Etiquette Question about Submissions

wysewomon · Mar 1, 2010

(I don't know if this thread belongs here or not. Mods, please feel free to move it.)

I'm getting ready to submit my novel to a publisher who accepts unagented submissions. (This is going to take a while, because I'm still working on my query and synopsis, and I do no excel at writing those...*sigh* Anyway.)

The publisher's submission guidelines do not specify "no simultaneous submissions." And their response time is long; they say it could take a couple months, although other people here have heard back within a couple weeks.

My question is, is it okay to keep submitting to agents while my MS is out to this publisher? Or would that be bad form?

Thanks,

WW

CaroGirl · Mar 1, 2010

Are you sending just a query package to this publisher (query + synopsis + first 50 pages, for example) or are you sending, unagented and unrequested, the entire ms? Typically, I'd say if a publisher or agent has full of a ms, you should refrain from sending elsewhere, however, if a publisher has the full, it's also typically requested. Hm. I'm not sure. I'd say you should treat it like a query and continue to sub. That's what I'd say.

Chris P · Mar 1, 2010

For short stories, many publishers who allow simultaneous submissions will say something like "simultaneous subs are okay, just please let us know at the time of submission, and contact us if your story gets picked up elsewhere." I'm not sure if this is the practice with novels, or if it's different since you've already submitted it to them. Overall, I think openness would be the best policy, both with the publisher and with the agents.

Jamesaritchie · Mar 1, 2010

You really shouldn't submit to publishers and agents at the same time. It doesn't have anything to do with simultaneous submissions, it has to do with taking potential markets away from agents.

CaroGirl · Mar 1, 2010

Jamesaritchie said:
You really shouldn't submit to publishers and agents at the same time. It doesn't have anything to do with simultaneous submissions, it has to do with taking potential markets away from agents.

Unless the poster intends not to try to get an agent at all, which isn't generally advisable in the US.

shaldna · Mar 1, 2010

can you clarify if they are talking about simulatenous subs to their agency - two different books at sametime, or two different agents at same time - or simulataneous subs to different agencies at the same time?

Phaeal · Mar 1, 2010

Two months a long wait time? Heck, I've waited way longer than that on one-page queries. That's a quick-reading publisher, I'd say. Kudos to them!

Subbing pubs and agents at the same time creates the problem James Ritchie mentions above -- if you've already contacted the publisher, the agent loses that potential market. So if the publisher you're interested in is one that might also interest an agent (that is, the publisher pays well), you could do better to hold off on a sub there.

Unless you're set on small presses, which you can contact yourself, I'd hold off on all submissions to publishers until you've done your best to secure an agent.

As for the query and synopses, buckle down and get them done. Don't go to market without your marketing tools in place. You never know when someone's going to request that one, or two, or five page synopsis. Or a one paragraph one, for that matter.

wysewomon · Mar 1, 2010

Thank you all!

The publisher in question, Pyr, just started accepting unagented manuscripts. They request a 3 paragraph synopsis and the full MS.

I'm so not ready to do it. My marketing skills are very weak and I need to take the time to improve them. Wanted the info, though.

Thanks again,

WW

WW

Etiquette Question about Submissions

wysewomon

Iconoclast

CaroGirl

Living the dream

Chris P

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred

Jamesaritchie

CaroGirl

Living the dream

shaldna

The cake is a lie. But still cake.

Phaeal

Whatever I did, I didn't do it.

wysewomon

Iconoclast