Closed To Queries

You've probably heard it out in the Twitter-fueled gossip farms: I'm closing to queries starting 10/15 (yesterday). All queries received after I've closed will receive an automated response telling you what I'm telling you here: I'm closed to queries, please requery after the first of next year.

So what that means for you if:

• You already queried in the past: your query will be responded to within four-to-six weeks of your sending it. If you believe your query should have already received a response, JUST WAIT. If you send a follow-up now you'll just get the closed auto response. If you still haven't received a response in 2012, requery then.
• You've queried yesterday or today: if you don't get the automated message, you snuck in! Your query will get a response in four-to-six weeks. If you did get the automated message, you missed the closed date--please requery in 2012!!
• You were planning to query in the near future: You will (I hope) requery in 2012 or someone else will snap you up in the meantime, to my eternal sadness.
• You were planning to query in 2012: You're go! Keep polishing your query and manuscript and we'll talk soon!!

Other rules:

• DO NOT respond to the automated response. Any replies cluttering up the inbox will make it harder to clean things out and will make it more likely that I have to extend my closed-to-queries-ness.
• We won't hesitate to mark as spam anyone who repeatedly responds to the auto response or is in anyway abusive--expressing frustration, telling us we're missing out on the next big bestseller, etc. That means we won't read your query next year. Or ever.
• Don't worry! I have plenty of room on my list, and that space will still be there in 2012! We'll speak then.

Closing to queries now is going to allow me to focus on client projects in the last quarter of this year. It'll also allow me to speed up response times next year. Thanks!