I'm sure this topic would have come up before today and I apologise if it's a repeat of a previous thread but what are the rules for submitting work to agents? Are multiple submissions frowned on? It's just that waiting 3 weeks or more to hear from an agent before submitting to another agent seems to me like a lot of wasted time. What if, say, I sent to three agents at the same time and didn't move on until I had heard from all three before submitting to another three?

I'm not the best to answer but I do know that it isn't recommended and isn't considered terribly polite by the agents themselves. As you are trying to get them to snap you up I think it would be best not to.

Also some like to know the other agents that you have sent it to. Might help to keep a record of this, unless you're like me and burn all rejection letters on receipt. I know it's frustrating as I sent in my novel to one agent and they took 3 months to reply and the next took 2 months but that's just the way it works at the coalface. There are only a finite amount of agents and all us lot trying to get in there, it's going to take time. And as they are nice enough to read all our unsolicited submissions when they know that 95% won't be suitable, I think we should afford them a little patience.

But only a little!

But how would they know that submissions had been made to multiple agents?? Surely it's ludicrous to wait on agents like that - what if they die/no longer operate? what a waste of time that would be!!

On another forum I just read a story of one person who sent their work off to 6 agents at once; 5 rejected her, one paid her £250,000. So there you go! Up to you.

If you can, ask Elspeth as she is one of those golden animals that we all wish to slain or capture. She'd be able to give a much more informed opinion than me.

I've been sending mine out in blocks of two or three. After all, you don't want to wait for ever! Mind you, getting blocks of rejections through isn't too handy either! Oh well...one day. I did actually post this question in December (I think) and the general opinion was that you should send it to everyone. I'm sure agents would like an exclusive look but timewise it doesn't make sense. Possibly a non-fiction book might be different?
Sue

I subscribe to the one at a time policy mainly out of courtesy but let us assume that you send work to several agents at a time and in the post one morning you get offers from two or more what then will you do how then will you decide and what do you say to the others dont forget you may need the others one day and they probably have long memories.

That’s about as likely as winning the lottery two weeks in a row.

If you have all the time in the world and no urgency to become a published writer then go for the one-at-a-time route. But, given the number of rejections we all get and bearing in mind that most agents take two to three months to respond, you could grow old and gaga before you raise any interest.

I don’t understand how any agent can justify this demand for exclusivity unless they can guarantee a response in a reasonable time. And three months is not reasonable.

There. That’s my two pennorth. I must do some work…

Dee.

Anthony - I'm disturbed by this image of me as a malteaser-munching, golden animal people are trying to kill. You'll have me in therapy at this rate.

Personally I think it's crazy to do it one at a time, if it's going to take three months a go. I don't mind if you submit a ms to other agents as well as me, as long as you bother to do your research and don't make it too identikit. If you haven't taken the time to look up who I am (or whoever) then why should I take the time over you? I'm always a little rankled by letters addressed to Mr Cochrane, or 'Dear Sirs' when there are no men in this office!

I got really put off one submission that didn't even come with a letter - just a sample package with a front cover that had obviously been blitzed out to hundreds of people with very little thought or care. It's a question of giving the right impression, rather than brown nosing.

As long as you address your submission to the correct person, and are willing to be open about who else has seen it, then I don't think it should matter how many people you send it to.

By the way, Traveller, the dead giveaways on multiple agent submissions are a printed address label; a Dear Sir/Madam heading; no mention of the agency or recipient in the letter itself; and no address on the letter itself. But you're right that unless the writer reveals all, an agent can never know exactly who else has seen it.

Gosh this sounds like applying for training contracts all over again! Elspeth do you think it's a good idea to mention the agency in the letter to show that you have researched it? I mean, ultimately, does it really matter? I mean, surely it's the quality of the manuscript that's all important. I get the impression that part of the war is getting an agent to read the ms in the first place - are you saying that you won't read an ms addressed to 'dear sirs' or an ms that is an obvious blanket send out? Is this because there are so many people putting forward their ms's, you can be selective about what you read? Or is it because you detect a correlation between poor manuscripts and ill thought out letters? by the way, i like the imagery of golden animals being captured or slain

A malteasers eating, golden animal! Sounds like what my daemon might look like!

Yours?

Okay, I've been working on my list of agents to submit to and leafing through their section in the Writers' & Artists' Yearbook 2004. I can't believe only 16 (and that includes the one that has already rejected me) are suitable for me to submit to!

What does one do when NO UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS is indicated. Should I call or send a preliminary letter first and if I get the 'ok' from them then send it?

Speaking of Preliminary letters - I thought these were different from cover letters? The reason why I ask is that some agencies write 'a preliminary letter essential', and then in the same breath (sentence), 'and synopsis and # sample chapters'. I thought a preliminary letter is a letter introducing yourself to the agent and enquiring if it's okay to submit? A cover letter would accompany the synopsis and chapters - or whatever the agent asks for. Am I confusing myself? Can someone unconfuse me please?

Forever grateful
Nahed

Nahed,

Go to Getting Published forum and on, I think, the second page you’ll find a thread I started a while ago called ‘Query letters’. There’s lots of useful stuff on there although it drifts off the point a couple of times. If that doesn’t unconfuse you let us know.

Good luck,
Dee.

Thanks Dee, will do

My oh my, cats, dogs, squirrels and goats named Treacle! That was one hell of a thread! Okay, so now as well as preliminary and cover we also have query letters...

Your sample query letter was very helpful Dee as it's highlighted some things which I may have neglected to add in my own cover letters. I'm a little concerned about not having much to say about writing experience though. I've never been published at all whether it be in competitions or even school papers etc.

So, going back to my original questions

1. Is a preliminary letter the same as a cover letter?

2. Should agents who indicate 'no unsolicited manuscripts' be approached with a query letter or are they saying - don't call us AT ALL until we say so?

And also...those who ask for autobiographical notes...how much detail should one go into if, like me, there is no previous writing experience i.e. never been published.

If there's anything I hate is writing about myself and 'selling' myself...I'm really not very good at it and I guess that's why I need an agent desperately because they're the experts and can do this for me...oh, if only they would notice me :P

Re autobiographical information, I had one agent ask so I just wrote a comedy version of my life, which I thought was very funny. YOu could do that.

Actually, they rejected me so don't do that.

Hope that was helpful :0>