I was surfing agent websites last week and came upon one that said the agent hoped to reply to every query, but could only promise to reply to the queries that sparked her interest. This got me thinking about my agent searches in the past and the “No Response Means We’re Not Interested” practice. While I understand how busy agents are and the quantity of queries they receive, I do wish there was a way a writer could at least receive acknowledgement that her query has been logged. It’s terribly frustrating to wait four – six months for a reply only to follow up and discover that the agent didn’t receive the query in the first place. Can not the query email address send out an automated “Your query has been received” message? You know, like the messages you receive when the person you’ve emailed has gone out of town?
As it so happens, BookEnds agent Jessica Faust opened up her blog yesterday to complaints about agents. I only had time to scan the Comment trail, and lo and behold one of the most major complaints was this “No Response Means We’re Not Interested” practice, when, for a writer, “No Response” might and can mean, “You’re Lost in My Spam Filter,” or “I Know It’s Been Ten Months, But I’m Still Undecided about the Partial.” The same idea I suggest here was suggested several times. Why NOT set up a special email address for queries and then have that email address automatically respond to every query with a form “We’ve Received Your Query and Will Get Back to You if We’re Interested” note?
See, we can understand not receiving a reply after our original query has been acknowledged. It’s not knowing if the query even arrived that causes the frustration.
If anyone can think of cons to automated replies to email queries, feel free to list them here.
By the way, I don’t believe BookEnds practices “No Response = Lack of Interest.” When I scanned the Comments trail of Jessica’s post, it reminded me that I had this post in my Drafts folder, so I dug it out. Timing is everything, doncha know?
When I first started submitting manuscripts I walked daily to my mailbox to collect my rejection letters. Truthfully, I think receiving rejections goes a looong way in teaching you about this business. Particularly if you get a number of rejection letters with similar comments.
There are some good agencies out there right now with auto responses. Let’s hope it catches on.
Hi Wendy. I totally agree with you about the teaching quality of rejection letters, and I well remember those days when ALL the rejection letters came in the mailbox. The difference was, we always received them (or at least I did). I can’t remember sending out one single snail mail query letter and not getting a response. Even if the response is a form letter, even if it’s months and sometimes years before it’s received, it’s a response. Which, IMO, *is* important. I’ve had email queries go awry to agents and editors. Spam filters can be so finicky. Upgrades to systems (when an agency or pub house upgrades) for some reason seems to prompt a couple months of queries going nowhere. The author doesn’t know they’ve been received (unless an auto response system is in place), and the editor/agent doesn’t know they’ve been sent unless the author follows up with a snail mail letter or a phone call. I LOVE how e-queries help speed up the process, especially when you don’t live in the States but are targeting American publishers. But they have their down sides, too, and the major one I can think of is when the author has no idea if her query has been lost or the agent/editor isn’t interested. It seems like such a simple fix. Is there something I’m missing?
Hi Nancy,
Yes, as the problem becomes more apparent, I am hoping more agencies and publishing houses that accept e-queries DO adopt the automated form response to indicate a query has been received. I hope it catches on like a fever! There are excellent agencies out there right now that don’t use an automated response system. They are still excellent agencies, and they have excellent agents working for them. I’m not saying that if you or your agency doesn’t use an automated response system for e-queries that the agent/agency is crappy. Far from it. It’s just the agency is assuming they’re receiving all the queries sent to them, when that can be far from the truth.
Maybe the answer is to follow up however you can. But if an agency has a no response = lack of interest policy, then they put themselves in the position of inviting tons of follow-up emails, letters and phone calls. An automated response that a query has been received would solve so many issues, IMO. There must be a huge negative to automated query responses that I’m simply not thinking of.
That’s a great idea. I hope it catches on, too.
Thanks, Edie. Hmm, so far no negatives. What are they? That some writers wouldn’t be happy with an automated response? That they would still demand the reply whether or not the agent is interested in seeing the work?
Personally, in this electronic age, that’s the only downside I can figure.
Hey Cindy,
I agree with you, but I’m not sure if that would work EITHER.
In our e-mails we already have an option for a receipt return request window that flashes up when someone opens your e – if you pick that option before sending out your e, but I’ve only had (1) ONE publisher return it to me. I send it with every e submission. Now that’s just a single left click over a pop up window when they open my e and most picked not to return my receipt…why? I can’t tell you…I don’t understand it. But I think it’s VERY rude IMHO.
Hawk
Hi Hawk,
I’ve had a lot of success with Return Receipt Indicators being returned, when I remember to attach them. I don’t always remember. It doesn’t take any more effort to click “Received” than it does to click “Ignore,” so I don’t know why editors/agents wouldn’t use those if they’re included with the query letter.
That said, not all email programs recognize Return Receipt Indicators. Some email programs, you might be able to set them up so that you never see the RRIs. Some companies have their own email software, so how it’s handled might come from the IT department. IOW, an editor or agent can’t click an RRI that they never see.
Much like wondering why it takes a publisher a year to respond to a ms, the answer is found in that old Tootsie Roll Pop commercial–the world may never know. 🙂
Hmmm, I think I’ve been watching the wrong commercials. I don’t remember that one.