Tuesday, August 7, 2007

What to do if your query isn't picked for posting

Generally queries are posted within 90 days of receipt.

If yours isn't posted, it's not because it was "too awful" or "too boring" or any of those other things your malevolent subconscious is whispering.

I get more queries than I can post. That's all.

You can resend your entry. CAREFULLY study the queries posted after you sent yours.  Revise your query based on the things you learned from the more recent queries.  Send again.

Do NOT mark "resubmission" or "second try" or anything that says it's a second submission. Just send it like you did the first one.

You can do this as often as you want but if your query isn't selected after a couple tries, it probably won't be.

Thanks for being my chum.

5 comments:

dangolding said...

Hi QS,

I had an idea! (easy for me; it involves no more work after having had it)

Could you add the date each posted query was submitted by the author? That way anyone submitting on a given date would know if their letter has been passed over and will not be used.

Example: I submit 1st July and I see a new post for a query submitted 2nd July. Therefore I know mine will not get in and I don't wait 120 days to find out.

Do you ever go backwards in your Inbox and submit non-chronologically? iF not then my idea seems, on face value, not a bad one.

Of course I appreciate it means another step in the process for you and I think (and hope) all QS subscribers are grateful for how much you already do.

Dan

Janet Reid said...

no.

I don't pick them in chronological order. Now that I know it makes you all crazy, it's even more fun.

Laura said...

If you don't pick them chronologically, what's the method to the madness?

song_of_calliope said...

Do you ever request partials for queries you don't post? If you were going to request a partial, would you have requested it when you sent the "me-response" that states "Your submission to the Query Shark has been received"?

roberbaran said...

Chum. I see what you did there.