So I was writing a query letter the other day and, of course, agonising over it. It has to be perfect and I try to follow the rules but in the world of epublishing I wonder do I have to set up formal stationery? Do I need to fully address the email? In this case I did the first by just having my name, address & contact info in the top right and in the second case I just addressed it to the specific editor, followed by her title, pub name and line. I didn’t put in the pubs full address. In my greeting I was formal…”Dear Ms. XYZ”.

Then of course I worry about the fact that I am Canadian and use British versions of various words. While most editors recognise (notice that I use an “s” where I believe in the States you would use a “z” that some may think it’s a spelling error. Sometimes I struggle with whether or not to change and use all American spelling but then I’m not American and I automatically write the words the way I learned them. Spell check, on the other hand, tries to tell me they are spelled wrong, no matter how many times I try to change the dictionary to Canadian English (it keeps switching back and I have no idea why :angrysmiley.

Despite all of this angst I sent the letter off (I am so anal that it takes me forever to finally hit the send button because I worry if I’ve worded it all just perfectly). Thankfully I received a request for the full. Yay! Wait, now I have to write a whole new email in reply and actually send the ms.

What is the protocol for the reply? She addressed me by my first name but I did not feel comfortable replying with hers so stuck to the formal and used her last name. Do I just hit reply, attach the ms and thank her for her time or do I re-address the whole thing formally again. Well, I did just hit reply and didn’t re-address the whole thing formally other than starting with “Dear Ms. XYZ” again. Then I very carefully thanked her for her invitation to submit, advised I was attaching said ms, told her I appreciated her time, thanked her once again and said I looked forward to hearing from her.

Does this all sound like I spent way too much time worrying about a 4-5 sentence reply? Yes, I’m sure it does but I’m one of those who likes to do everything the best I can the first time. I really need to chill. BUT, this is my new career and I’ve come from the business world where everything is very formal and proper and I’m not sure that it should be any different for epubs just because everything is done online.

So now I’m waiting for a reply to that and I’ve checked a hundred times to be sure that I sent the right ms because wouldn’t that just suck if I sent the wrong attachment? Am I the only one who obsesses over this stuff? Why can’t I relax?

Anyway, what do you all think? How do you handle this process with epubs? I know it is different if you are agented but when you are going to an epub directly, especially one you’ve not worked with before, how do you handle it? Then how do you feel once it’s done? Are you like me and worry that you’ve done everything just right? Or are you able to throw it off and move on? If so, was this something you learned over time or is it just your personality?

…on an editor, on The Call, on anything really (you can apply these to waiting in all areas of your life but come on – you know what we’re waiting for):

1. Eat Chocolate – yes, you may gain weight but it is a good and worthy option and it might make you forget you cared about waiting.
2. Drink – this goes without saying although it can kick the anxiety level up.
3. Write something else – while this is what we should be doing, I for one am having difficulty with it for some reason.
4. – this one I am very good at. Burying myself in a book is as good a way as any to pass the time, and no commercial breaks!
5. Play with the kids/baby – no really, I should do this more. It’s good for all concerned and can be very distracting. Just do it away from the computer otherwise every email ping will have you running.
6. Catch up on your bills – this one sucks but it does take time and usually some concentration.
7. Spend time with the Romance Divas – where you wonder if everyone else is there trying to distract themselves as well.
8. Bloghop – this usually only distracts you if you aren’t hopping to your editors blog hoping she will say something brilliant about you or say anything about you at all. :shiftyeyes:
9. Fold laundry – yes, you’re getting desperate but hey it has to be done.
10. Drive around trying to get the baby to sleep – this is called waiting on the baby to sleep because you’ve already tried for three hours at home to get him to sleep and it didn’t work!
11. Write your THursday Thirteen – ok, well I’m not so good at this one because I only have time to write it after I get my oldest off to school, my middle child settled with whatever show she is fixated on at present and my baby fed. Oh, well see I just used up a lot of time with that! LOL
12. Try desperately to put it out of your mind and enjoy life exactly the way it is right now. :crazyjack:
13. Try not to count to 13 because you only have 12 things to do while waiting!!! LOL
    
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My lovely friend, Shannon, released the second in her Devlin Group series yesterday.

I also read On the Edge yesterday and let me tell you it ROCKED! You need to go buy it right now…..why are you still here? Go!

:crazyjack: PS: Come back and tell me when you’ve read it. Tell me what you thought – tell Shannon what you thought. For every comment you will be entered into a draw. It’s a secret draw though since I’m not revealing the prize. Are you all willing to enter when you don’t know what you’ll win? Don’t worry it won’t be anything gross or disgusting or petty. I promise! I will close this draw at the end of the month. So Saturday, March 31, 2007 at Midnight Pacific. I will announce the winner on Monday, April 2nd.

UPDATED – since this post got knocked down rather quickly I’m actually EXTENDING the contest until Monday, April 2nd at Midnight Pacific with the prize to be awarded on Tuesday, April 3rd. Come on people just because you don’t know what you are getting doesn’t mean it won’t be worth it!

…until Love’s Blessings is released!

Mark your calendars blog hoppers…April 20, 2007 will be the release of my inspirational short. I don’t think you will find it preachy. What I hope you find is a story about love, friendship and faith. How a couple lose their way through infertility problems and use faith to find each other again.

It’s a mostly true story, carrying bits of me, bits of friends of mine and bits of a sermon I once heard.

Today you will find me at Romancing the Blog where I’m talking about being a Series Slut. Won’t you come over and join me?