querying multiple agents at Hollywood talent agency literary agencies

[Random_is_easy]

Anyone who's tried to query literary agents associated with Hollywood talent agencies like ICM and CAA knows they don't have websites for their literary departments or disclose much of anything on submission guidelines. An agent at one such agency has had my full manuscript for a few months and I continue to query while I wait. One of the other agents I'd like to query is at the same agency but I have no idea if the usual rules regarding one-agent-at-a-time apply to such places.

Anyone have any insight?

Much appreciated.

 

[Unimportant]

Welcome (back), @Random_is_easy!

Since you are, at least now, 'new', why not hop over to the New Members section (<-- that's a clickable link) and start a thread to let us get to know you? Yanno -- What genres do you write? What brought you to AW? What do you hope to gain from the community, and what do you hope to contribute to it? What hemisphere of the planet do you hail from?

And, maybe, could you clarify: are you querying agents with a movie script? Or with a novel that you hope to eventually sell the movie rights to in the fullness of time after it becomes a blockbuster bestselling book? Which agent are you talking about? Do they explicitly forbid simsubs? Does the agency submission guidelines say "querying one agent at this house = querying all agents at this house so please don't submit to more than one"?

 

[Mevrouw Bee]

Welcome (back), @Random_is_easy!

Since you are, at least now, 'new', why not hop over to the New Members section (<-- that's a clickable link) and start a thread to let us get to know you? Yanno -- What genres do you write? What brought you to AW? What do you hope to gain from the community, and what do you hope to contribute to it? What hemisphere of the planet do you hail from?

And, maybe, could you clarify: are you querying agents with a movie script? Or with a novel that you hope to eventually sell the movie rights to in the fullness of time after it becomes a blockbuster bestselling book? Which agent are you talking about? Do they explicitly forbid simsubs? Does the agency submission guidelines say "querying one agent at this house = querying all agents at this house so please don't submit to more than one"?

From my experience, neither has guidelines at all for book manuscripts. Just fancy swirly websites telling visitors about all the cool things they do in gazillion sectors but no information for querying. If you check the QT comments, most writers are just baffled and make it up as they go along.

Most of my submissions have been CNRs.

 

[Fi Webster]

Most of my submissions have been CNRs.

What does CNR stand for? (I checked the the 2022 AW Dictionary and couldn't find it.)

 

[mrsmig]

"Closed No Response," meaning the author gave up waiting. It's a common acronym in the publishing game.

(Psst: Google "CNR meaning publishing" and it's right there.)

 

[Mevrouw Bee]

What does CNR stand for? (I checked the the 2022 AW Dictionary and couldn't find it.)

As mrsmig said.

If you're on QT (especially the premium version), you can check the timelines and see how many pale pink bars an agent has over time. From there you can somewhat judge whether an agent will ever reply to your query or ghost you. Some agencies state on their websites that they only reply if interested, and/or if you don't hear within a certain period of time, assume it's a no. Others don't. CAA and ICM don't clue you in about this either.

I've become a pretty good judge of pink bars over time. Out of 42 I've CNR'd, only two have subsequently come back with a rejection. None has asked for a full.

 

[Random_is_easy]

From my experience, neither has guidelines at all for book manuscripts. Just fancy swirly websites telling visitors about all the cool things they do in gazillion sectors but no information for querying. If you check the QT comments, most writers are just baffled and make it up as they go along.

Most of my submissions have been CNRs.

Thank you to both.

To clarify, I'm querying a novel. An agent at one of the swirly website places asked for a full MS and has pinged me to tell me it's still on her to do list, but I want to query another agent at the same swirly place with the same novel. Usually a no-no at the same agency but I think these places operate on their own rules and I get the sense their agents are more individual operators. Because there is no website for the agency, it's hard to know...

 

[Mevrouw Bee]

Thank you to both.

To clarify, I'm querying a novel. An agent at one of the swirly website places asked for a full MS and has pinged me to tell me it's still on her to do list, but I want to query another agent at the same swirly place with the same novel. Usually a no-no at the same agency but I think these places operate on their own rules and I get the sense their agents are more individual operators. Because there is no website for the agency, it's hard to know...

I would adhere to the usual courtesies that we extend to other agencies, even if they can't be arsed to give us guidelines. In this case, I wouldn't query another agent there if one has your full.