Quote:
Originally Posted by Falbe Publishing
Many years ago I dutifully did the rounds sending query letters to agents. This was before they did submissions with email, and I came to the conclusion that the directions to include a self addressed stamped envelope was just a scam to get them free stamps. One just has to put a new label over my address.
I had an actual incident in which I emailed an agent who had requested a proposal for one of my nonfiction projects. After never hearing back about the requested materials, I sent an email and received the reply that she would send back my proposal if I sent postage. I angrily replied that I HAD sent a postage paid flat rate envelope with the proposal and what did you do with it? I think I busted her because she contritely mailed back my materials in her own envelope with new postage. That was the last time I bothered contacting an agent. Why bother?
I understand that agents are looking for material that they can sell, but it seems that most don't look very hard.
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Wow, I never had that happen to me. Or at least not that I'm aware of. Out of the 50 or so agent queries I sent out prior to going with my current publisher, only 3 never returned my envelop and never replied to me. My assumption was that I wasn't even worth their time to send a form reply to. Of course, on a side note, the reason I got so many rejections was because my skills at writing query letters at the time were epic levels of fail. (who was the lunatic who thought up the formatting for these things!?) I suspect that when I go give it another try with querying agents, I'm gonna need someone to sit down with me and explain query letters. Yeah, it might seem simple to some, but I look at them and go "huh?" Of course, as usual, that's probably because I'm overthinking the whole thing. heh.