Submissions question

Rizzo · Feb 6, 2008

Sometimes I read threads and see that in some of your signatures for the rejection pledge, some of you out there have nearly, or more than a hundred, and this has me curious about how you submit because every publisher I ever look up always asks for no simultaneous submissions, but I find that kind of frustrating and mean to the writer who has to wait months for a reply.

So where are you all finding these publishers and agents who don't mind the simultaneous submissions? Or do you simply send out several submissions at a time regardless of what the publisher wants?

Thanks

Dragon-lady · Feb 6, 2008

Well, let me say I'm not a fantasy writer--so my comment probably doesn't count. But I have a number of short stories out so those add up. And of course you do simultaneous queries. I assume those would count toward a pledge. A query is not a submission.

girlyswot · Feb 6, 2008

Rizzo said:
Sometimes I read threads and see that in some of your signatures for the rejection pledge, some of you out there have nearly, or more than a hundred, and this has me curious about how you submit because every publisher I ever look up always asks for no simultaneous submissions, but I find that kind of frustrating and mean to the writer who has to wait months for a reply.

So where are you all finding these publishers and agents who don't mind the simultaneous submissions? Or do you simply send out several submissions at a time regardless of what the publisher wants?

Thanks

Did you see the story in the Writing Novels forums from the guy who just got a request for a partial from a query letter he sent in 2002? The book has already been published by someone else.

If they ask for a full manuscript on an exclusive, then there needs to be a clear time limit after which it is acceptable for you to start sending it to other agents/editors. Otherwise, it's fine to have multiple queries out at once. How will the publisher know? If you get several offers then you have the fun of choosing one. If not, you've lost nothing.

Windsong · Feb 6, 2008

I think by simultaneous submissions they mean you can't submit more than one story to them at a time. If they don't want you to query others at the same time, they will talk about exclusives.

Rizzo · Feb 6, 2008

girlyswot said:
Did you see the story in the Writing Novels forums from the guy who just got a request for a partial from a query letter he sent in 2002? The book has already been published by someone else.

If they ask for a full manuscript on an exclusive, then there needs to be a clear time limit after which it is acceptable for you to start sending it to other agents/editors. Otherwise, it's fine to have multiple queries out at once. How will the publisher know? If you get several offers then you have the fun of choosing one. If not, you've lost nothing.

0.o Wow, that's crazy, I need to go and read that, but I'll keep that in mind. As many queries as I like

Rizzo · Feb 6, 2008

Dragon-lady said:
Well, let me say I'm not a fantasy writer--so my comment probably doesn't count. But I have a number of short stories out so those add up. And of course you do simultaneous queries. I assume those would count toward a pledge. A query is not a submission.

I never really thought of that either, that some people had more than one story to send out, I have a couple, but definitely not enough to help me rack up my collection of rejections.

Josie · Feb 6, 2008

Oh egads, for years I've been trying to get those terms right:

Simultaneous submissions
which is same story to several publishers?

Multiple submissions
several stories to same publisher?

I'm okay remembering then someone throws another nut in

Pardon the expression!!

But I'm going squirrelly if not already there!

Cheeers

Dragon-lady · Feb 6, 2008

Windsong said:
I think by simultaneous submissions they mean you can't submit more than one story to them at a time. If they don't want you to query others at the same time, they will talk about exclusives.

What you're thinking of, Windsong, is multiple submissions which is when you send more than one to the same publisher. You're right that agents will ask for an exclusive if they don't want you to submit to other agents (and they will assume you have other queries out). It's up to you whether you grant an exclusive or offer to let them look at on a non-exclusive basis which they may or may not want to do.

Simultaneous is when you send the same one to more than one publisher (or agent). Agents generally don't ask for exclusives and unless they do you can certainly do simultaneous submissions. You can CERTAINLY do simultaneous queries to both publishers and agents. You should do so--but with queries I'm talking novels and not short stories of course.

Edit: I only did about 150 submissions last year. (My rejections ran about 145. Hah!) I'll do at least twice that many this year.

Rizzo · Feb 6, 2008

Dragon-lady said:
What you're thinking of, Windsong, is multiple submissions which is when you send more than one to the same publisher. You're right that agents will ask for an exclusive if they don't want you to submit to other agents (and they will assume you have other queries out). It's up to you whether you grant an exclusive or offer to let them look at on a non-exclusive basis which they may or may not want to do.

Simultaneous is when you send the same one to more than one publisher (or agent). Agents generally don't ask for exclusives and unless they do you can certainly do simultaneous submissions. You can CERTAINLY do simultaneous queries to both publishers and agents. You should do so--but with queries I'm talking novels and not short stories of course.

Edit: I only did about 150 submissions last year. (My rejections ran about 145. Hah!) I'll do at least twice that many this year.

Ah now I can relax, when Windsong said that I sat at my computer with a horrified expression like, "REALLY?! I didn't know that!" lol, now I know for sure

Dreamer · Feb 25, 2008

This is very interesting and I've been thinking of the same exact situation. I have sent several queries for the same book with three of the publisher being mose preferrable. One of those three asked to see a full MS, but I'm hoping for the other two to request a few chapters, or better yet the full. Since I sent the full MS to the one publisher, I would hate to jeopardize losing the other two as possible publishers for my book.

Donna Marie

Love For Angela 2004