Multiple projects, what to do?

Sage · Feb 20, 2010

Okay, so say someone like me has a novel in the querying stage a few months after she queried the last novel. Some agencies have a lot of agents that are queriable for a given project, and a no from one isn't a no for all (we know they don't usually share queries). Some examples are Writers House or Fine Print.

I have two questions.

1) I have a full request for project 1 in one of these agencies. Now that I have a new project, I want to query one of the other agents with it (or share it with the one who has my full, but I just status queried her and didn't mention it). Is that okay?

2) If I queried an agent with project 1 in an agency and they never responded (after, let's say, 3-4 months) and there's nothing that says that a no response equals no, can I query another agent there with project 2 now?

Any help is appreciated. I've been pondering this for a while.

Danthia · Feb 21, 2010

Sage said:
1) I have a full request for project 1 in one of these agencies. Now that I have a new project, I want to query one of the other agents with it (or share it with the one who has my full, but I just status queried her and didn't mention it). Is that okay?

No. Wait until you've resolved the project they have in house before sending anything else. If by chance both agents like the work they were sent, you'd have two agents at the same house wanting to rep you, and that's a conflict. To keep peace, they'd likely reject both manuscripts. also, An agent is already reading your work, so what kind of message are you sending by offering another agent at that house a different project. It's like asking more than one person to the prom.

Sage said:
2) If I queried an agent with project 1 in an agency and they never responded (after, let's say, 3-4 months) and there's nothing that says that a no response equals no, can I query another agent there with project 2 now?

Yes. Though you might consider seeing if that agent blogs or anything to see if they're back logged on queries. 3-4 months isn't that long a wait. You can also check their guidelines and see what they say about that or how long their response times usually are.

kaitie · Feb 21, 2010

Query Tracker also has a response times section so you can check there and see the experiences other people have had.

Sage · Feb 21, 2010

Yeah, I've been to QT. I know from several sources, including personal ones that this agent with the full is one who holds on to projects a long time. I don't usually check on queries

kaitie · Feb 21, 2010

I just discovered the response time thing not long ago, and now I'm always checking the stats when I send something off.

Giant Baby · Feb 21, 2010

I ran into this same dilemma a while back. There were three agents who'd had my first book a long time, and I was querying my second. I sent them each a status check on the first, mentioning that I was now querying a new book, and gave a very abbreviated blurb of it, just for their information. One agent ignored me, one apologized for the delay, stating that she remembered the name of my first book, but couldn't find it anywhere and asked me to resend. The thire also apologized, said my new book sounded intersting, and asked me to send that along, too.

Neither of the agents who responded seemed to take it as querying two books at once, and it did get some movement in both cases. I know you've recently status queried, but a heads up still might not go unappreciated (assuming you think the agent who's got your earlier book is also a match for this one).

Sage · Feb 21, 2010

You know, I considered mentioning my new book with my status query, but a few people told me not to on a SQ I did last month, so I didn't do it this time either. I really wish I had.

Thanks, guys.

Sage · Feb 21, 2010

So unrelated, but similar question. I had an agent request project 2 in a chat room even though I had already told her another agent at her agency had project 1. She told me that if she wanted project 2 (and 1), she would deal with it. When I SQ the agent with project 1, do I mention this?

Brandy · Feb 21, 2010

Sage said:
So unrelated, but similar question. I had an agent request project 2 in a chat room even though I had already told her another agent at her agency had project 1. She told me that if she wanted project 2 (and 1), she would deal with it. When I SQ the agent with project 1, do I mention this?

i wouldn't, their might be come in house protocol, but you don't want to stir up hostilities

shaldna · Feb 25, 2010

wait until you get a response from the first one before querying the agent with the second one.

Multiple projects, what to do?

Sage

Supreme Guessinator

Danthia

kaitie

With great power comes

Sage

Supreme Guessinator

kaitie

With great power comes

Giant Baby

Oh, the humanity.

Sage

Supreme Guessinator

Sage

Supreme Guessinator

Brandy

I swear by my pretty floral bonnet

shaldna

The cake is a lie. But still cake.