Can I Use A MS on Exclusive on PitMad?

Luzoni · Jun 7, 2017

Hello all!

I recently submitted my whole MS to DAW's slushpile. It isn't with any other publishers and, when I saw their guidelines asked it to be an exclusive for something like at least two months, I thought, "Waiting will suck but I can offer that." So I did tell them it was exclusive in my cover letter.

Flash forward less than a week later and I realize PitMad is coming. Fast. I am sans agent now and that MS is solid, clean, and has a great query letter. So, obviously, I want to pitch it there. Really, really, really badly. So I figured, well, obviously I will just ignore or reply to publishers who might fav it that I cannot submit anything to them right now. This is about agent hunting, even as I kinda am leery of them after breaking up with my first one (hence why I subbed to DAW).

Anyway, when I told my hubby that publishers watch PitMad too, he freaked out. He insisted I had "entered an agreement" that would prohibit me from using that MS in PitMad at all and could "blacklist" me in the industry if DAW made the connection. I told him he was making a mountain of a mole hill, but I thought I *should* swing by here to ask the experts.

So...any editors have a take on this? My goal with PitMad, and I could Tweet as much, is to find an agent and this MS is spoken for right now publisher-wise. Would DAW reject me or think I'm dishonest for partaking in PitMad with this MS? It occurred to me I could even get their interest in the PitMad, which would be hella awesome, but hubby is all fears and...anyway, yeah. Any merit to this fear at all?

CathleenT · Jun 7, 2017

There are others far more qualified than I to give an opinion on this, but I wouldn't do it. Exclusive (I believe) means only that person/organization gets to consider it. I don't think there's any official black list, but editors do talk to each other. I don't think the risk is worth it.

This is one of the huge downsides of submitting directly to publishers. They tie up your manuscript for a very long time. The other one is that most agents help with editing (thus making your book more publishable) and have contacts to get your book in front of people who are likely to be receptive to it. But AFAIK, once a publisher passes, that's for good. Even if your agent is best buddies with someone at DAW and they think it's a great fit, if DAW has already passed, it's a no-go.

Sage · Jun 7, 2017

So, exclusive means that you can't send a full out to anyone else. Even if a hundred publishers favorite your pitch, you have not broken exclusivity until you send out the novel. Whether you break it by sending to agents is another matter, and I'm not sure what the answer is.

All you get in PitMad is a request to query the agent or editor. That's it. It's not a real request. You almost always send exactly what you send if you were querying. It's simply another way to get an agent's attention (or to bypass the slush reader, if not the agent) because you get to put "#pitmad" in the subject header.

If you're worried about it...wait for the next PitMad. They happen every few months. And you can always query those exact same agents anyway.

Old Hack · Jun 7, 2017

You gave DAW an exclusive and that means not giving it to anyone else. If you offer it around, still, but then tell people that you can't send it to them because it's tied up in an exclusive right now they're going to be put off you, and if DAW sees you offering they might assume you've broken the exclusive you promised. You'll end up irritating everyone. Wait for the next PitMad.

Luzoni · Jun 7, 2017

Well, that settles it then! What Old Hack says, goes! Next PitMad for this MS it is. When do they announce the next one, usually?

I can query agents with the DAW MS privately, right? Or is that also a no-go? My current publisher, who passed on this MS, was absolutely fine with me querying agents with the MS while she had an exclusive on it, but maybe that's specific to the individual and publisher? I thought they were mutually exclusive (ha!) where exclusives with publishers applied only to other publishers, though I suppose agents might not want you querying widely while they're considering something...? But I've also heard agents can just step in at any time so if I do the legwork with the publisher they might not care and still happily do the negotiating bit.

While I'm here though, anyone have any suggestions for how to craft the tweets? I have two other less polished projects and I'd love to take them for a spin on this PitMad thing.

Glad I asked you guys, but it's a real bummer about the timing!

Sage · Jun 7, 2017

Re: tweets, there's a thread in QLH for "twitches."

Check out Brenda Drake's blog for info on contests, including PitMad.

By the time your exclusive is up with DAW, I bet there'll be another PitMad coming up. They really do happen quite frequently.

Old Hack · Jun 8, 2017

When you have something out as an exclusive, that means it's exclusive to the person reading it. So nope, I wouldn't query agents at this stage. It's not long to go. Wait it out.

CameronJohnston · Jun 8, 2017

DAW guidelines are "We will not consider manuscripts that are currently on submission to another publisher unless prior arrangements have been made with a literary agent." So you are absolutely fine to query agents, just not other publishers (though an agent can't submit it anywhere until that 3 months publisher exclusive has elapsed).

Luzoni · Jun 8, 2017

I went to look under SYW and didn't see any twitch writing forum. Is is a sub-sub forum? I'm on my phone so probably it's a case of if it's a snake it'd bite me but I'm just not seeing it.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh DUH! Sorry. You said it right there: QLH. Derp.

Luzoni · Jun 8, 2017

Ok I looked under QLH and couldn't find it. Wow I feel dumb. But in good news I got a like already on one tweet!

Can I Use A MS on Exclusive on PitMad?

Luzoni

Toddler wrangler

CathleenT

I write

Sage

Supreme Guessinator

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman

Luzoni

Toddler wrangler

Sage

Supreme Guessinator

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman

CameronJohnston

Great Old One

Luzoni

Toddler wrangler

Luzoni

Toddler wrangler