tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965176195649202077.post4459841816096504623..comments2024-01-22T01:33:12.564-08:00Comments on Adventures in Agentland: It's QUERY season!Natalie M. Lakosilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11558113325014783721noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965176195649202077.post-8711589995779315552012-06-29T15:03:02.027-07:002012-06-29T15:03:02.027-07:00Good and another post from you admin :)Good and another post from you admin :)STD Symptomshttp://www.std-symptoms.us/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965176195649202077.post-87878913833163720952011-11-19T17:02:30.824-08:002011-11-19T17:02:30.824-08:00Wow, I'm prepping to query you in particular, ...Wow, I'm prepping to query you in particular, Mrs.Lakosil. So this was very helpful. I'm probably guilty of one those, I'll keep this all in mind. Thanks!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965176195649202077.post-73644787714022723932011-11-15T17:04:36.803-08:002011-11-15T17:04:36.803-08:00Thank you so much for this information!
I'm no...Thank you so much for this information!<br />I'm not at the querying stage yet, but I will be soon! And I've always wondered what the "DON'T"s are to querying.<br />Thanks again!J. B. Kantthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13445950733396383742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965176195649202077.post-48757203963250505392011-08-16T21:54:26.089-07:002011-08-16T21:54:26.089-07:00Even though I'm not to the query point yet, yo...Even though I'm not to the query point yet, your post will be greatly helpful when I do make it there. Thanks for such honest information.Sarah Janewayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12054402097560905054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965176195649202077.post-32795024087132305612011-01-25T23:30:10.214-08:002011-01-25T23:30:10.214-08:00LOL I'm quite guilty of the whole... "Cle...LOL I'm quite guilty of the whole... "Clearly cut-and-pasted form letters". It sucks when you're trying so hard to get all these queries out and you accidentally forget to change the, "Dear So and So" to the agent's name.<br /><br />I just sigh and shake my head while picturing a crumpled piece of electronic paper being thrown in a vast digital garbage can.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965176195649202077.post-91782716005686770402011-01-19T11:13:34.363-08:002011-01-19T11:13:34.363-08:00Omigod, please tell me that no one claimed to be y...Omigod, please tell me that no one claimed to be your "humble servant". I almost blew tea from my nose. Not cool when you're sitting in a doctors office.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08798243128846248604noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965176195649202077.post-88796079608328392152011-01-18T14:08:21.311-08:002011-01-18T14:08:21.311-08:00I thought you were closed to queries until you mov...I thought you were closed to queries until you moved agencies???Katharina Gerlachhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00223722392075669331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965176195649202077.post-57261323842024693612011-01-17T14:10:08.666-08:002011-01-17T14:10:08.666-08:00Some of this is sad people don't know. If peop...Some of this is sad people don't know. If people don't act professional in the query process, it's a red flag that they won't be good clients. As an attorney, I enjoy working with good clients and really don't enjoy the difficult ones. I'm sure it must be the same with agents.Natalie Aguirrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03756087804171246660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965176195649202077.post-46597172999666685202011-01-15T21:30:56.401-08:002011-01-15T21:30:56.401-08:00Cute and informative at the same time. Gotta love ...Cute and informative at the same time. Gotta love it! Intangible Heartshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05047040538015079182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965176195649202077.post-20416436463332956002011-01-15T05:48:15.172-08:002011-01-15T05:48:15.172-08:00I think the copyright pet-peeve extends to many wr...I think the copyright pet-peeve extends to many writers as well as agents; there's something presumptuous about unnecessary copyright notices. It assumes they've created something worthy of theft . . . <br /><br />But it does happen. :( Cook's Source for one, David Boyer's plagiarism of Ferrel Moore's "Electrocuting the Clowns" is another. But even then, a copyright notice is no protection at all. Great post.Martin Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14265623440686160715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965176195649202077.post-2409986599657156362011-01-14T16:17:31.949-08:002011-01-14T16:17:31.949-08:00Hi Riv,
Saying thank you is polite and appreciate...Hi Riv,<br /><br />Saying thank you is polite and appreciated; it's things that are groveling that are annoying. When you expand past what you've written there, that's groveling. <br /><br />To withdraw, you're probably going to feel awkward no matter what. You just have to do it. You can put: WITHDRAWING submission re: XXX in the subject line, and explain that you've received and accepted an offer of representation and so are withdrawing a submission. No hard feelings will be had, I can assure you! <br /><br />(in case anyone's wondering, I removed the post the first time because I misspelled groveling on the second use. Doh.)Natalie M. Lakosilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11558113325014783721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965176195649202077.post-28621405822323362602011-01-14T16:15:19.044-08:002011-01-14T16:15:19.044-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Natalie M. Lakosilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11558113325014783721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965176195649202077.post-88468264181494118032011-01-14T12:50:42.358-08:002011-01-14T12:50:42.358-08:00Hi, I'm popping in for a visit. Great post, wi...Hi, I'm popping in for a visit. Great post, with some really nice tips :) I have two questions though.<br />Why is it wrong to write "thank you for taking your time to read this." Isn't that polite?<br />And how do you send a non-awkward email telling an agent you've already signed?<br />Thanks!Riv Rehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09385226727864037794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965176195649202077.post-85386924536497109642011-01-14T09:52:39.106-08:002011-01-14T09:52:39.106-08:00I submit that the huge jump in queries has to do w...I submit that the huge jump in queries has to do with New Year's resolutions. It is funny what it takes to motivate us.<br />I am truly appalled when those who are looking for work, (in any industry), think that it is acceptable to be nasty or start name calling. It's great that you seem to have a sense of humor to deal with it all. :DEdriennehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04060941793971854746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965176195649202077.post-970425148145998762011-01-14T05:35:13.934-08:002011-01-14T05:35:13.934-08:00Great post! Fascinating to see what fills an agent...Great post! Fascinating to see what fills an agent's in-box. :)Janet Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965176195649202077.post-10108399698479113622011-01-13T20:54:26.719-08:002011-01-13T20:54:26.719-08:00Great list!
