Requests from the Same Agency

Vermilion · Jun 1, 2009

Okay, I made an absolute boo-boo. I didn't realize I've already queried an agent from this agency, and sent out the partial. (I know I sent to this agent, but I wasn't aware she's from the agency - it's complicated I know. Because her e-mail address wasn't related at all to the agency, and mostly because of my silliness).

Anyway, I queried another agent from this Agency, and received another partial request...

And that's when I realized my stupid mistake. What shall I do? I'd like to keep the offer open (in case that other agent decides to pass) but... what should I say? Is honesty the best policy?

Cyia · Jun 1, 2009

email the 2nd agent and tell her what happened. Mistakes happen, she'll understand - just don't keep her in the dark and submit to her as well.

scope · Jun 1, 2009

Ditto what Cyia said.

Vermilion · Jun 1, 2009

Thanks peeps, I wouldn't plan to double submit (thus seal my doom). I was going to think of a better way to tell her (instead of admitting my mistake bluntly which might give her a bad impression of me) lol...

sissybaby · Jun 2, 2009

Well, I feel for you, but my advice is you have to be totally honest about this. Admit you were over exuberant and accidentally blundered into an awkward situation.

Vermilion · Jun 2, 2009

Thanks for the response all. Well I resolved it by telling her (as politely as I could) and she was so nice about it - I even asked if I could keep the option open to submit to her in the event the other agent passed, and she said yes!

Catadmin · Jun 8, 2009

If I should post this as a separate thread, let me know. But since we're on the topic of multiple agents in one agency...

Several agencies have one query email address. A blanket for all their agents. I queried one such agency and addressed my query to one agent in particular. Three weeks later I got my "Thanks, but no thanks" response from the agent in question. Now it just so happens there are a few agents in this agency that do this particular genre.

How impolite is it of me to resend a query to a different agent in this agency?

The queries all seem to be going into the same "bucket" emailwise, but I've read several items where it's okay to query multiple agents in the same agency so long as it isn't at the same time. I'm not sure how this etiquette actually works, though, if all the queries are filtering through the same process.

Thoughts? I'd like to hear from both agents and non-agents on this question if possible.

Thanks,

Catadmin

Cyia · Jun 8, 2009

If the emails are all going to a common account (like submissions@agency) then they're probably being read by a single person before being passed on, which means that person will have already read your query.

(An interesting variation on that came in my inbox today. I'd sent a query to one of those common addys and got a reply from the agency saying to send it directly to: specificagent@agency. I guess the assistant weeds out the ones they think specific agents will want to read and then gives the direct email contact.)

Vermilion · Jun 13, 2009

@Catadmin: I suspect only one single person is doing all the reading to that general e-mail. It gets frustrating especially when I address to an agent and another person (someone like the 'submissions coordinator') replied saying 'no, thanks'. I get suspicious whether it even reached that particular agent haha.

Maybe the person doing the weeding would only pass it to the particular agent you addressed to IF he/she finds it interesting. Since this is highly subjective, we might be on the losing end if we can't interest the person doing the 'weeding'.

But I did try to e-mail again, addressing to another agent this time. I'll wait and see if I get any response. I think you can try again, provided you've received a rejection earlier before you query another agent.

Catadmin · Jun 15, 2009

Let me know if this works for you. I have received my rejection from agent #1. Now I'm just wondering if I can get away with querying agent #2 without offending anyone.

Vermilion · Jun 22, 2009

@Catadmin: I got an e-jection from the same submissions coordinator lol.

Catadmin · Jun 22, 2009

Thanks for the update. I appreciate it.

RoseColoredSkies · Jun 23, 2009

One way to know whether you can requery at the same agency is if they state on their submission guidelines that "a 'no' from one, is a 'no' from all" approach. That makes things so much easier to understand. Just a litle FYI

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