Multiple Submissions / Multiple Queries

FM St George

... and probably in the wrong forum, but I'm blind as a bat today and can't find it elsewhere...

*sigh*

is it okay to submit to different agents at the same time? Or is it proper etiquette to do one at a time, as if they were a publisher and wait for a rejection before moving on?

many thanks in advance!

:)
 

Sher2

Re: Silly agent submission question...

is it okay to submit to different agents at the same time? Or is it proper etiquette to do one at a time, as if they were a publisher and wait for a rejection before moving on?
Click to expand...


I'm not sure about agents, but many publishers are okay with simultaneous submissions as long as you let them know it's a SS.
 

SimonSays

Re: Silly agent submission question...

Yes, it's okay to submit to more than one agent at a time, in fact you should definitely do so, if you want to find an agent in this lifetime. It can take weeks or months to hear back from a given agent. Most people will query a dozen or more agents at one time.

Some agents will specifically ask for exclusives, in those cases you should try to keep the exclusive as short possible (a couple of weeks).
 

James D Macdonald

Re: Silly agent submission question...

The master rule is: Follow the guidelines to the letter.

If an agent sees your partial and asks for a) the full manuscript and b) an exclusive, it's not unreasonable to grant the exclusive. Just make sure it isn't open-ended.
 

Kempo Kid

Re: Silly agent submission question...

As far as unsolicited queries go (whether they include a partial or not), I agree. Send more than one, otherwise you'll be at it forever. As for requested material, if they don't ask for an exclusive, don't feel that it has to be.
 

maestrowork

Re: Silly agent submission question...

Most agents I've dealt with understand sim subs. Either they'd tell you they want exclusive (in that case you should give them a time frame so you don't end up waiting forever), or they'd say let them know if other agents are reading it.
 

AC Crispin

Multiple Queries

One hopes writers will research agents before querying them. But, assuming that you've done your research and are effectively targeting your query, there's nothing to prevent you from sending out that query to 10, 50, 100 or more agents at the same time.

Agents KNOW that writers will make multiple queries.

Where it can get a bit sticky is when you're submitting the MANUSCRIPT itself. That's what "simultaneous submission" means. It doesn't apply to query letters.

-Ann C. Crispin
 
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