I'm a little new to all this, so you'll have to forgive me.
Okay, so I got "the call," sort of. I had an offer from a small press (long story) and contacted of few of the agents on my list to say I'd received the offer. I'd only had a chance to contact one of the agents before I received a phone call. The agent in question and I talked for almost an hour while she asked me (what I am assuming are) the standard questions. Other works, sequels, what I expected, etc. Then she asked for the full of that and another mss I'd completed and asked if she could call me back in two days, because she needed time to review the rest and to contact her partner. I said, yes and then spoke with her again two days later(Fri). She said she hadn't been able to speak with her partner and asked if I could give her until Monday. Again, I said that would be fine. Just after I hung up with her, I received a request(via email) for the full mss from another agent who'd had a partial. They want an exclusive and they want it snail mailed.
So, my question is, what do I tell this other agent? I don't want to shoot myself in the foot in case the first agent doesn't offer, but I don't want to waste the second agent's time either. Do I send the rest of the mss with a cover letter stating I can't grant the exclusive? Or email her saying the same? And do I tell her about the offer from the small press, which I'm not sure I'm going to take now after the conversation with the first agent.
The first agent is newer(though she has a lot of years in the editing business and her partner has been a very successful agent), but she is very enthusiastic and someone I could see myself getting along with and working with very well(sorry for the long sentence). However, the other agent is from a bigger firm and possibly has better connections, though she too is "new."
Any help at this point would be very much appreciated. Thank you.
Okay, so I got "the call," sort of. I had an offer from a small press (long story) and contacted of few of the agents on my list to say I'd received the offer. I'd only had a chance to contact one of the agents before I received a phone call. The agent in question and I talked for almost an hour while she asked me (what I am assuming are) the standard questions. Other works, sequels, what I expected, etc. Then she asked for the full of that and another mss I'd completed and asked if she could call me back in two days, because she needed time to review the rest and to contact her partner. I said, yes and then spoke with her again two days later(Fri). She said she hadn't been able to speak with her partner and asked if I could give her until Monday. Again, I said that would be fine. Just after I hung up with her, I received a request(via email) for the full mss from another agent who'd had a partial. They want an exclusive and they want it snail mailed.
So, my question is, what do I tell this other agent? I don't want to shoot myself in the foot in case the first agent doesn't offer, but I don't want to waste the second agent's time either. Do I send the rest of the mss with a cover letter stating I can't grant the exclusive? Or email her saying the same? And do I tell her about the offer from the small press, which I'm not sure I'm going to take now after the conversation with the first agent.
The first agent is newer(though she has a lot of years in the editing business and her partner has been a very successful agent), but she is very enthusiastic and someone I could see myself getting along with and working with very well(sorry for the long sentence). However, the other agent is from a bigger firm and possibly has better connections, though she too is "new."
Any help at this point would be very much appreciated. Thank you.
No biggie.)
