Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Chapter Ten: E-Query Flying On its Own

I've flipped my sentences, shuffled them around within the paragraphs, moved them from one paragraph to another, and flipped paragraphs. After trying virtually every combination, I'm finally satisfied with my query letter and started the process of sending it out this morning.

I copied and pasted my query into the body of an e-mail with ???? as place holders for the agent's name, agency name, and the greeting. My intention was to personalize each letter as I went. With my very first query, before I could fill in the agent's info, the e-mail escaped. At first, I thought I'd just lost it but, indeed, it was sent. I inadvertently bumped a key and away it went.

If agents get annoyed with writers who don't spell their names correctly, one of them is going to have a fit when they open my query. Worse than a misspelling of somebody's name is a string of ???? in lieu of it. I sent an apology right away but I'm not expecting a positive response.

The lesson to be learned is something I remembered after the mishap. Copy and paste the query into a blank email. Do the agent name and address and check everything before typing in the e-mail address - let that be the last thing when everything else is right and ready to go. If the query flies on it's own at that point, it's okay!

2 comments:

GLENDA said...

I had to laugh although I know it isn't funny to you when your query flies away before you are finished.
I have done similar things and I know how frustrated one gets.

I tell myself to cut and paste when I post on one of the three blogs I try to keep up with, but find myself posting on the blog and then publishing an article with misspellings and such.

I have another publisher I am planning to send you. If I don't, remind me, here?

Pat Meece Davis said...

Thanks, Glenda. It took me forever to double-check and triple-check my second e-query. I made a check-list so I won't forget to fill in the names. I still can't believe I did that!