Am I doing this wrong?

Blondchen · May 29, 2008

I'm not a writer, but I play one on TV. I've been trying to go about this query process like I know what I'm doing, but now I'm not so sure! Bear with me...

Agent A requested a partial with a 2 week exclusive. This was 3 weeks ago and at the time I had 3 other partials and 1 full out, which I informed her of. I nudged yesterday and got a reponse today staying that she is behind on her reading and could she have another week?

Meanwhile, Agent B, who had my partial before Agent A, emailed last night and said he loved it and wanted the full ASAP.

So, do I send the full to Agent B now, letting Agent A know? Or do I wait another week and then send the full to Agent B? (This rubs me the wrong way...I want to keep him excited!) Is there a third option I haven't thought of?

Thanks in advance, folks. And yes, I know, its a GREAT problem to have!

sassandgroove · May 29, 2008

I don't know but I am sure someone will. Good luck. Oh and welcome to AW. My guess would be send a full to Agent B, since it has been more than the time period A wanted. BUt Again, I am not really knowledgable about Agents.

(Posting to subscribe to the thread in case you were wondering.

)

IceCreamEmpress · May 29, 2008

Send the full to agent B. I don't even understand what agent A was asking of you--she couldn't have an "exclusive" since you already had the manuscript out with other agents.

James81 · May 29, 2008

Not sure I'd ever back myself into a corner with an "exclusive" like that.

Personally, but I'm by no means any kind of expert on this, but personally when I start to make submissions and queries, I'm going to go on a "first come, first serve" kind of basis.

The first one to read and like and sell my manuscript...wins.

Then again I am not in the submission stage, so I'm not one to be giving advice on this. Just saying what I will probably do.

C.bronco · May 29, 2008

I agree with you James. A revered agent once said, "Exclusives suck." The only agent I'd give an exclusive to is the one who said that.

Momento Mori · May 29, 2008

Blondchen:
Agent A requested a partial with a 2 week exclusive. This was 3 weeks ago and at the time I had 3 other partials and 1 full out, which I informed her of. I nudged yesterday and got a reponse today staying that she is behind on her reading and could she have another week?

You don't say whether you agreed to give Agent A the extra week of exclusivity that she requested. If you didn't, then you're free to send off your manuscript to whoever asks for it. If you did, then you'd have to wait the extra week before doing so (although to be honest, I wouldn't think that this would be a huge problem and I wouldn't mention it to Agent B).

There's a lot of debate on these Boards about the value of exclusives. Personally, I'm of the Miss Snarkian view that exclusives suck, but I think that exclusives on partials are particularly daft. If your absolute dream must-have-at-all-costs agent wanted an exclusive on a full manuscript, I'd consider it (provided it wasn't for longer than a couple of months), but otherwise I think it's just an extra way of dragging out the process longer than it will otherwise take.

MM

Phaeal · May 29, 2008

An exclusive on a partial? That doesn't sound quite right to me. Exclusives on fulls, yes.

I'd send the full to Agent B. A had her two weeks, she'll just have to take her chances now. Tell her you're sorry, but after the two weeks, you felt you had to fulfill B's request for a full. This may put a fire under her ass, knowing someone else was already wowed by the partial.

Soccer Mom · May 29, 2008

Momento Mori said:
You don't say whether you agreed to give Agent A the extra week of exclusivity that she requested. If you didn't, then you're free to send off your manuscript to whoever asks for it. If you did, then you'd have to wait the extra week before doing so (although to be honest, I wouldn't think that this would be a huge problem and I wouldn't mention it to Agent B).

There's a lot of debate on these Boards about the value of exclusives. Personally, I'm of the Miss Snarkian view that exclusives suck, but I think that exclusives on partials are particularly daft. If your absolute dream must-have-at-all-costs agent wanted an exclusive on a full manuscript, I'd consider it (provided it wasn't for longer than a couple of months), but otherwise I think it's just an extra way of dragging out the process longer than it will otherwise take.

MM

Quoting this for the truth. I'd send the full to Agent B at the end of the week. Congrats on a full request from a partial. That means you are doing something right.

Blondchen · May 29, 2008

Soccer Mom said:
Quoting this for the truth. I'd send the full to Agent B at the end of the week. Congrats on a full request from a partial. That means you are doing something right.

This would be the first time, then, that I've thought I might be doing it right!

ALEX: Dad, you're doing it wrong!
JACK: No kids, we're using the Ol' Jack Butler Method.

Twizzle · May 29, 2008

C.bronco said:
A revered agent once said, "Exclusives suck." The only agent I'd give an exclusive to is the one who said that.

Yep. Me too. Ironic, isn't it?

Am I doing this wrong?

Blondchen

Honey Badger don't give a shit.

sassandgroove

Sassy haircut

IceCreamEmpress

Hapless Virago

James81

Great Scott Member

C.bronco

I have plans...

Momento Mori

Tired and Disillusioned

Phaeal

Whatever I did, I didn't do it.

Soccer Mom

Crypto-fascist

Blondchen

Honey Badger don't give a shit.

Twizzle

Cluck that.