Recently, I emailed a query to an agent. Within seconds, an auto-response appeared in my mailbox instructing me to consider the work declined if no answer is received within six weeks.
At least, I know the query made it to its destination. The last agent I queried didn’t send even an auto-reply. Her website says you’ve been declined if you don’t receive a reply after three months.
Is it too much to ask for an auto-rejection? Just push a “No, thanks” button, that’s all I ask. Surely, it’s more humane to close the door than to leave would-be clients peering hopefully through for an open-ended number of weeks or even months!
However, no answer at all is becoming a common negative answer. Frustrated writers on various lists often mention this response (or non-response) and not only from agents. One writer was told that her sister’s 23-year-old did not want to reply “no” to her uncle so would not be responding. The writer wondered if in this age of instant and frequent communication, no answer at all was becoming the norm for a negative.
I’ve wondered the same thing. There was a time when I pleasantly explained to telemarketers that I was not interested in their product. This, of course, led to lengthy arguments from the telemarketers. Now when one of them manages to get past the “don’t call” list, I simply hang up. The first time I did this, I felt extremely rude. Now, I cut them off without a second thought. I don’t have time to argue. They are intruding on me. No answer is my answer.
Is this how agents think? Are those of us who are not household names as unwelcome in their email boxes as telemarketers? But they need us? Don’t they? (Of course, telemarketers are probably making the same argument).
Remember when people used to RSVP to party invitations? If they didn’t, you knew they hadn’t received the invitation, so you called them. Now I’m hearing from mothers of birthday party age children that even if you call people when you don’t get a response and they say they will be there, they often fail to show up. The party giver wonders when to get the party going just as the writer wonders whether to query another agent or to keep hoping and waiting for the one who seems such a perfect match.
In a related question, I find myself wondering when does an email conversation end? When people speak in person or by telephone, voices convey an ending, but with email, the topic may be finished, yet a reply often seems needed. If you comment on your friend’s final point and she comments back on your comment, should you then reply to her reply? What if she then replies to that? I welcome emails from a friend (a non-writer) whose messages are appreciated, but I’ve noticed she always has “the last word.” And I sometimes wonder if I should comment yet again.
Is no answer the polite answer? Really? Any thoughts?
April 9, 2009 at 9:12 am
I wrote a list of all non-responsive agents from the queries I sent. One actually emailed me and mentioned she didn’t have my query. I resent, but she rejected. It was nice she took the time to email me.
The others did not. And I think it’s rude.
April 9, 2009 at 12:09 pm
I hear you on the email thing. I never know if I should respond when it seems the ‘conversation’ might be over.
And RSVP? Nobody seems to know the meaning of the acronym. I know it’s a problem for the tutor training sessions for our local Adult Literacy League, where I volunteer as a trainer. Only it seems to be the reverse — they’re prepared for 23 new tutors based on who said they’d be coming, and 34 show up. Not enough room, not enough chairs, not enough supplies, and not enough lunch.
Why is it so hard. And don’t get me started on the ‘thank you’ after an event. My mother insisted we write “bread and butter letters” after going to someone’s house for dinner or a party. And that was when it was pen, paper and a stamp to do so. Not even an email anymore.
April 9, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Jenn, your comment points out a big problem with this no-response idea. The agent can lose a potentially valuable client because the query was never received. And the client waits in that grey area of hope and wonder when a potentially perfect match might have been made.
Terry, I’m glad you mentioned thank you letters. Recently, I considered a picture book focused on how much thank you letters mean to a grandmother (a lettr is a hug), but everyone I talked to warned that nobody writes letters anymore. It’s all email and texting. Somehow it’s not the same to fasten an email printout to the front of the refrigerator!
April 9, 2009 at 3:20 pm
I think non-replys are rude. I grew up in an era where thank you letters were written for gifts or for spending the night with a friend. I realize this was years ago, bit I still think non replys are rude.
April 9, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Thank-you notes for gifts ! I would accept an email thank-you,
just to have an acknowledgment that the gift arrived!
Pat Cochran
April 11, 2009 at 5:36 am
I guess it’s becoming an epidemic.. no reply’s are everywhere and I believe it’s rude..
As for the telemarketers I’ve had problems with them too, first I used to find excuses like I’m busy this week call me next week and save their number so that I don’t answer, so they bypass that by calling from another number.. the last thing I did was tell them I’m not interested period, and when I do become interested I’ll call them.. it worked!
April 12, 2009 at 7:19 am
I hear you. I fret about the “no-reply” whether it is email or snail mail. Did they get my query? Is no news good news? I remember when that used to be my mantra. Now, I guess it should be “no news means no.” I like the auto-replies for queries, as well. I recently submitted a non-fiction query to a magazine, following all of their specs, and waited for the auto-reply that they had received it to come (they said it would!). It didn’t. So, did they get the query? Do I contact them? Their guidelines say not to contact them…but I didn’t’ get the auto-reply! Oh, this makes me lose my Zen place so very quickly…
July 20, 2009 at 5:07 pm
[...] makes your life difficult? I bet not. I would like to acknowledge though, it is a two-way street—agents, publishers, and distributors owe the same respect to authors, and often don’t keep the lines of communication open, as they [...]
September 17, 2009 at 5:03 pm
No replies are absolutely rude! (Telemarketing, however, is a different animal because a telemarketing is predatory and invasive full stop.)
In my professional experience as a photo editor, at one particular agency I was no stranger to hundreds of photo submissions being delivered to me *daily.* Some would follow up mail submissions with emails + telephone calls, and my inbox would be to capacity by noon. Stressful indeed.
Even though our website specifically pointed out that not all submissions would be accepted, acknowledged, or returned (unless including SASEs of course)……at the very least, either I or a colleague would send an acknowledgement of receipt of submission, explain we’d respond within 4-6 (sometimes
weeks, and that they were welcome to contact us via email or telephone to see if a decision was made after the 4 week mark, and that we would provide constructive feedback if the work was rejected. Of course we’d screw up from time to time, take too long getting to the review process, or really weren’t sure if we were interested in work or not, and it would get noses out of joint. But professional is as professional does.
Photo editors don’t have jobs without photographers, and good photo editors value what a photographer does for a living.
Literary agencies, and the book trade should be the same way. I don’t care how busy or inundated someone is, rude is rude. Literary Agents don’t need to hold authors’ hands, or whip out the kid gloves with every rejection – but even a form letter rejection respects both parties.