(Blog comment copyright (C) 2011 by :...Great list!<br /><br />(Blog comment copyright (C) 2011 by :) incorporated. No part of this post may be reproduced without express written permission of :) (which costs approximately $1 million) All rights thoroughly reserved in perpetuity.)<br /><br />:):)noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965176195649202077.post-90493049643654321442011-01-13T19:48:46.548-08:002011-01-13T19:48:46.548-08:00Thank you for your post! I will keep this stuff in...Thank you for your post! I will keep this stuff in mind in the future when it comes time to start writing queries. I like to think I wouldn't have done those things anyways, but it's always good to be reminded of what not to do.Makenna Mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17288082431099940793noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965176195649202077.post-51229894593080953022011-01-13T18:41:51.721-08:002011-01-13T18:41:51.721-08:00I really appreciate all of your posts! There is s...I really appreciate all of your posts! There is some information that you just can't get unless it's from someone who's "in the know." Thanks for the blog!Hannyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05936315047570120258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965176195649202077.post-84875760404504751482011-01-13T15:32:32.799-08:002011-01-13T15:32:32.799-08:00QUERY season???? When does that end? LOL I will sa...QUERY season???? When does that end? LOL I will say that once I did do the cut and past, just the major query info, and when I looked in my "SENT" realized that it sent in two fonts. Felt sooo stupid! Thanks for clarifying what's whisy washy info : )Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965176195649202077.post-86949500452794999982011-01-13T15:22:52.989-08:002011-01-13T15:22:52.989-08:00Love these I-Hate-To-Read-These-In-Queries posts!!...Love these I-Hate-To-Read-These-In-Queries posts!!! So entertaining! :D Good breakdown. -sephAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965176195649202077.post-14876248253320283582011-01-13T13:31:56.558-08:002011-01-13T13:31:56.558-08:00I'm not sure whether to laugh hysterically or ...I'm not sure whether to laugh hysterically or be horrified that these show your sad lot in life (sentenced to read numerous terrible queries) as an agent. I'd ask you to tell me this doesn't constitute the majority of the queries you receive, but I know that it probably does. <br /><br />Chin up!Beth MacKinneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14510201092365855223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965176195649202077.post-90193279430039993002011-01-13T13:03:59.311-08:002011-01-13T13:03:59.311-08:00Your #2 seems a little off. Granted, if you've...Your #2 seems a little off. Granted, if you've had any dialogue with an agent who's considering your work, then, of course, notify them that you've accepted representation. But if you've had NO contact? Bah.<br /><br />I have an agent, the lovely Stacia Decker of DMLA, for over a year now. But I'm STILL waiting to receive acknowledgment of queries I sent out in 2009 from numerous agents. <br /><br />Checked the spreadsheet. Still waiting on acknowledgment from eleven agents. Hmmm. Silence, in this case, doesn't mean assent. Screw them. I'm not notifying them of shit.John Hornorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05773389211713070794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965176195649202077.post-41756129901363958752011-01-13T12:57:57.732-08:002011-01-13T12:57:57.732-08:00Absolutely. I agree that agents need to email writ...Absolutely. I agree that agents need to email writers when they reject and that writers need to email agents when they accept somewhere else.<br /><br />Not responding -- either way -- isn't nice.<br /><br />Respect goes both ways. Good point.Steve Weddlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03876211586767139613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965176195649202077.post-86551900986226587162011-01-13T11:09:10.496-08:002011-01-13T11:09:10.496-08:00Great post! I think many writers could avoid these...Great post! I think many writers could avoid these common pitfalls if they took the time to go over their query closer. I think so many writers are itching to send that letter off that they end up making some of these mistakes.<br /><br />Of course, I'm sure every writer makes one of these mistakes at some point, but it's nice to be reminded of it too. I think we sometimes get so caught up in our story world that it's hard to transition back to the real one. :)Darahttp://inthewritemind.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965176195649202077.post-57770503295405971012011-01-13T10:27:26.277-08:002011-01-13T10:27:26.277-08:00Great post, Natalie. You got me giggling with Ival...Great post, Natalie. You got me giggling with Ivalotta Trustissues.Laura Renegarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16358430748573154607noreply@blogger.com