Thought for the Day
- By: Jessica Faust | Date: Jun 17 2011
Just as you shouldn’t use neon, or any, colored paper in professional snail mail correspondence (e.g., query letters), you shouldn’t use fancy email backgrounds when sending equeries.
I don’t want pink backgrounds, pretty clouds, or lined notebook paper in my emails. Keep it simple, please.
Jessica
Ah, simplicity. What's fun for one must give you a headache by the end of the day.
I'm not a fan of blue print either. I get it all the time from someone and I always want to say something. And this is someone who sends both professional and personal e-mails.
I want my writing to stand out, not the paper. Besides, how long does it take to download all sorts of graphics with each query? Who has the time?
Really? REALLY? People actually do that? Wow, you guys have a oodles of patience.
So stuffing the envelope with glitter would put you off?
I'm trying to set the tone that reading my manuscript is like a party.
Isn't that obvious? Ah well.
This does seem to contradict yesterday's post about authors becoming more professional.
Oh. Drat. Actually, I send my queries as powerpoint presentations. I suppose that's not good either, then…
My father in law uses fancy backgrounds. The worst one is covered (and I mean covered) in monkeys. Ick.
I’m going to have my query hand delivered by a twenty eight year old hunk in an ape suit. Honey you will LOVE his banana !
If that doesn’t get attention I don’t know what will…oh wait…you said e-query.
Can apes with big bananas type?
Yup, my husband does, sort of.
He hasn’t been twenty eight for a hell of a long time. The only big bananas around here are in the produce isle and he keyboards by index finger.
Ha, sometimes I just crack myself up.
ever thought about posting about poetry or anthologies or poetry anthologies? Even though that may not be y'all's speciality, your knowledge or maybe a guest blogger (??) could be very enlightening….
This wasn't you or your agency, so please don't take it as a criticism. I received what was obviously a form rejection, poorly written and with a major error in it. I think he was supposed to insert a form phrase of description and forgot to or didn't want to bother. I discussed this on my blog. But the thing is the querying process is difficult as it is, and this kinda made me want to go out to the garage and bang my head on the wall cuz it feels so good when I stop. REALLY adds to the sense of futility. Don't you think an agent should be as courteous and careful as he expects his supplicants to be?
Thanks this helps bring a smile to my face this early Monday morning.