.The other day, after conducting some careful research (primarily to rule out the scammers, who run wild in this industry), I sent out some email queries to agents.
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The research aspect is very important because a memoirist should not bother an agent who specializes in Science Fiction. Contrary to popular belief, email should NOT equal carelessness. I made sure to personalize my queries to each agent--thus, no mass, scattershot messages.
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Later today, I will send out snail mail queries to agents who would prefer not to receive email queries. I don't want to say "older" agents because that would be stereotyping; I'm older, and I'm totally comfortable around email, blogging, and the internet in general. I even do a little html.
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I see many arguments pro and con for accepting email queries--I have one email address that receives so much spam that I spend most of my time deleting lottery winnings notifications from El Gordo and frantic messages from Nigeria and Romania offering lucrative financial deals, which, should I accept, are guaranteed to wipe out my bank account. I can only imagine the crank emails agents must receive from disgruntled (and unstable) writers.
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If available, I checked agents' websites; some are elaborate webpages with detailed instructions to prospective writers, accompanied by lists of client books; others are minimalist portal pages with the most basic of contact information.
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Two of the agents I queried actually require email queries, but they specify precisely what to place in the subject line; I ask the same from my students, albeit with mixed success.
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If I were an agent, I would probably be in this camp. Who needs all that paper around? It's easier to reply to an email than a letter.
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I suppose that if an author did not follow the agent's email instructions, he/she would be zapped from the queue without a thought. It's a buyer's market, after all, and there isn't a shortage of writers wanting to be represented.
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My experience so far has been surprisingly pleasant:
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--Agent #1 sent me an immediate rejection reply but was exceedingly prompt and pleasant. My book wasn't right for her--just that simple. I appreciate her honesty; besides, I don't want someone who is lukewarm about my memoir to represent it. I responded with a polite and short Thank You. Even in 2008, courtesy has not gone out of style, and she did take the time to read my letter.
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--Agent #2 agreed to read a sample of the book; I have learned not to read too much into that, but it's a nice start.
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I haven't heard from the others yet, but of course I don't expect immediate answers. I may not receive any answers--such is the ephemeral nature of cyberspace.
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What a far cry from last year when I sent a snail mail query (with SASE) to an up and coming agent at a major agency and received no response at all. It may be a buyer's market, but, still, what does it take to pop a form letter into the SASE with a polite "No Thanks"? That agent's name will always remain with me, albeit in a very negative way. If she/he does this to enough writers, he/she will earn an underground reputation as a baddie (No, I'm not going to name names).
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In any case, I'll probably avoid that agency altogether.
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Anyway, searching for an agent is just one aspect of my life right now; I'm currently at work on a novel, tentatively called ...And God Won; my protagonist is a 60-something woman whose husband has Alzheimer's. I also teach and am working on an internet startup.
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If anyone is curious, Jane Godwin, the character, has her own webpage. I have some rough notes so far, but plan to get serious about diving into this project this summer.
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Best,
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Jennifer
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