believe me, I'll let you know.
 

Provrb1810meggy

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I opened a SASE once and got a full request from Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux. (I apologize if I butchered the spelling.) Anything can happen!
 

JaidaJones

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Hmmm. I got "the call" from my agent without an email first, and when I definitely wasn't expecting it. (In the middle of Japanese class.) And when the book sold, it was also a phone call...that I missed because I was on the subway, heading towards a study group for finals. I don't really have good luck with phones, even though good news has always come by phone. Bad news--by which I of course mean rejections--has always come via email, in my experience.
 

zahra

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Can't bloody remember, it's been so long. Have a feeling I got my agent by snail, though. Probably cos it was 1903.
 

Little Red Barn

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Well, I would have said good news arrives email or phone, not SASE, but it was not the case for me a few weeks back, it was really awesome news, snail mail, now I don't let the snail mail sit around anymore :)
 

FloVoyager

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No pattern to mine either. I've had rejections and requests via snail and email, and sent snail queries and gotten email requests. I have noticed the less the envelope weighs the more likely it is a rejection, however. Half sheets or slips of paper in my SASE make the envelope feather light, and those never have good news on them.
 

Scrawler

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How does good news arrive?
My mother always said good news arrived by stork.
But no pattern for me- I've had emails, SASE, phone calls, and letters bearing good news. I once got a SASE back on Friday, assumed it was a rejection and almost threw it away without opening it. I let it sit all weekend, and when I opened it, I saw it was a request for a full.
 

Susie

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S-l-o-w-l-y. :D It can come either snail or email or telephone, and I've gotten good news in my SASE and rejections in their envelope, so it's hard to tell. They probably like to keep us writers guessing.
 

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Mine was a bit odd -- I, too, sent out those SASEs until I was sick of seeing my own damn envelopes every day. I finally got a few nibbles asking for partials, and then I received several offers via e-mail and one VERY nice phone call. My final offer came via e-mail.

And I'll tell ya, nothing makes you sit there and hit "refresh" on your e-mail more obsessively during the day than knowing you have an e-mail query out there...!
 
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