Queries, Agents, and WTH

A real response to one of my queries:

Hello Carol, (my alternate ego)
Your story has an interesting premise, but is ultimately not for me. Thank you for thinking of [name redacted] and best of luck with your work.

You never know what you’ll get back when you send a query to an agent or publisher. Sometimes a pleasant but general reply. Or a personal response, a word or two that is helpful. Even less often, a request for more pages.

And then there are the crickets, the no-reply, no-automated response indicating that your query was received. Hate those more than rejections, btw.

Have you categorized the above query response yet? Really? Well, you’re wrong.

You might think it is one of those pleasant, inattentive replies and it is. But [insert laughter here] I received this email last Friday, June 6th.

I sent it March 21, 2012.

Bruuutherrrrrrr. Good thing I didn’t wait on this agent, huh.

Here is the original query:

I seek representation for THE ADAMANT, urban fantasy complete at 100 K. Please contact me if you are interested.  

The many talents of Shamira Kelley include running an ironworks forge, shoeing Clydesdales, and talking to animals. And she can kill a man with a glance. 

Shamira’s life has more tangles than last year’s Christmas lights. After her parents abandoned her at fourteen, she acquired a pendant made from the horn of a unicorn. Or it acquired her. The pendant seeks retribution by liberating the Earth of its human burden. To that end, the relic grants Shamira the unwanted ability to compel humans. Even to their death. But the sentient pendant didn’t figure on the iron will of its newest acolyte.  

It takes a chance encounter with Faelan, a man who has the same preternatural talents as she to answer her questions. But he keeps his true agenda from her. Faelan believes Shamira’s death would destroy the pendant and remove the threat permanently. For now, her self-control intrigues Faelan. And so he waits. Besides, he can always kill her later. 

THE ADAMANT is a stand-alone manuscript but shows promise as a series. Per submission guidelines, I am including the first ten pages.  

I blog at www.spiritcalled.blogspot.com and moderate a critique group at www.unicornbell.blogspot.com. 

Thank you for your time. 

The next time I send a query, I will adjust the bio to show that I’m a published author with a successful series and a member of the Missouri Writers Guild.

Thank the heavens I have a bio now, LOL.

Have you sent any queries yet? Got any cool responses? Advice? Crickets?