Simultaneous submissions?

If you're going to do it, you must let the publisher know in your query, and keep them updated if you get an offer elsewhere. As soon as that offer comes in.

What Scarlet said. I'd also add that it's usually best to assume the publisher does NOT accept simultaneous submissions unless the guidelines explicitly say that they allow them.

I know someone who sent their manuscript to multiple publishers and got multiple offers. Whether she let them know about each other or not, I don't know.

But I'd assume it was okay as long as they didn't specify NO SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS. I'd definitely tell them something along the lines of, "This manuscript also with two other publishers." You don't have to tell them which publishers, just that you're keeping your options open.

The other thing I'd ask is why the hurry?
E-pubs, with the notable exception of S@m@in get back to a writer fairly quickly. So, unless you're in a tearing hurry, I don't see the point of simultaneous submissions.

firedrake said:

The other thing I'd ask is why the hurry?
E-pubs, with the notable exception of S@m@in get back to a writer fairly quickly. So, unless you're in a tearing hurry, I don't see the point of simultaneous submissions.

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I almost exclusively simul sub simply b/c it's a matter of not wasting my time. As I've relayed in another thread, I look at the response times of all pubs and time the submissions so that my responses will all come at the same time. That way if pub a has rejected it, I don't have to *then* sub to pub b and *then* wait for that response. I sub to pub a and b at the same time and get my responses.

My philosophy is the longer I'm waiting on pub responses, the more time is wasted with my story not available to make royalties. Houses like Carina and Samhain are clocking somewhere between 9 and 12 months from acceptance to publication. The sooner I get a story accepted, the sooner I can move on to the next project. One release a year is unacceptable to me.

None of my publishing houses has ever had a problem with me simul subbing. And even now that I'm in-house, I still let them know when I'm simul subbing (which isn't as often these days) and that usually gets me (I think) a quicker read.

My $.02

I dunno, I had one released at the end of August by TEB and the next one is due to come out (also TEB) at the end of March. I think I can stand seven months between releases, if I'm lucky enough to keep selling.

edited to add: I'm sure there are a lot of writers out there who'd be more than happy to have one release a year.

I can't think of a time when I've only had one book to submit anyway. I send one book here and one book there, so simultaneous submissions haven't been an issue for me.

(The above applies but for earlier this year, which was a blip -- won't bore you with the reasons why.)