Last time I wrote a blog post here it was about post-offer etiquette, but today let’s back up a little bit. Querying is HARD, and it involves a LOT of waiting. So when you get an email from an agent requesting a full (or a partial, all of this applies to ANYTHING an agent wants you to send as an attachment) it is easy to just jump onto your computer and send your most recent draft without ever looking at it first.
If you haven’t prepped a copy of the manuscript for submission to agents, this can be a problem. The first thing you need to do is make sure that the file is named correctly. If it just says manuscript, I’m not going to know what on earth I have when I move it from my computer to my ereader (or when I try to open it on my ereader, etc). Put your name (at least your last name) and the title of your manuscript in the name. Some people are picky about exact format here, but if I can at least have this information in a clear way I’m relatively happy.
Second, make sure you have a title page that includes not only your title, but also your name and, preferably, your contact information. I have been getting a lot of manuscripts lately which have no title page and are named only with the title of the book, and then it is VERY HARD to find the correct email in order to respond to the author. I have one right now where I have searched in my email box in every way I can think of, but without the author’s name, the email is just not popping up. I wanted to pass on the manuscript, but also recommend another agent and just give her an answer. Now it seems I will have to either go through every email in my archives or just wait until she emails for a follow-up. If your name is on your manuscript it makes everything much easier. Actual contact information makes it easier still! You wouldn’t want for an agent to ADORE your manuscript and go to offer your representation and then not be able to get ahold of you, would you?
Finally, of course, look at your manuscript to make sure you don’t have track changes on, or any glaring typos you’ve been meaning to correct but haven’t yet.
Then send! Send like the wind! It can be a good idea to do all this before you get a request, because when an agent requests a full we’re often super excited about it RIGHT THEN, and the more you can capitalize on that excitement, the better.
Happy querying.
