Simultaneous Submissions

I haven't seen anything like this before - or maybe I'm misunderstanding you. What I've read (here and other places) is that you should submit to multiple agents in the first round, then another 'set' of agents if necessary in the second round, etc etc. Is what you're referring to something after the ms has been accepted by a publisher? And where is the "So after seven 16 week periods" coming from?

I'm confused...

Responding to both @averon2011 and @shadowwalker here

There are some publishers who accept manuscripts directly (without agents), and many, though not all, of them do prohibit simultaneous submissions. They usually give 12-16 weeks as the time frame in which they will respond, though many do respond more quickly. I've had both rejections and acceptances within 3 weeks.

It is a mistake to compare the querying or submission or publication process to any other venture or business you have experienced. It is a unique beast, not necessarily better, but comparisons likely won't bring on anything but frustration.

hillaryjacques said:

Responding to both @averon2011 and @shadowwalker here

There are some publishers who accept manuscripts directly (without agents), and many, though not all, of them do prohibit simultaneous submissions. They usually give 12-16 weeks as the time frame in which they will respond, though many do respond more quickly. I've had both rejections and acceptances within 3 weeks.

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Ah, thank you. I had completely forgotten about direct submissions. DOH!

Averon 2011 said:

Why are we allowed multiple job application submissions to competing companies in any other industry, but not for publishing? What makes them so special that they won't even follow standard hiring procedures of the job market?

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Relatively few publishers accept direct submissions anymore, but of those who do few ask for exclusive submissions. What some do ask for, as do some agents, is to be advised in your initial query whether or not your work is a simultaneous submission. If you say it is,don't worry, they won't automaticaly discard it. They just want to know about the playing field.

Averon 2011 said:

Pretty much all the publishers want exclusive holding rights to MSs even if they hate them and don't want to publish them - for the standard 16 week wait period you're not allowed to send your work off to anybody else. So after seven 16 week periods, that's already more than two year's worth of wait time for the one MS.

I'm not saying that I am an impatient ass - I know that it takes ages for even the most successful authors to hear back from publishers, I'm just saying that if I were to apply for a job (any job), I would go on a job search site, find the ads that I like and then just apply to all of them. That's all the sending off of the manuscript is, it's a job application - nothing more, nothing less.

Authors are not Gods and neither are publishers - Why are we allowed multiple job application submissions to competing companies in any other industry, but not for publishing? What makes them so special that they won't even follow standard hiring procedures of the job market?

PS: I haven't actually started on the submission process yet - I've just been reading about it & the reading depresses me (re: MS submissions etiquette).

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A job application has nothing whatsoever in common with a book submission.

And, look, there's nothing standard about sixteen weeks. It may take sixteen days, or it may take ten months,

But you're automatically assuming you're book is going to be rejected over and over and over. If this is the case, just how do you think simultaneous submissions will help? With simultaneous submissions, you won't even have teh chance to improve your book between rejections, and this is bad.

And pubishers damned sure will reject a simulataneous submission if they don't want them, and they find out you've done this. Publishers have good reason for not wanting simultaneous submissions, just as agents have good reason for wanting an exclusive, and you're just screwing yourself if you don't follow teh guidelines.

Simultaneous submissions are wonderful, if what you're after is a big bunch of rejections in record time. They're horrible if what you really want is to find a good publisher for your book.

Stop worrying about time, and start worrying about what really matters. . .the quality of your book, which does away with the need for simultaneous submissions, and the thought that you're waiting for anything.

Instead of waiting sixteen weeks, you spend the time writing. Sixteen weeks is enough time to have a second novel well under way. Those two years you mention should be enough time to have two more finished books in the submission process.

Trust me on this, when an editor says no simulotaneous submissions, he means it. And, for that matter, when an agent demands an exclusive, she means it. Go against either, and you aren't shortening the waiting process, you aren't improving your chances, your just risking a big self-screwing for no good reason.

Well, here's the thing: You can read every word of the publisher's submission guidelines, and they don't mention simultaneous submissions (whether they allow them, whether they don't). But the diligent submitter checks the publisher's listing at Duotrope and it says "no simultaneous submissions" or "simultaneous submissions okay." The publishers I've looked up on Duotrope seem to be in the "no simultaneous submissions" camp more often than not. But I have yet to see that stated on any publisher's website.

So...is this just like submitting short stories to magazines and anthologies where the submitter should automatically assume no simsubs unless the guidelines (and/or Duotrope) specify otherwise?

Because the thing is, I've found quite a few high-profile publishers (that accept unagented subs) that aren't listed on Duotrope. Those publishers' guidelines don't mention simultaneous submissions at all. Should I assume 'no simsubs' in those cases?

By the way, I always disclose in my cover letter that my submission is a simsub, but if I knew in advance the publisher forbids it, I probably wouldn't submit to them in the first place--especially if it involved paying through the nose for postage to mail a full.