Does it matter in the eyes of the agent whether they receive query via email? Does it cheapen the product?
Email vs Snail Mail Query?
- Thread starter GeneBrighton
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It varies so much by agent. Just study the agency Web site closely to get a sense of how they view email vs. snail mail.
The question may be what's the advantage to the writer submitting? if you send via snail mail, often you get a chance to send sample material that wouldn't be accepted via email. On the other hand, email is faster and cheaper.
It just varies, vs. it's a matter of cheapening the process in any way, imho.
The question may be what's the advantage to the writer submitting? if you send via snail mail, often you get a chance to send sample material that wouldn't be accepted via email. On the other hand, email is faster and cheaper.
It just varies, vs. it's a matter of cheapening the process in any way, imho.
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If the agent ACCEPTS email queries, there's no difference. They're treated just the same. Quite often, the queries are sent to a special address that is shunted directly to a particular folder on the agent's computer, to look at when convenient. It often doesn't show up in the main mailbox.
Of course, if the agent doesn't accept email queries, the question is moot, because it'll be returned or deleted.
Of course, if the agent doesn't accept email queries, the question is moot, because it'll be returned or deleted.
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Cathy C said:
Unfortunately that's not always true. Several agents say they accept e-queries and then will mention in their blogs that they prefer paper queries and give them higher priority. So make sure you do a litle bit of in-depth study on each agent just to be safe.
Maprilynne
Maprilynne said:Unfortunately that's not always true. Several agents say they accept e-queries and then will mention in their blogs that they prefer paper queries and give them higher priority. So make sure you do a litle bit of in-depth study on each agent just to be safe.
Maprilynne
Good advice. In addition, some agencies accept email queries but will only respond if they're interested. Whereas they promise to respond to snail mail so long as an SASE is included. Something to consider.
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On agentquery.com it says my agent prefers snail mail and yet I e-queried her. She asked for my full (to be emailed) and signed me three weeks later. All of our business is either phone or email.
The bottom line?
(I sound like a broken record)
It's the writing and the premise.
JMHO
The bottom line?
(I sound like a broken record)
It's the writing and the premise.
JMHO
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Not necessarily. I was signed within 2 days.
Just before I was signed, I had another agent request my full (via e-query) and took it home and read it that night. He passed on it the next day, but that's still a quick read.
Some agents are just that fast. Some aren't.
FWIW, e-queries seem to elicit faster responses overall (though this could also be a bad thing, because it's that much easier to reject as well). But if the agent says they prefer paper, I'd go with paper or else you risk being ignored unless they want to see a sample.
I'd check things like http://agentturnaround.livejournal.com and Forward Motion's Query-tracking board to get a good idea of what sort of responses people get to what sorts of queries.
Just before I was signed, I had another agent request my full (via e-query) and took it home and read it that night. He passed on it the next day, but that's still a quick read.
Some agents are just that fast. Some aren't.
FWIW, e-queries seem to elicit faster responses overall (though this could also be a bad thing, because it's that much easier to reject as well). But if the agent says they prefer paper, I'd go with paper or else you risk being ignored unless they want to see a sample.
I'd check things like http://agentturnaround.livejournal.com and Forward Motion's Query-tracking board to get a good idea of what sort of responses people get to what sorts of queries.
Yeah, come to think of it, I had one read in two weeks. And I got some excellent feedback besides. But this was a paper query and submission, while the feedback was email.