Found a mistake after queries sent

Kenderson

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I discovered a mistake last night after I sent out queries on Monday (8/27/12). I don't know how it happened because I went over the sample pages with a fine tooth comb, but it did. The mistake is it should be "his" and it is written as "him". So, my question is, since it can take a while for agent to go through their inboxes and today is a holiday, can I ask to resubmit my query with the new sample pages?
The other reason I would like to requery is another agent just mentioned on Friday that she was confused between the MC's name and her best friend's name. The best friend's name has been changed now, and even though I just read a thread where it said the agent probably won't reject because of similar names it still worries me.
Any advice would be great. Thank you!

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this question.
 
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seun

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It's a typo. They happen and it's a not a big deal. If you're rejected or accepted, it won't be down to this. Ditto with the name issue.

Deep breaths, my old fruit. :)
 

GuruLord

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Agent's will look past typos, as they are looking for "can I sell this story?" not "how much copyediting do we have to do"

Of course, the cleaner the better as its easier on the eyes and less work for the future, but an agent shouldn't pass you up just on a typo.

I had a partial out that I spelled "cannon" (weapon) as "canon" multiple times, yet I still got a full upgrade out of it.

Typos happen - we can't be perfect in our MS, but just try to be as perfect as possible
 

ARoyce

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I agree with seun. A single typo is very, very different from a query filled with poor grammar. And the naming issue is not a dealbreaker either. If the overall query and pitch are solid, those two little details in the query won't make a difference.

Just make sure you fix those for future queries for your own peace of mind. :)

Good luck!
 
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Kenderson

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It's a typo. They happen and it's a not a big deal. If you're rejected or accepted, it won't be down to this. Ditto with the name issue.

Deep breaths, my old fruit. :)

Thank you. It makes me feel better. :)
Thanks GuruLord and ARoyce...your comments make me feel better too. :D
 

Elizabeth Holloway

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I know how hard it is to sit on your hands when you know something is not right, but, please... Don't requery. Really.

One typo is not a big deal. An agent will not reject your book over that. I imagine it's more of a nuisance (not to mention annoying and mailbox cluttering) for an agent to spend time reading your sample pages only to find a corrected sample farther down in their mailbox days (or weeks) later.

The same thing goes for the name change. It's not a big deal and it's not a reason to reject. So, step away from the send button. :)
 

stormie

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Same happened to me years ago when agents only accepted snail mail. I had sent out about five queries with a typo. Only one agent sent the query back w/ the typo circled in red. Don't remember if the others asked for partials or not.

Agents and editors are very busy. Most won't even notice the typo. Next time, have someone read the query through before hitting send.

Best of luck :)
 

Kenderson

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I know how hard it is to sit on your hands when you know something is not right, but, please... Don't requery. Really.

One typo is not a big deal. An agent will not reject your book over that. I imagine it's more of a nuisance (not to mention annoying and mailbox cluttering) for an agent to spend time reading your sample pages only to find a corrected sample farther down in their mailbox days (or weeks) later.

The same thing goes for the name change. It's not a big deal and it's not a reason to reject. So, step away from the send button. :)

LOL. Thank you, Elizabeth. I just needed to hear someone tell me it'll be okay, and to leave it alone. :)
 

Buffysquirrel

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No need to resubmit--in fact that'd probably be more off-putting than the typo :). Don't sweat it.
 

Susan Coffin

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I discovered a mistake last night after I sent out queries on Monday (8/27/12). I don't know how it happened because I went over the sample pages with a fine tooth comb, but it did. The mistake is it should be "his" and it is written as "him". So, my question is, since it can take a while for agent to go through their inboxes and today is a holiday, can I ask to resubmit my query with the new sample pages?
The other reason I would like to requery is another agent just mentioned on Friday that she was confused between the MC's name and her best friend's name. The best friend's name has been changed now, and even though I just read a thread where it said the agent probably won't reject because of similar names it still worries me.
Any advice would be great. Thank you!

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this question.

Do nothing this round, but correct the word for the next round of queries. As for the similar names, I would leave that alone as well.
 

ArachnePhobia

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This thread makes me feel better, because the same thing happened to me with my most recent batch of queries. I haven't gotten responses of any kind yet, but I've been biting my nails, wondering how likely it is I'll get a rejection because of that one mistake. It's a relief to know it doesn't usually happen like that. Meanwhile, I fixed the darned typo.
 

dangerousbill

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I discovered a mistake last night after I sent out queries on Monday (8/27/12). I don't know how it happened because I went over the sample pages with a fine tooth comb, but it did.

I'll bet even the Bible contains typos. For instance, Lot's wife was turned into a soft pillow, not a salt pillar.

Enjoy the rest of your Labor Day. The minor errors won't make a difference, and the name can be changed at some future date.
 

Niiicola

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I sent off two queries this month where in the midst of cutting/pasting various personalizations, etc, I completely neglected to include my genre. So it could have been worse. I'm sure nobody is reading your letter and thinking, "Damn, I was about to offer representation on this amazing book, but then I noticed a single-letter typo. Forget it!"

(Also, I'm a copyeditor and I get very snippy with people when they make lazy/grammatical errors, but I always forgive silly typos. It happens to everybody.)