Offer from Publisher One, still waiting on Publisher Two

Michael Drakich · Oct 7, 2010

Hi Everyone,

I would like some help with a dilemma before me.

I have received an offer to publish one of my books from a small publisher. Another small publisher requested my MS over a month ago and in my last correspondence with them, they were still reviewing it.

Do I contact the publisher still in the review process and inform them I have another offer pending? I sell real estate for a living and in my business, that is exactly what I would do to get competing offers, but this is not my business.

Do I stall the first offer in hopes of the second coming along?

Your input is greatly appeciated.

suki · Oct 7, 2010

Michael Drakich said:
Hi Everyone,

I would like some help with a dilemma before me.

I have received an offer to publish one of my books from a small publisher. Another small publisher requested my MS over a month ago and in my last correspondence with them, they were still reviewing it.

Do I contact the publisher still in the review process and inform them I have another offer pending? I sell real estate for a living and in my business, that is exactly what I would do to get competing offers, but this is not my business.

Do I stall the first offer in hopes of the second coming along?

Your input is greatly appeciated.

Yes, you contact the publisher who hasn't yet made a decision and inform them that you have a pending offer and ask them to let you know if they are interested in the manuscript by a set deadline (1 week? 2?).

And then, while you are waiting, you thoroughly check out both publishers to make sure either or both are reputable, and to comapre their respective pluses and minuses. Start with preditors & editors and the Beware and Background Check forum here.

And good luck.

~suki

Michael Drakich · Oct 7, 2010

Hi Suki,

I did my checks and both are fine, although one is finer than the other, lol. Unfortunately, its the one I'm still waiting on which has the better track record which is why I am hesitant.

The contract received seems very generic, but I am still sifting through it to be sure

Monkey · Oct 7, 2010

Give the better company a short time to get back to you. If that time period is less than, say, two weeks, I wouldn't even worry about telling the first company about it.

Publishing is a slow business. Take advantage of that. And a big CONGRATS for getting your novel finished and accepted!

Phaeal · Oct 8, 2010

Sure, it's kosher in the publishing world to inform competitors you have an offer. If the second publisher is still interested, set a deadline for their response and hope that a bidding war ensues.

Michael Drakich · Oct 8, 2010

Thank you everyone for the advice. I decided to go for it and requested an answer from the second publisher. They replied immediately they would not compete and so the decision is made for me. Publisher one it is.

Offer from Publisher One, still waiting on Publisher Two

Michael Drakich

A wanderer in the sea of publishing

suki

Opinionated

Michael Drakich

A wanderer in the sea of publishing

Monkey

Is me.

Phaeal

Whatever I did, I didn't do it.

Michael Drakich

A wanderer in the sea of publishing