Hey readers, Annette here. We’re mixing things up this month on Seriously Write. You probably noticed (if you’ve peeked at Monday’s post this week) that Mondays are now Mixing-It-Up Mondays. Tuesdays will change in two weeks. Ocieanna’s officially back as of tomorrow! Yay! Thursdays are going to be a whole lot of fun! And Dawn is taking over Fridays.
So, for today, I thought I’d offer a quick post on courtesy.
You’ve probably heard the advice to send a thank-you note to agents or editors you meet at conferences. Good advice. This gets your name in front of them again. And if they recall your interaction, you’ve reinforced that “good feeling” from your meeting (providing you had a good experience). *wink*
So, what about editors or agents when you’ve interacted with them through a proposal via mail (email/snail mail, etc.)?
Depends on who you speak with, but as an acquisitions editor, I appreciate when I hear back from writers, even if I had to reject their project. I read recently of an editor not hearing back from an author after he went to bat for her with the committee. What she may not realize is that though she’s reeling from rejection, the editor has just labored with her for her project’s success. He’s just the messenger in this situation. He deserves gratitude for all the time he spent on “pushing” her project forward.
I know it’s one more email, and some editors and agents would probably prefer not to have one more inbox filler, but a thank-you helps build relationships. A kind, grateful word of appreciation encourages editors who don’t usually have the last say, and who work hard for authors, behind the scenes.
My recommendation: offer editors and agents the courtesy of a reply when you hear back from them. If the rejection is too painful at first, wait a day or two. Put yourself in their shoes. Be kind. They’re people with feelings and dreams and requirements on them too.
Honestly, we’re all in this together.
Write on!
