Marquise > Status Update

Good question.

Check: Is this writer still alive?
Check: If this writer is alive, is this person in a hospital?
Check: Is this writer gone offline?
Check: Is this writer in jail or in custody with no access?

After checking. If this person is indeed available online and chooses no contact. Then it is fine to remove the writer from the candidate list.

Does the writer/agent think your award is a scam/spam/fake/weird or is this a legitimately recognized award?

The book doesn't cease to exist simply because the author/agent doesn't answer random emails.

Don't agents these days warn their authors not to interact with the rabid fan base - just incase things go sideways and the interaction turns into high velocity projectile manure?

XOX wrote: "Good question.

Check: Is this writer still alive?
Check: If this writer is alive, is this person in a hospital?
Check: Is this writer gone offline?
Check: Is this writer in jail or in custody ..."

Yes, they're alive.
Yes, they're fine, their book just released.
No.
Hahaha, no.

I wrote to them twice, then wrote to their agent due to no reply and thinking my emails could've gone to Spam. But no reply there either. The book just released, so they might be booked full for book tours and interviews, and that's why I'm waiting.

But this is embarrassing... what if I don't get any reply at all after a few more days of waiting? :(

Elentarri wrote: "Does the writer/agent think your award is a scam/spam/fake/weird or is this a legitimately recognized award?"

That's also what I thought. I'm just starting, so they might think I'm a nobody or a scammer.

But what I wrote about was a request for an interview on my blog. Don't authors do blog tours when they release their books? For promotion? Though I imagine they prefer the big blogs and big names...

Elentarri wrote: "Don't agents these days warn their authors not to interact with the rabid fan base - just incase things go sideways and the interaction turns into high velocity projectile manure?"

They do. But I'm not a fan, I only read one of their books and liked it very much and want to interview the author about it. I'm not new to interviewing authors and artists (the 'Illustrating Westeros' feature on my website contains my old project of interviews to artists/illustrators.)

I guess I'll wait and see, but I do need a contingency plan in case I get nothing.

Marquise wrote: "Yes, they're alive.
Yes, they're fine, their book just released.
No.
Hahaha, no."

If the person is alive, but has no response.

Send another email reminder. The person could be overwhelmed and doesn't know how to respond.

Just say it as it is. If this writer doesn't respond to the email by a certain date, the writer will be removed from the list. Leave it on good terms.

I have been ghosted by friends who failed to respond for years. I would assume the person is neurodiverse and too overwhelmed to respond to me. As long as I have given enough opportunity to communicate, the ball is not on my court.

Is email the correct medium for this request? Maybe you should send registered snail mail?

My bother-in-law informed me a while ago that no one answers emails anymore. 🤷🏻‍♂️ It's all whatsapp or FB messenger or the like.

Or you are in too much of a rush and should wait at least a month?

Email may have ended up in the spam folder as well. Try a different means of communication.

I'm with XOX on this one, there should be a respond by date.

XOX wrote: "Send another email reminder. The person could be overwhelmed and doesn't know how to respond.

Just say it as it is. If this writer doesn't respond to the email by a certain date, the writer will be removed from the list. Leave it on good terms."

I'll see about that if the agent doesn't reply either.

I mean, the address I wrote to was specifically stated to be for fans and enquiries and such stuff all authors tend to deal with personally... The agent is for the Big Stuff.

Elentarri wrote: "Is email the correct medium for this request? Maybe you should send registered snail mail?"

I would think so, since the author gave it for this purpose. No physical address given, I'd have to stalk them and that's not good optics. :P

I'll check their other social media again just in case.

If it's an email, the author may not respond, thinking that it could be a scam. I think it should come via regular mail.