Frequently Asked Questions

about query letters

I'd like to send an email query. What's your email address?

We do not accept queries by email. If you send us an email query, you will receive the following form response saying that we do not accept email queries.

If you don't accept email queries, why did I find your email address listed in XYZ guide to literary agents?

We have not given our consent to have our email address published in any book or posted on any website. We have asked several to remove our email address to prevent confusion. We have tried to be helpful to these guides when asked, but please remember that we do not control the content of anyone else's book or website.

Technology is an important business tool and the wave of the future. It's so much easier than printing out a letter and sending it. It's cheaper too. What's wrong with you old-fashioned people that you don't accept email queries?

We agree with all of those statements about technology. It is a low-cost, important business tool. But we prefer to read queries on paper because it's easier on the eyes.

How do I know that you received my query letter?

Because of the volume of queries we receive, we do not have a tracking system for them. If you did not enclose a self-addressed, pre-stamped envelope, we will not respond. Please do not call and ask if we received your letter. We do not respond to query letters by email. If you enclosed a SASE with enough postage, you will either receive a request for the manuscript or a note saying that your project doesn’t sound right for us. In other words, there is no way to guarantee that we received the query unless you receive a response from us.

How long does it take you to read and respond to query letters?

Frequently it takes a week from our receipt of the letter. Occasionally it takes up to four weeks for a response. If you haven’t heard from us in four weeks and you enclosed a self-addressed, pre-stamped envelope, assume that we did not receive your letter.

Shoot! I sent a letter to Jennie Dunham at Russell & Volkening where she used to work. How do I know that it got to Dunham Literary?

Russell & Volkening probably processed it as if it were addressed to them. We are not receiving query letters forwarded from Russell & Volkening, so you should assume that we did not get it and send us a separate query.

I have a great idea for a book. At what stage do I send you the query letter?

Please have a full proposal if your project is non-fiction or a complete manuscript if your project is fiction before you contact us. We have never offered representation based on just an idea. Lots of people have good ideas; it's the writing and the execution of the idea into a book coupled with strong author credentials that make a salable project.

I forgot to enclose my self-addressed, pre-stamped envelope when I sent my query letter. What should I do?

Send the query letter and the self-addressed, pre-stamped envelope again. Once the two are separated, we cannot search for the letter to see what the response with the envelope should be.

What if I send the stamps for you to put on the letter?

Please don’t do that. It’s too easy for the stamps to fall off and get lost or for them to become damaged before they get onto the envelope.

I live abroad. Can’t I just send an email about my project?

Sorry, we don’t accept email queries even from people abroad. We cannot tell who is really abroad and who isn’t, and the only fair way we’ve come up with to deal with this is not to accept any email queries.

I live abroad, and I’m going to send a query letter through the mail. Shall I enclose an international postal coupon for you to use with the self-addressed envelope?

No. We do not accept international postal coupons. US postage is available for sale on their web-site (www.usps.com). Please make sure that there are US stamps on your letter. (Part of the reason for this is that when we go to the post office, they often tell us that the coupon is not enough money for the necessary stamp. Other times they tell us that these coupons are no longer valid. We have no way to demand that they accept the coupon, and it has been problematic for us. While we wish this were not the case, the actions of postal employees is out of our control.)

So how do I get stamps for my self-addressed, stamped envelope abroad?

No matter where in the world you live, you can buy US postage online from www.usps.gov which is the United States Postal System official website.

What kind of envelope do you prefer for the SASE?

Thanks for asking. We prefer the kind with the peel and stick adhesive. Hey, how would you like to lick and stick 200 envelopes each week?

You must be really worried about Anthrax? Are you disposing of your mail without reading it? Do you prefer email queries now? Are you switching to email queries only?

We have had no change in our no-email policy since the Anthrax threats started. We are opening and reading all of our regular mail. (If someone is trying to send anthrax to us, the world has far greater problems than the infection of Dunham Literary employees.) For us, computer virus infection is a greater concern.

My manuscript is just a short picture book only 4 pages in length. Should I send that since it’s so short?

While many companies do prefer to receive picture book manuscripts instead of query letters, we prefer the query letter first. It does help to know the title of the manuscript and a little about the plot in the query letter.

I want to send for information on your submission guidelines. Do you have those?

Everything you need to know is on the website. If you send for submission guidelines, you will receive a brief, pre-printed form stating that you should look on the web-site. If you are reading this information here, you are already in the right place learning everything you need to know.

You sent a response, but not my query letter, manuscript, bio, business card, proposal, or any other additional material! What do I do to get it back?

Sorry, we recycle these letters and additional information immediately. Please make sure that you do not send us any originals. If the self-addressed, stamped envelope is regular, letter size with first class postage (39 cents most recently), you will only receive our response without any material you sent to us. If you enclosed a larger return envelope and didn't receive all of your material back, it may be that the material didn’t fit in the envelope (remarkable how often this happens) or that the postage was insufficient.

I'm an illustrator. Do you represent illustrators? How do I submit to you? Is your commission rate higher for illustrators?

We do have some clients who are primarily illustrators for children's books. Most of them do some writing as well. We are happy to look at color copies of sample illustrations. Please do not send original artwork. Don't worry, we know that the color copier changes the color from the original. We don't receive portfolio drop-offs. We prefer not to squint at slides. Our commission rate is not higher for illustrators. Please see our Illustrator Information page on this web-site.

Shoot! You sent me a rejection letter. I'm mad, unhappy, peeved, frustrated, __________ (you fill in the blank). Why didn't you accept me?

Please remember that if you get turned down by our agency (or any other agency for that matter), it doesn't mean that your writing is bad. It means that we (or that other agent) aren't the right match for you. It's more of a "not us" response than "not you". Every day agencies turn down perfectly good writing and writers who go on to become successful later. Turning down writers is one of the tough parts of being a literary agent.

Ok, so I'm over being mad, unhappy, peeved, frustrated (or whatever) about being rejected. Will you give me some constructive criticism about why I was rejected so that I won't be at the next agency I try?

We don't critique query letters. Each agency and agent has different reasons why a particular writer or project is or isn't a good match for them.

I want to send Rhoda Weyr a query letter. Do I still use your address?

Rhoda Weyr is not accepting new clients. We recommend that you address your query letter to Jennie Dunham. If another agent at the agency seems more appropriate, she will share the letter with that person.

I read in a magazine or guide that Donna Lieberman has different specialties from Jennie Dunham. What projects should I query Donna Lieberman about?

Donna Lieberman has left Dunham Literary to pursue other career avenues. We recommend that you send your query letter to Jennie Dunham.

Do you accept self-published books?

We do consider self-published books in the same manner we consider any other project for placement with a traditional publisher. (We do not handle promotion of books, so if that's what you're looking for, don't submit to a literary agency, search for a publicist.) Please send a query letter first. If the project seems appropriate, we'll request the self-published book. It is helpful to know how many copies have sold.

I have several manuscripts. Should I send a separate query letter for each?

No. Please send one query letter which gives an overview of your work as an author. We're not considering one manuscript; we're considering an author, and it's important for us to look at the various kinds of books the author writes.

Dunham Literary is not responsible for any query letters or solicitations. We are also not in need of improved telephone service, cleaning services, or other unsolicited services or products. If you’re surfing the web to see if you can get this type of business with us, remove us from your list.