Another example of how not to do it
by Rob - September 9th, 2007.Filed under: Uncategorized.
This query, with attached manuscript, showed up in my email box today, and, yes, it was in all-caps:
DEAR SIR/MADAM
I AM A MEMBER OF WINNING WRITERS , USA.
I PICKED YOUR CONTACT DETAILS FROM ONE OF THE WIINING WRITERS WEBSITES RECENTLY..
What did our hapless wannabe do wrong?
1. “Dear Sir/Madam” — No. Address your query to a specific editor (it takes approximately three active neurons to figure out the right name to use when sending something to an outfit called Robert J. Sawyer Books).
2. All-caps, punctuation errors, and spelling errors (no comma or colon after the salutation, space before the comma preceding USA and the meaningless punctuation combination of two periods, “wiining” instead of “winning”); if you can’t be bothered to write in proper English, I can’t be bothered to read your manuscript.
3. “I picked your contact details from one of the Wiining Writers websites recently.” In other words, you’ve never even seen a book that I’ve published, you’ve never visited the line’s website, you’ve never even read my submission guidelines. I have zero reason to think what you’ve sent me might be in any way suited for my line.
I rejected the submission, unread, in 10 seconds, and even that was more time than this clown deserved. Folks, it’s not that hard to do it right. For starters, read the advice on my website.
The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site