Should you reply to an agent or is it unnecessary?

Submission protocol, query etiquette, and strategies that work
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kans_007
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Should you reply to an agent or is it unnecessary?

Post by kans_007 » November 12th, 2010, 1:39 pm

When you get personal replies from some agents saying, they found it interesting but are going to pass; Is it okay to reply saying something like :

"Thank you for your reply and kind comments
-best wishes
XYZ"

just to thank them for the human reply. Or do they find it unnecessary and distracting?

thanks for all answers in advance!
K

notw
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Re: Should you reply to an agent or is it unnecessary?

Post by notw » November 12th, 2010, 2:48 pm

From everything I have read you shouldn't reply to a rejection whether it is personalized or form.

Guardian
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Re: Should you reply to an agent or is it unnecessary?

Post by Guardian » November 12th, 2010, 4:12 pm

You may to respond it, but it's really unnecessary. It's used to bother most of the agents. Only very few like it. But you never going to learn which one.

Fenris
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Re: Should you reply to an agent or is it unnecessary?

Post by Fenris » November 13th, 2010, 7:00 pm

Well, look at it from their standpoint. They know you received the rejection, and they assume you understand it's not personal. If you reply to confirm this, it's most likely telling them what they already know and adding to the deluge of other emails waiting in their inbox. Replies such as these are courteous niceties, but sometimes there's simply no time for such things in the business world. It seems slightly cruel to us outsiders, but in an agent's shoes I think I would quickly tire of an inbox full of "Thanks anyways" in addition to all the queries.
Hi, my name's Fenris. I'm a thousand-year-old monster who's broken free to destroy the world. Your kids will love me!

kans_007
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Re: Should you reply to an agent or is it unnecessary?

Post by kans_007 » November 14th, 2010, 12:45 am

Notw, Guardian and Fenris: Those are some good points. Looks like the best thing to do is to not reply.

Thank you,
K

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wilderness
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Re: Should you reply to an agent or is it unnecessary?

Post by wilderness » November 22nd, 2010, 4:10 pm

Any different opinions if the rejection is in response to a partial or full?

Fenris
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Re: Should you reply to an agent or is it unnecessary?

Post by Fenris » November 22nd, 2010, 4:18 pm

That's a good question, wilderness. I think if they've actually invested time in your project, it may be wise to respond to the rejection with some form of "thanks anyway." If they've taken time to work with you past the initial query, I think in that case a "thank you" is definitely a good idea.
Hi, my name's Fenris. I'm a thousand-year-old monster who's broken free to destroy the world. Your kids will love me!

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