How to Query, Part 3: Communicating with agents
The types of emails will you receive from agents while querying and how to respond
This is Part 3 of my How to Query series. Catch up on the earlier reads:
Reminder: I’m approaching this from the context of traditional publishing. Standards and norms shared in this series are for authors pursuing the trad route.
Today we’re discussing communications during the query process—the type of emails and requests you can expect to receive from agents, along with some sample responses you can use when replying.
Let’s get started…
The biggest thing I want to stress about communicating with agents is that you should always be professional, polite, and succinct. (Yes, even if you get rejections.) Ideally, your query already exuded these three qualities! Make sure you continue to channel them throughout all correspondences.
What might those correspondences look like? Well, it will depend on the agent’s reaction to your query. Here’s a rundown of the types of emails you may end up fielding during querying process:
Form Rejection
What it is: A generic email in response to your query that firmly and succinctly says “no thanks.”
A form rejection will hold little to no personalized information. Often times it won’t even include your project’s title because the message was copied-and-pasted to save the agent time.
In a sentence or two, the form rejection will typically say that the work isn’t right for the agent’s list, that they didn’t have the right enthusiasm for your project, that they have to pass on the title, that the manuscript isn’t something they’d like to pursue, or another turn of phrase that politely declines representation.
How to respond: Don’t! A form rejection can sting, but it’s the quickest way for the agent to tell you they are not interested in your project. No response is necessary.
Personalized Rejection
What it is: A rejection to your query, but with a personalized comment about your work.
This comment could be praise or critique, but with the volume of queries the average agent receives, any personalized response is a great sign. Although this project isn’t right for the agent at this moment, they still saw something in your work and took the time to write to you individually. This means your query and pages are working!
How to respond: A simple thank you is a kind gesture that may be appreciated.
Example response:
Thank you for taking the time to read and for providing this feedback. I’ll keep you in mind for future projects.
Note: You don’t need to query those other projects right away, unless the agent literally says, “Do you have anything else that you can share with me?” Otherwise, give yourself time to query your current project and circle back to this agent with another project later down the road as necessary.
A Partial or Full Request
What it is: A response to your query in which the agent requests to read more of your work and instructs you on how to send those pages.
Sometimes the agent will request to read the complete manuscript. This is considered a “full request.” Or they may simply want to read an additional sampling of pages before investing their time in the complete manuscript. If the agent asks for a set amount of pages, this is considered a “partial request.”
How to respond: Express your excitement that the agent is interested in reading more, attach the requested pages, and sign off. (Then go celebrate. This is a huge accomplishment!)
Example response:
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