Urgent query question!

[Juliana]

Urgent because its for an open door submission that's only tomorrow afternoon.

This is the query request, copied from the site: "Please send chapters 1, 2, 8 and the final chapter embedded in the email with your pitch and bio at the end of the email."

It sounds like pitch and bio go after the samples, but that's a bit odd. What do you think? <puzzled>

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I don't think they'll kick you out for getting it wrong ( and an apologetic sorry if I've got it wrong shows you read the guidelines.) personally, I think it's poor english and they mean it goes at the end of the email containing your pitch. That's the way round I'd do it.

Jo

 

[Juliana]

Think you're right, it really doesn't make sense to have the chapters first!!!! Now that I think about it... Just me getting flustered!

 

[TheDustyZebra]

This is why they invented commas. One, somewhere in that sentence, would do wonders to clear things up.

It looks to me like it says to put your chapters, then your pitch and bio -- but I think springs is right, and what they really MEAN is "in the email with your pitch and bio, embed the chapters at the end."

 

[tinkerdan]

I'm a bit confused about the embedded in the email. That's a bit different from attached.

Embedded might suggest its part of the email, which brings you back to the original question.

 

[Juliana]

This is why they invented commas. One, somewhere in that sentence, would do wonders to clear things up.

TDZ

Consensus seems to be: use common sense. Will do that, then. Thanks!

Dan, embed as in you paste your sample into the email. Agents won't usually open attachments (don't blame them!) unless its something they've requested.

 

[Hex]

My tame psycholinguist murmured about structure and prepositional phrasing (the with) and suggests they mean:

Pitch, sample chapters and then bio.

However, as springs said, it won't matter -- they're not going to kick you out for putting things in a different order from the one they expect. Good luck!

 

[Boneman]

That wasn't a dictated note to a secretary was it: "send chapters 1 to 8 and the final chapter etc...?"

 

[HareBrain]

It could also mean send chapters 1, 2 and 8 by some other method (perhaps telegram), and only the final chapter embedded in the email.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

That wasn't a dictated note to a secretary was it: "send chapters 1 to 8 and the final chapter etc...?"

I reckon you're right, y'know.

I do wonder about the merits of subbing to a publisher who can't get their sub guidelines clear. I mean, they'd be providing the proof for your novel....

Dan, it's a really important one to check in subs - about 60% in my experience wanted samples at the end of the email and the other want attachments.

One of the agents on Twitter (I think it was Jessica Negron, Hex's lovely agent) said that of the subs in her inbox something like a quarter hadn't even filled in the subject line as asked, which I found a bit scary.

 

[Hex]

It was! In this interview: Ten Questions for Literary Agent Jessica Negrón | Keyboard in Hand

I thought this bit was interesting (what an incorrect subject line tends to mean):

"Unfortunately, it’s an indicator that the writer has not done the proper research on me, and many times, the story isn’t something that fits my interests (usually not a genre I represent), something that could easily have been avoided had they read my guidelines."

 

[Juliana]

It was definitely chapters 1,2,8 and final.
Its Hen and Ink in Paris, apparently they do things a little... differently. Like they only open to submissions every few months, for a day.

Thanks for the link, Hex.

 

[tinkerdan]

This is the query request, copied from the site: "Please send chapters 1, 2, 8 and the final chapter embedded in the email (,) with your pitch and bio (,) at the end of the email."
>

Well then all thing considered the missing comma theory strikes me as the most logical.

I also would be worried about that 1,2,8 business. Unless someone has a logical explanation why chapters 1 and 2 and 8 are so important along with the final chapter.

Chapters one and two set the pattern for a writers style and skill and ,we don't know why, but chapter eight is always the magical point where it all coalesces or falls to pieces.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Chapters one and two set the pattern for a writers style and skill and ,we don't know why, but chapter eight is always the magical point where it all coalesces or falls to pieces.

...going back to WIP and double-checking Chapter 8 now...

 

[Stephen Palmer]

I am also concerned about the 1,2,8 thing. I've never seen that before. My first thought was "scam"...

 

[Juliana]

Stephen, they are definitely legit. I heard of the open door through the SCBWI mailing list and she's been a very active member for many, many years.

I'm guessing the chapter 8 thing is a way of seeing if your story keeps up momentum past the beginning?

I sent it as a regular US query in the end; query letter and then sample chapters pasted in.