![The Swivet [Colleen Lindsay]](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ydq3peK34xU/SkolThqi6kI/AAAAAAAAARU/LsOSWgUXFSw/S760/headerbw.jpg)
As of June 1, 2008, I will no longer accept any paper queries mailed to the FinePrint offices. (The exception to this is graphic novel queries; please see the separate instructions for graphic novel queries in my submission guidelines.) All paper queries addressed to me at the office will automatically be discarded.
There are several reasons for this.
- I hate wasting paper. 99.999% of the paper queries submitted get rejected. Think about how many trees that is. It's criminal, frankly.
- I spend - at most - one day per month actually working in the FinePrint offices. Yesterday was one of those days. And what was I doing? Opening, reading and rejecting slush. For six straight hours. I got nothing else done, and of all the queries I opened (62), I asked for zero partials. Indeed, every single query was rejected. Note that it takes me about twice as long to open, read and reject a paper query as it does an e-query. Therefore, accepting paper queries is not only a waste of paper, but it is also an inefficient business practice.
Thanks!
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9 comments:
Duly noted! Thanks for the update.
Peace out,
Dharma
I am foursquare in favor of saving trees whenever possible. Yay, you! :)
Thanks for the update and here's hope that everyone actually reviews the guidelines before going on a tree-killing rampage ;)
Honestly this reminds me of a fellow writer I talked to the other day saying that she had just now heard back from an agent who she (paper-) queried more than half a year ago. She'd probably received a much faster reply via email, so yay for faster agent-work :)
Good for you! I am never in favor of killing more trees. The question is, however, how many people will read your guidelines and adhere to them? =p From what I've been reading lately, there are quite a few people who don't look at the submission guidelines. LOL
Thanks for the update! 99.999%... really? Wow.
Brava! I am seeing this trend a lot more. It's the right thing to do, economically and ethically.
Good for you - I prefer Email queries because it saves paper, and let's not forget stamps, those tiny bits of paper that cost more than the whole filled envelope!
Okay, I'm mean. But I like trees.
The only downside I've come across are those agencies who don't respond at all to Email queries if they're not interested. Not even a 'hit reply - type NO - hit send'.
It means I don't know for sure when the 'no' applies and can't be certain the query ever arrived in the first place. It's difficult to cross those off the list.
I just hope that part doesn't become widespread. Query Limbo will get pretty full!
Are going to respond to rejected queries or no? I know some agencies think e-rejections take to much time, but I prefer hearing anything to not knowing if the query ever arrived anywhere but your spam folder.
Just_Me: The simple fact that you asked that question tells me that you haven't taken the time to actually READ my submission guidelines.
Cheers!
C-
I think it's great to be concerned about recycling and the preference for e-queries, but one should be realistic about the impact on the environment compared to destructive tendencies within the industry.
I've got a friend who is a bestseller with an excellent sell-through of ~70%, and yet this still means that each of her releases sees several hundred thousand copies sent to the recycle bin. How many agents would have to go to e-queries just to save the paper wasted by the career of this one writer?
Again, this is not a criticism of your move, LG, which is admirable.
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