Hatrack River Writers Workshop: query troubles

This is topic query troubles in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by wrenbird (Member # 3245) on :

So, I am literally a day away from sending out my first queries. As test, I emailed my query to myself, to both of my accounts. Each time, the spacing was all funny with the opening info (my phone number, name, email, the agent's name, agency name, Dear Ms. So-and-So, etc.)

Either it was spaced out too far or all blocked together. I tried to tinker with it, but everytime, it came out that way. Luckily, the body of the query was fine, and it's proabably not a big deal anyway, but I am still worried. Is there anything I can do to fix this?

Posted by extrinsic (Member # 8019) on :

Assumptions;

The query letter was composed in a wordprocessor application, copied and pasted into a POP e-mail client, one sent as rich text and one as plain text, and the message returned, perhaps one via a POP server account and, the other, an IMAP server account.

The only practical solution is to format the query letter in the POP client in online block letter style in plain text format. Save a template copy to a folder other than the draft folder so that minor changes can be made as are necessary for subsequent e-mails. The reason for plain text format is so that if the recipient's e-mail client doesn't support rich text, it will render the same on their computer as the originating computer.

What's happening is the POP client is converting hard returns from the wordprocessor document into paragraph blocks with the line spaces between the blocks when the format setting is on rich text (HTML), even the single spaced lines in the address block. And e-mail ignores wordprocessor tabbing in both rich text and plain text format. HTML, POP and IMAP protocols don't support tabbed indents. Thus the online block style.

Letterhead
address
block

Recipient
address
block (optional)

Salutation (Dear sir or ma'am,)

Text block paragraph.

Complimentary close, (Respectfully,)

Signature block (name)

[This message has been edited by extrinsic (edited October 05, 2008).]

Posted by AWSullivan (Member # 8059) on :

Unfortunately wren you have another variable that you have absolutely no control over. The email client that your recipient is using.

They may or may not use html, so formatting it probably moot.

Your best bet is to format it however you think looks best in plain text. Even this is uncertain as some clients that do use HTML will upgrade a plain text email to whatever html formatting defaults the user has setup, ruining any formatting efforts.

The only certain way is to attach your letter/package as an rtf attachment but make sure you read the submission guidelines to make sure that this is acceptable.

I hope this clears things up for you.

Cheers,

Anthony

Posted by KayTi (Member # 5137) on :

Hey - congrats on being a day away from querying - that's awesome!!!

To reiterate what the other posters said and try to put it in plain english -

You need to draft your email in plain text. If you're using a PC, use the programs Notepad or Wordpad (typically built in with windows.) If you're using a Mac, I think textedit will do the trick for you.

Plain text is just like the text in these online bulletin board boxes, without using the special tags in the square brackets to make things bold or what have you. It's just plain text, in paragraph blocks. Hence you need to insert a white line between paragraphs for readability (I'm so trained w/this format that I have to spend a long time reformatting my manuscripts to get rid of the empty line and indent each paragraph, LOL)

It'll be fine, though. And very smart idea to test it on yourself first!

Good luck. I hope you get some nibbles (and I'll be dying to hear what they're like. I'm a few months behind you in the process but I'll be there before long too!)

Posted by annepin (Member # 5952) on :

Here's some good info for avoiding such snafus:

http://www.job-hunt.org/resumeASCII.shtml

It walks you through converting word docs to text/ ascii files.

Posted by baduizt (Member # 5804) on :

I don't think most editors will hold this against you. They'll understand the problems of email. I get garbled query letters all the time, but it's the submission that's important.