Confusion, meet frustration...

As a writer, I try to do my best to submit my work to people in a way that will get me noticed, but not annoy the person I'm submitting it to. That's why it is so important to check out the submission guidelines before I send ot a query letter. I don't want to have the possible agent or editor remember me as the writer who can't follow directions.

My problems arose when I started using the internet to find agent and publishers to submit work to. I subscribed to "The Writers Market Online," and I looked at pages like "agentquery.com" for possible leads.

In doing so I discovered you can really P.O. an agent by looking at these sites, and not double checking their own personal web site. Once I sent a query to an agent via email, and got back an email saying they only take hardcopy submissions. Another time I met an agent at a convention, and when I mentioned reading about her on one of the online writer's pages, she was surprised. She had no idea there was anything about her on the site, and said she had no part in it being there.

It makes me worry. I have enough angst about sending out my manuscript at all. The thought that I could be sending it off just to anger an agent or publisher gives me the heebee jeebees.

I figure between my impatience and the errors from submitting things wrong, I'll soon end up with my face on warning posters in the agent and editors offices with a caption like:
"Beware of S. A. Stone, AKA: Stalking Author Stone. Subject is considered odd and annoying. If seen, go to the opposite side of the convention and hide or seek high ground. Do not approach unless you are wearing a business card proof outfit, have lots of time to waste, and want a reputation for a total lack of taste."

Of course, if and when I get to be a famous writer one day, I probably won't have to worry about those darn posters anymore...Right?