Tuesday, July 7, 2009

QUERY DAY

It's Query Tuesday--gird your loins, for I'm on another rant!
  • Three more "abused woman composers," my personal burr under the saddle.
  • Several queries to "Kate," "Kay" and K. "Treinster." Does it really take that much time to get the agent's name spelled correctly?
  • Oh, the bad grammar out there. It's even worse in some cases, than the spelling. Forgive me if I'm harsh, but if you're querying me you want to be a writer, correct? And, as a writer, you know the tools of your trade, correct? Then why or why do we continue to get queries that an 8th grade grammar teacher would throw out?
  • I'm still getting "querries," "quaries" and "quares." Huh?
  • "I have a fabulous fantasy about a wizard and dragons. Interested?" NO. Contemporary fantasy only.
  • Guilt trips, oh, my heavens, do I hate guilt trips. "Dear Ms. Tienstra: I'm at the end of my rope; you my last hope. Please, please take my book."

OK. I'm done. I love queries, I really do. But what I really love is when y'all get it right!

5 comments:

Carrie said...

What is UP with the abused woman composer guy? I just today saw some slightly older posts from J. Lyons and J. Faust about this exact same query. And there are at least two more reputable agents who posted in the comments that they're getting the same thing.

Where did he get the idea that constant badgering was going to work? I'm fascinated, yet repulsed.

Debra Lynn Shelton said...

I can't imagine the time and energy that maniac is putting into sending agents his or her "query." At least, you're not alone - he/she seems to be hitting everyone! And, what's up with the lack of basic English and grammar? That must be frustrating, although I imagine it makes passing on queries easier. Hope you and Jon had a great 4th. Our six cats could have done without the huge number of fireworks in our neighborhood. Too bad for them - I loved them!

Alissa Grosso said...

Perhaps the abused woman composer thing is actually a very clever marketing ploy. If constant queries are getting agents to blog about this writer, perhaps in another year or so the writer will officially become some sort of weird internet sensation, and thus land a book deal. Well, that's about the only explanation I could come up with that makes any sense. (Of course if that's the case then we are simply fueling this sensation by posting comments about the mysterious queries.)

Glynis Peters said...

I think I agree with Alissa, maybe it is a clever marketing ploy.

I smiled at spelling names correctly. My name is only three letters long. oh you would not believe the way it is spelt at times. SMY...how hard is that?

Unknown said...

Do people really say "You are my last hope!" WOW...talk about flattery!