Email subject line for requested materials

[wilderness]

Hi,

I was wondering, when an agent requests a partial or full, do you change your subject line from QUERY: TITLE to something else? Will it make it easier or harder for them to keep track of you?

Secondly, do you ever ask for confirmation that an agent received the full, or do you just wait a month and then nudge?

Thanks!

[Krista G.]

I never changed the subject line, but I don't think it's a bad idea. Some agents have filters that will kick everything with the word "query" in the subject line to their query folders, so if they don't check those folders often, they might not get your manuscript for a few days.

As for asking for confirmation, I did that sometimes, especially if I suspected my e-mail account had been acting up. Any agent worth working with won't mind the question.

Good luck, wilderness! I haven't been around for a while, but it was a nice surprise to see your byline on a thread about requested material:)

[wilderness]

Thank you, Krista! Good to know that agents won't get annoyed by asking for a confirmation. It has been exciting getting some requests.

And congrats on getting an agent! I saw it on your blog. Hope to see your book out soon!

[thewordsmith]

A good idea, while not deleting the original subject line, add "Per Your Request" or "Per Your Request of [date]". This immediately lets the agent know this is something more than a slushpile query submission and helps to separate it from the rest of the inbox.