Friday, August 28, 2009

DOH!

See, this it why you should not sneak and send a query when you should be working! I was reading the query blog today and saw that Andrea Brown Literary has a new associate agent…Mary Kole.

Well, I got all excited reading her bio, so I got out the old query letter, addressed, read it over and just before I sent it, thought, “Hmm, have I queried them already?” I open up my agent list file, search all the names and don’t find a listing for Andrea Brown. I even took it a step further and did a ctrl-F for Andrea and Brown—nothing.

So I thought, cool, gots me another agent to submit to! I get the submission together and click send. The moment I get the auto-confirmation, I’m like, “Um…this looks familiar.” I do a gmail search of my account for @andreabrownlit.com and wouldn’t you know up pops an email to another agent there that I’d sent a query on August 12, 2009!!! WTH? How could that NOT be on my list? My list is iron tight, well organized and highly efficient! Well, obviously not. How could I NOT have them on the freakin list?

What is the number one rule of most agents? DO NOT QUERY MORE THAN ONE AGENT AT A TIME!!!! I’ve never had a problem with this as I can read AND I have relative common sense.

Although this is highly unlikely, but what if they both say, “Hmm, that Karen is a snappy writer and I’d like to see a partial, nay, a full!” –cause I’m sure they talk just like that—
What do I do, blame it on a brain-fart? Blame it on the alcohol? Blame it on the dog?--my invisible dog can so address a letter and email it, but he sucks at research, obviously.

I’m thinking I’ll just have to place them in the reject pile and be done with it. Anyone out there ever do this? If so, how did it turn out?

8 comments:

Keren David said...

Oh, don't worry about it - if either one requests a partial or full send it with a charming covering note explaining the situation, begging their pardon and hoping it won't be a problem. It's pretty unlikely they'll both come back on the same day, and then the first one to request can warn off the other one.

Stephanie said...

I wouldn't worry about it :)

Tere Kirkland said...

LOL, as long as neither of those letters was riddled with typos, I wouldn't think any more about it!

Good luck!!

~Tere

Karen Denise said...

Thanks guys! I'm sure you all know how insane querying makes you so it's good to know I shouldn't over stress myself. I guess I can stop playing in traffic now :-)

Robyn Campbell said...

I'm querying right now too. This is my nightmare. It's good to know there's another ME in this world. :)

Don't worry. If they're the right agency, you'll get THE call!

Thanks for your help on my problems with clues and chapter length. Great advice there. Appreciate it! :)

Karen Denise said...

Yeah, we can be neurotic together! I'll keep you all posted on what happens with them.

Amanda Borenstadt said...

Chalk it up to experience. I once sent a query with a ghastly typo.

Travener said...

We should all be so lucky as to have two agents from the same agency fighting over us. If it happens -- enjoy!

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