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How to Query by Electronic Mail

One of the most exciting ways to use the Internet is to speed up the submission process. However, this does have it's drawbacks. Editors and agents are extremely busy people. Most of them have to be dragged kicking and screaming to the technological advances of the Net.

Queries

The most important thing to remember is to keep it short, simple, and clean. Querying by email is much more difficult than by traditional tree-killing ways. You have to catch the interest quickly and keep it. The one thing not to do, is to find an address and then toss off a quick note to that editor or agent. If anything, you have to be more careful in the wording of your query. Keep it under one page. Some people pay to download messages, and you won't score any points if your message rambles on and on, costing the editor money.

If you use email to query, it is even more important than even on paper, to be clear and precise. There is no room for a rambling biography telling of your genius. Editors don't want to read about your genius, they want it demonstrated. You can start by not wasting their time. Make sure that the editor is the correct one for your project. That old wag about teaching a pig to sing is appropriate in this case. (Author's note: I am not implying that editors are pigs, or that they can't sing. It's just best not to begin a relationship by annoying them. The editors, I mean.)

The standard rules for writing queries goes double when using email. Each letter should consist of three parts. It should open with a brief description of your project. Pitch only one at a time. The second part should be a brief explanation why you wrote/ are the one to write the proposed project. The third part can be a brief bio of yourself.

Note that in each section I used the descriptor "brief." There is a reason. Think about it.

Don't send a submission unless requested. This is very important. When you find an editor or agent willing to take queries by email, don't push them too quickly. Ask if they wish to have the proposal sent via email or snail mail. Most will want to have the proposal or manuscript mailed to them. These people tend to like paper, so they are often reluctant to embrace the electronic communications media. Be gentle on them.

So, to sum it up; be brief, concise, and clear. Keep it to one screen, if possible. Don't send an electronic submission unless requested by an editor or agent.

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