Have been researching agents in the WAAYB and notice that quite a few request exclusive submission or say that they'd like to know if you're submitting to others. Most people on WW seem to submit to a bunch of agents at the same time. I'm wondering whether agents are less likely to read submissions that other agents are looking at, or whether actually it makes no difference. Conversely, might they be more interested in reading work that is exclusively sent to them? I realise it would take an age to submit exclusively in every case, but might it be worth doing this for the agents one is most interested in?
Any thoughts?
Susiex

quite a few request exclusive submission or say that they'd like to know if you're submitting to others

Yup, ignore that.
It is not in the writer's best interest to send submissions out one at a time - life's too short. If an agent specifies exclusivity, or wants to know who else you are submitting to, just say something like 'you are the first agent I have sent this to' in your covering letter, then post that letter first, swiftly followed by the next half a dozen or so.


- NaomiM

I just don't think it's very realistic of agents to request that. Judging by the time they take to get back to you, if you followed that advice you'd be waiting an age. I only offer exclusivity once an agent has expressed an interest over a submission. Kind of the same way I feel about dates.

JB

Yeah, I agree with both of you - BUT - if I had one agent that I wanted more than any other, I think I'd be prepared to send an exclusive submission to them (and get on with the next novel while waiting for the reply) before sending out in fives or tens. Wonder if others have ever done that?
Susiex

Well you could concentrate on Favourite Agent, but I don't think it would get you read any faster or make you more likely to be taken on. The only thing it would do is save you from a bit of a dilemma, if an agent you were less interested in started showing interest, and you didn't know how far to go with them if Favourite Agent hadn't yet shown signs of biting.

More generally, I agree with the others. When you're submitting speculatively, life's just too short. If someone bites, then I would say that to anyone else who then shows signs of biting: as long as you don't sound like you're lining them all up for a beauty contest, it does you good for them to think that others agree with their assessment that the book's got potential.

Emma

The only thing it would do is save you from a bit of a dilemma, if an agent you were less interested in started showing interest,

That's a dilemma I could do with having, Emma!
Susiex

So, if an agent specifically says on their website that one should let them know if it's not an exclusive submission, is this what most people do? Or do you just ignore that and only let them know if they show any interest in your book?
Susiex

I agree - life is far too short. Do 'em in batches. I think asking for exclusivity when you're readihng a full might be fair enough - but just an initial sub? It's ridiculous. You don't tell a bloke not to sleep with other women just because you're buying him a coffee.

Rosy

You don't tell a bloke not to sleep with other women just because you're buying him a coffee.

Quite!

No, I wouldn't tell them if it's a purely speculative submission. As Rosy says, if they bite, then you need to tell them if anyone else is biting.

Emma

Thanks, everybody! Have also found Rosy's post on the Getting Published forum at the LBF very helpful.
Susiex

My approach to submitting to agents is pretty well documented on this site: I drew up a list of every single agent that represented my type of work, then submitted partials, synopses and letters to them all in one hit.

It's expensive, and it means that the rejections keep coming thick and fast at the beginning, but I think it saved me a certain amount of mental torture.

Sure, you'll have a few agents that will be on your A-list, but if these are amongst those that write back expressing an interest, you're in a nice position. If one of these offers to represent you, you are in the even nicer position of being able to reject agents (trust me, after 47 rejection letters, that feels GREAT)

Best of luck,

Steve

Yeah, Steve, I've been following your brilliant story - I think it was incredibly brave of you to send to all simultaneously - for you, it paid off wonderfully, but just imagine getting 40-odd form rejections in one hit! I'm kind of playing with this at the moment - the feeling that I'd like to keep a little bit of hope going, at least while I write my next novel. Hence, three at a time seems like a good number. But hey, I can imagine scenarios until kingdom come - in a couple of months or so it will be real.
Susiex

I've only ever been in a position to offer exclusivity once, but before I nabbed the agent, I sent my work out far and wide, with as much as 10 subs out at any one time. I even kept a scoreboard. I didn't give a fig about propriety. I thought (and still do) that agents asking exclusivity of unpublished authors was laughable. It's like a casting director asking an actor not to go to any more auditions without them having won the part!

My submissions were like those postcards you used to tie to balloons in school to see how far they travelled. Most postcards came back with a 'no thanks, gringo', but the point is - don't waste your time. At this stage, agents are the enemy, and you'll want to hit as many as possible as quickly as possible. Law of averages, and all that. Later, should you find some interest (and here's hoping you do), you can narrow the field and start talking exclusivity. Ideally, you should meet an agent you want to deal with and all others kind of pale into insignificance.

However, I cannot stress to you enough that while you may submit promiscuously (oo-er!), you should alter your covering letter to each and every agent in order to keep it fresh and relevant.

Good luck!

JB

Thanks, JB.

It's like a casting director asking an actor not to go to any more auditions without them having won the part!

Actually, that's true isn't it? Cheeky or wot?

Submit promiscuously

I LOVE that phrase. Makes it all seem much more exciting.
Seems to me that, apart from the obvious, the point of this process may be to grow a thicker skin. Which I'm dreading a bit. Hence the idea of stringing it out a while...
Susiex

I've always been somewhat masochistic about the whole thing. No pain, no gain. It's never been the rejections that have bothered me - clearly, they're all completely mad! - but the tone of some of them have grated in the past.

My three all-time faves are: the one ones that told me my whole approach to novel writing was 'wrong' (they actually used that word), the one-word masterstroke 'Convoluted' and the other one that stated: 'Funnily enough, this novel straddles two genres'. Yeah - it was a crossover, schmuck!

You do toughen up. I mean, it isn't personal, supposedly. And that's why the letterbombs stayed safely in the cellar.

JB



<Added>

Curiously enough, the one that told me my approach to novel writing was wrong also included a nice glossy brochure detailing their rather pricey 'editorial services'...

<Added>

I should add that this same novel, which all the aforementioned rejections concerned, also bagged me a leading UK literary agent. So remember to take these things with a pinch of salt.