So, has anyone else had a really good experience with hardcopy querying versus e-querying that will cheer me up?
Le sigh.
I have to move on to writing a synopsis now. Yep... the day just gets better.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Today I'm going to Query/Party like it's 1955
So, I'm getting ready to work on some queries for "hardcopy" only agents. I've got a good feeling about some agents... which is why I'm doing it. In general, I don't like hardcopy stuff... because then I'm forced to lurk by the mailbox waiting to be rejected. Also, I have to go to the post office. Some of you may remember one of my stranger "phobias" is of the post office. It's ridiculous, but much of my life is... so quit being so judgmental.
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GOOD LUCK!!!! Face your fears. That mailbox is going to hold good news for you someday soon. I'm sending lots and lots of good vibes to you.
ReplyDeleteThe thought of writing a synopsis makes me break out in hives...
ReplyDeleteActually, I can't think of a single good thing that came from sending hard copies. It costs money and the wait for a response is interminable. The only responses I got arrived in my SASE. Well, you know what's in that before you open it. So have fun.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid I'm going to have to echo Matt. I fear most hard-copy-queries-only agents really mean "no queries, unless they're from J. D. Salinger's estate, thank you very much." Some of them don't even bother to send back your SASE. Or they'll write "Not for me" across your query letter.
ReplyDeleteIf you are going to query them, look carefully for guidelines, which they probably don't post online because they don't have websites. But I've seen interviews with some of the old guard where they contradict everything modern agents like Query Shark have told us. They want lots of polite chit chat up front, endless bios and and looooog synopses.
I've only sent out one hard copy query before. It was to a super agent. I landed a request. I tend to avoid hard copy queries because of the expense involved. I live in Canada, and mailing to the US isn't cheap.
ReplyDeleteI haven't written many hard copy queries, but I did get responses from all or almost all. Sure, they were rejections, but oh well. Yes, it costs more, and in my opinion can be a bit of a pain (more than a bit), but think of how many writers don't do them because they think they don't work. Maybe that gives you slightly better odds? I'd think of it that way, if I were you.
ReplyDeleteI have only hard-copy queried my first novel, and then just a few. These days it seems like most accept email. Good luck with it!
ReplyDeleteAnd synopses...blech
I always thought that any response that came in a SASE would be a form rejection, but then two requests came via my SASE from hard-copy queries. So they can be just as viable as email queries :) Some really good agents still only accept hard-copy - probably because it takes more work than shooting off an email, so the ones who actually send that hard-copy query are more serious writers. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteHello Wendy! I came over by way of Julie's blog 'Silver Lining'. I absolutely love your illustration of the roaring ladybird! (and with one word I give away my British-ness - yup, we say ladybirds!).
ReplyDeleteLots of good luck with your query. Regarding hard-copy vs email - all my past queries have been hard copies - don't think I have ever done an email submission! But my last query was a long time ago (perhaps five years, maybe?) so maybe the world has skipped on!