Tuesday, November 4, 2008

I have a query for you ...

My stomach is in knots, the kind that creep up on you when you're trying not to think about them and tighten to painful.  Yes, you guessed it, I sent out a few queries over the weekend.  So this leads me to my query for you.  Email queries or snail mail, which do you prefer?  I like the ease of email queries, but they tend to make me obsess.  I can only check the physical mailbox once a day, the email box ... at least a million times.

10 comments:

  1. Don't even talk to me about trying to stay away from the crack that is email....ugh!

    I say go for snail mail. That way you get more done around the house.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good for you for sending some out!! I have only sent two and both were by email although the one that rejected me (already) asked for 50 pages that I was required to mail!
    I'll be praying!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think I would do both: email & snail mail, on the theory that it can't hurt, and some people in publishing might prefer one over the other. You know... you might catch someone's eye with a hand-written or typed cover letter. On the other hand, I'll bet there are some people in publishing who don't even acknowledge snail mail any longer. Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Britten, you're right, obsessive people like us should stick to the form that can downplay our obsessiveness.

    Terri, thanks for the prayers, I can use as many as I can get.

    Pam, what can it hurt? I like that theory. Some agencies, like you mentioned, have gone completely paperless, so I don't even have a choice. But I know that I would much rather read something in book/paper form than off of an email, maybe agents/publishers are the same way.

    ReplyDelete
  5. A lot are going paperless and prefer email now, and of course there are the hold outs that are mail only.

    I'm a child of the net, so I've done only email so far (about 57 queries). If the current agents that are looking over my work reject it, I will start preparing the mail only queries that a few of my bookmarked agents demand.

    I personally think email is great because the response time can be so much faster. The checking a thousand times a day thing can be overcome in time:)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh, that knotted stomach feeling. I know it well. :)

    Like Natalie, I have only sent off email queries. Mainly just for the ease factor. Also, I will be moving in a month, and I don't want anything to get lost. So, for me, it has to be email.

    And, you're not alone with the million email checks. I've had to set a three check a day limit. (Though I frequently cheat.)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Natalie, I sure hope it can be overcome. The best cure will be to find an agent so I no longer have to check. :)

    Renee, perhaps I should give myself a limit as well. I will start with no more than 50 times a day and hopefully be able to whittle that number down to...49 in time. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Or you could just keep it open all the time:)

    ...Not that I do that...

    ReplyDelete
  9. I've done both, and have consistently gotten a faster and more positive response with e-queries.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Congratulations on taking that step, Kasie! I have no doubt you'll be successful eventually, but I know the waiting is excruciating. Will you give me a push when I'm at that stage?

    ReplyDelete