| When I first started writing, I would spend at | | | | But the real kicker for me was when I got an |
| least a half hour writing a query letter. Maybe | | | | email from an angry agent who had received the |
| even 2 or 3 hours. Then I'd spend another half | | | | same query letter for the same novel 3 times. It |
| hour proofing and editing it. Finally, I would print it | | | | was at this point, that I realized I must find a |
| out and make sure everything lined up correctly, | | | | way to organize all of my submissions. Because |
| before folding it into an envelope and sending it to | | | | irritating agents with 'spam' is the last kind of |
| a publisher. | | | | reputation I want. |
| Times have changed, as more and more | | | | But organizing your query letters does more than |
| publishers and agents are accepting electronic | | | | keep me from resubmitting the same material to |
| submissions. Honestly, I don't even spend half as | | | | the same agents. It adds one extra step to the |
| much time creating a query letter. Not only that, | | | | submission process, and serves as a little speed |
| but submitting queries is now super cheap. No | | | | bump. Speed bumps slow us down and help us |
| more paper, no more envelopes, no more | | | | check over everything before proceeding. |
| stamps, no more SASE's. And now I miss that | | | | Organizing submissions also gives me a good look |
| one extra step of printing my query out and | | | | at where an article, story, or book is going. It |
| reading it over one last time before sending it. | | | | serves as a visual guide to let me know if a |
| The other day, I looked over one of my many | | | | particular manuscript is getting enough attention or |
| rejection emails, and found 3 spelling mistakes in | | | | if I should perhaps send it to a few more |
| the query I had sent. Ouch... no wonder they | | | | publishers. |
| rejected it. I have to wonder if some of the | | | | The real trick was just taking time out of each |
| other writers out there are getting careless too. | | | | submission to log it. Once I started doing that, I |
| The new easy submission methods are making it | | | | found myself being more careful with spelling and |
| way too easy for us to 'spray and pray' our | | | | formatting. And finally, that pile of daily rejections |
| manuscripts and queries. And when that happens, | | | | started to shrink, as the pile of accepted |
| it's human nature to spend less time on each one. | | | | manuscripts began to grow. |