Querying multiple people in the same agency

iwannabepublished · Nov 20, 2010

I recently began using Query Tracker to help select potential agents to query. In a number instances, multiple names have been listed from the same firm - all interested in the same genre. I realize it's not a good idea to query these people simultaneously, in fact some web sites state this quite clearly. However, once an agent has sent a rejection is it a good idea to send a query to another in the same firm? Or do they sit around in a circle and trash (talk over) all the queries they receive?

Calla Lily · Nov 20, 2010

AFAIK, it depends on the agency. Check their websites. I know I remember one agency that says it's fine to query a different agent if one has passed, and another that says not to do it because the agent passes a Q onto another one at the agency if they think it's more in their line.

Danthia · Nov 21, 2010

Depends on the agency, and Bookends just talked about this recently. They don't trash talk your query unless you've done something so absurd or offensive they can't help but share. They get hundreds of queries a day, and there's no time to sit around discussing ones that just didn't grab their attention.

Some agencies do have someone who pre-screens queries, so if you got rejected from them because you didn't fulfill the basic "query needs this to move on" then you'd get the same result no matter which agent at that agency you sent it to. But you lose nothing by trying if they don't state a no by one is a no from all. Just let some time go by between submissions. One to three months is the average wait time.

Jamesaritchie · Nov 21, 2010

It's fairly rare to have more than one agent at any agency who handles the same type of fiction, even when guidelines seem to suggest they do. Usually only the really large agencies do this.

Even then manuscripts are usually passed around, if they show any promise. "Well, this really isn't my cup of tea, but Joyce might like it."

And sometimes they do trash talk queries and manuscripts. Other Times they praise them. Other Times they question their own judgment. Other times they can't even remember what they read. Agents are people, and have all the same quirks and habits and foibles as any other people, good, bad, and indifferent.

RachelBrooks · Nov 21, 2010

Many agencies use the “If one of our agents rejects you, it is a rejection from the whole agency” policy. You just have to check out the agency website to see if you can send your query letter to another agent there or not.

Most likely your book’s genre is only going to be handled by one or two of the agents at the agency anyway, so you wouldn’t want to send your query letter to the other agents listed. Even if Querytracker says multiple agents represent YA for example, at the agency website it might tell you that one specializes in Fantasy YA, another in Humorous YA, etc. Querytracker is a great place to find names, but make sure you pick the correct agent to actually send your query letter to at the agency.

iwannabepublished · Nov 22, 2010

Thank you all for your responses. I certainly make every effort to double check what specific agents in the same firm say about what they are interested in reading. I do have a further complication for my submission. A while back I decided to use a professional editor to help me 'polish' my manuscript. During our conversations, I asked what she felt was the correct genre to use when describing my work. She told me that she felt that it could fall into both the action/adventure area and the thriller/mystery genre. I've queried agents who specify either or both. I hesitate to say this but, if I had to compare my fiction to anything, I'd have to say it has elements similar to Dan Brown's 'The Da Vinci Code'. While I make an effort to play this down in my query letter, it is difficult to do this in my synopsis. Obviously, I have no way to know if this similarity is having a negative impact on prospective agents. All that being said, going back to my original question - if one agent in a firm specifies action/adventure and another thriller/mystery, and the agency says it is okay to query different agents in their firm, if I get a rejection from one, does it make sense to query the other using the different genre? The vast majority of the rejections I get are form type so I have no idea why I'm getting them. I did get one request for a partial and then for the full, but after seven weeks, got rejected, again with no real explanation. Sorry I'm being so long winded.

gothicangel · Nov 22, 2010

iwannabepublished said:
Thank you all for your responses. I certainly make every effort to double check what specific agents in the same firm say about what they are interested in reading. I do have a further complication for my submission. A while back I decided to use a professional editor to help me 'polish' my manuscript. During our conversations, I asked what she felt was the correct genre to use when describing my work. She told me that she felt that it could fall into both the action/adventure area and the thriller/mystery genre. I've queried agents who specify either or both. I hesitate to say this but, if I had to compare my fiction to anything, I'd have to say it has elements similar to Dan Brown's 'The Da Vinci Code'. While I make an effort to play this down in my query letter, it is difficult to do this in my synopsis. Obviously, I have no way to know if this similarity is having a negative impact on prospective agents. All that being said, going back to my original question - if one agent in a firm specifies action/adventure and another thriller/mystery, and the agency says it is okay to query different agents in their firm, if I get a rejection from one, does it make sense to query the other using the different genre? The vast majority of the rejections I get are form type so I have no idea why I'm getting them. I did get one request for a partial and then for the full, but after seven weeks, got rejected, again with no real explanation. Sorry I'm being so long winded.

Have you tried posting on SYW?

Then again, if the partial got a full request it sounds to me that you are on the right track. Good luck.

suki · Nov 22, 2010

iwannabepublished said:
All that being said, going back to my original question - if one agent in a firm specifies action/adventure and another thriller/mystery, and the agency says it is okay to query different agents in their firm, if I get a rejection from one, does it make sense to query the other using the different genre? The vast majority of the rejections I get are form type so I have no idea why I'm getting them. I did get one request for a partial and then for the full, but after seven weeks, got rejected, again with no real explanation. Sorry I'm being so long winded.

If you are going to query two agents in the same agency, I would not classify the book as one genre for one of them, and a different genre for the other. It will make it look like you either don't know the market or that you are querying it as everything. If you think you may query more than one, I might suggest just calling it your novel, and let them determine the subgenre.

~suki

amyashley · Nov 22, 2010

Only query at same agency of the website specifies it is fines or doesn't say it's against policy. Only change the genre of your book if it is a book that is cross genre already and you feel that labeling it one genre or another will catch the eye of a particular agent. For instance, I have a distictly paranormal book, will be shelved in fantasy and sci fi section of the bookstore. However, it also has heavy doses of women's fiction, thriller, and mystery. I labeled it light paranormal, paranormal women's fiction, paranormal mystery, and paranormal thriller based on what I felt best fell into the agent's taste. All decsribed my book pretty well.

Don't mislabel a book. Don't query an agent who reps nothing like what you have written. Don't worry about what they are talking about at the agency. Don't expect feedback on rejections, and be ecstatic when you do get some. Form rejects are pretty common, it is just a time constraint issue for agents and not personal.

First thing if you don't get responses is to tweak your query, the next is to tweak your opening. After that you tweak the manuscript. Do that only if you get feedback and really really feel like it is called for.

Querying multiple people in the same agency

iwannabepublished

working hard - hard at work?

Calla Lily

On hiatus

Danthia

Jamesaritchie

RachelBrooks

Pecking away at the keyboard...

iwannabepublished

working hard - hard at work?

gothicangel

Toughen up.

suki

Opinionated

amyashley

Stunt-Writer