Partial requests, attached text, etc

Submission protocol, query etiquette, and strategies that work
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casnow
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Partial requests, attached text, etc

Post by casnow » December 22nd, 2009, 10:23 am

Agents:
When I query you, and when you request first 10 pages, does that mean single spaced or double spaced?

p.s., all you agents could just save me a lot of worrying by agreeing to represent me immediately :)

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Mira
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Re: Partial requests, attached text, etc

Post by Mira » December 22nd, 2009, 10:32 am

casnow, most agents prefer double-spaced.

I know what you mean. What's the hold-up here. :)

Good luck with your querying.

Dakota388
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Re: Partial requests, attached text, etc

Post by Dakota388 » December 22nd, 2009, 12:09 pm

I think in general it is double-spaced, but be careful to research your agent of choice. My last query went to an agent who discussed this in one of her blog posts and said she wanted any requested large submissions double-spaced but to single space the initial 10 pages. Her reasoning was that she was merely looking at a sample with the query and had no plans of adding notes. BTW, she rejected me so what do I know.
"The Light of Epertase"-A fantasy novel coming August 1st from Rhemalda Publishing

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Nathan Bransford
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Re: Partial requests, attached text, etc

Post by Nathan Bransford » December 22nd, 2009, 12:16 pm

If it's an e-query usually that means pasted into the body of the e-mail, and since spacing is difficult to maintain in e-mails agents aren't going to sweat it either way. If it's for a paper query or requested as an attachment, double-spaced is the way to go.

Phyllis
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Re: Partial requests, attached text, etc

Post by Phyllis » December 22nd, 2009, 1:36 pm

Just a little bit of hairsplitting: The first ten pages in an e-query means I send roughly 2500 words, even if not double-spaced. Right?

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Nathan Bransford
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Re: Partial requests, attached text, etc

Post by Nathan Bransford » December 22nd, 2009, 1:45 pm

Phyllis wrote:Just a little bit of hairsplitting: The first ten pages in an e-query means I send roughly 2500 words, even if not double-spaced. Right?
However much is ten pages in a normally-spaced manuscript.

Phyllis
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Re: Partial requests, attached text, etc

Post by Phyllis » December 22nd, 2009, 1:50 pm

That's what I meant. Thanks.

casnow
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Re: Partial requests, attached text, etc

Post by casnow » December 23rd, 2009, 1:38 pm

Nathan missed my subtle hint of just offering me representation... it would have saved us all time - I wouldn't have queried, he wouldn't have rejected it, I wouldn't have requeried, and he wouldn't have to request a partial, which he then would have rejected, and then I wouldn't have queried again the next year when he forgot he didn't like the story and then offered represenation. I was really just trying to save us all time.

Oh well, at least now I know to send a double spaced partial :)

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