question about agents, full requests, etc.

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reenkam

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Okay, this is a really big best-case-scenerio question but I've been trying to come up with a good answer all day and can't.

Let's say you write Novel A and send it off to agents. Agent A wants a full and gets it. Yay you. While waiting you finish Novel B and send it off to agents. Agent B wants a full. Yay you, squared. At this point you don't need to inform either about what's going on. Okay, so later, Agent B offers representation. Yay you, cubed. Do you tell Agent A even though it's a different manuscript? Do you tell Agent B that Agent A has Novel A? Okay, let's take it a step forward. After Agent B's offer, Agent A offers representation for Novel A. Yay you, to the fourth power. Then what are you supposed to do? Tell them both? It's different books so they wouldn't be competing for the manuscript...but can you really just have two agents at once?

I know this is an unlikely theory, but I can't get it out of my head. What's everyone's thoughts on it?

Oh, and if this has happened to anyone I throw out a yay you to the fifth in your honour.
 

katrina_wooooo

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As far as I know, it's okay to have multiple agents as long as they're not representing the same manuscript... Then there are obviously some problems. It'd naturally be easier to just have one, but if they're vastly different genre-wise, then I can see why you'd need two.

No, you don't tell Agent A about Novel or Agent B, unless you prefer Agent A.
If you prefer agent B, you tell Agent B about Novel A before Agent A accepts it. That way, both manuscripts are hopefully with the agent you prefer.
When you do this, though, you do not tell the under-preferred agent about the goings-on until the preferred accepts the non-original manuscript. That way, if your preferred agent doesn't want the one that was originally requested, you can hand it back to the one who wants it, because you know that's a done deal.

Way incoherent, and probably incorrect, especially since I won't have experience in the legal/business world for two more years.
 

Astro

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Um- in short, you don't have different agents for different manuscripts. Your agent is there to represent all your books (definitely all that are in the same genre)
Having said that a few authors do have two agents- say one for children and one for adult) but definitely not one for each book.
If you land in the enviable position of two agents asking to rep, you must choose between them.
First, when you get an offer (and generally the call) let Agent A or B know you are very excited at the prospect of working with them but, as there are other agents looking at another manuscript you will give them the professional courtesy to respond (agents respect this) Then let the other agent know of your offer. If you set a timeframe (say a week) the other agent may speed up their read and may or may not offer rep too. Then you make the decision between them.
Keep in mind they are signing on for the one book that you submitted them at that point and may or may not choose to rep any of your other books. If the agent is a good fit, though, chances are they can guide your following books to a standard they will rep.
Please bear in mind I have not been in this situation and do not yet have an agent so other seasoned vets may have better advice. That's the scenario as I see it though.
BEST OF LUCK!!
 
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justpat

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Um, say that again? If agent A fits into slot B where is manuscript C? Never mind.

I'd pick the agent you like best, tell him/her that agent X is interested in another book of yours, buy you would like to offer him/her a first shot at it.
 
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