Submission plan, does your agent tell you which editors, or only which publishers they submit to?

Drachen Jager

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Last agent I was with had a huge communication problem. I only got a list of where she'd submitted for me several months after I split up with her (and I had to nag her even for that).

This time around I made sure to ask up front that the agent let me know what the submission plan is, including publishers and editors on the list.

It's my understanding that most agents tell the author up front where they plan to submit before each round of submissions, but do they also commonly name the editor they're sending the material to? I thought that was standard, but my new agent says it's agency policy to not mention editor names.

Should that raise eyebrows? I figured it was a fairly reasonable request. For all the other problems, once I did finally get my list from my previous agent it came complete with editor names.
 

diana86

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My agent has provided me a full list of imprints, including the editor at each imprint. Whenever I get a reject, she forwards along the comment from that particular editor, and I know who it is.

Some of my friends' agents only provide the imprint names, so I don't think your situation is anything out of the ordinary -- it's the agent's and/or agency's preference, I guess. I definitely wouldn't prefer this approach in the situation of parting ways -- you'd want to know exact names so it doesn't eliminate the entire imprint from future submissions (though most of the time, a no from one editor means no from the imprint, so I guess it doesn't really matter).

Hope that insight was somewhat helpful!
 

JoyMC

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My agent gives specific names. I can't imagine why they wouldn't. I understand that agents sometimes don't want to tell potential clients who they might sub a particular MS to, but I can't figure out why that info would be withheld from clients.
 

MttStrn

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My agent only gives the publishers and not the editors. I'm actually fine with that so I don't go all Twitter stalker on them. When we get a response, she forwards it on to me and I learn the name of the editor at that point.
 

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My eyebrows would be up in my hair if an agent who was representing me and my work refused to tell me who had seen my work.

It's important to know who has seen it. Knowing it's been sent to HarperCollins, for example, is next to useless if the book fails to sell and another agent takes it on. Knowing it's been sent to Editor X at HarperCollins is essential under those circumstances.

Also, knowing who has seen it gives you a good idea of your agent's vision for the book. You really need to know this, I think.
 

Jamesaritchie

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If an agent didn't tell me both publisher and editor, and do so as soon as possible, I'd fire that agent instantly. Editors move frequently. Some last a good while, but the average stay with a publisher is only four years.

I need to know which editor a novel goes to for a number of reasons, but one of the main ones is because I don't want the novel to go to that same editor, should he move.

A second big reason for me is that I need to know who gave feedback on a novel. This makes a huge difference in whether I follow said feedback.

There simply is not reason for an agent not to tell you both, and to do so upfront. The agent should then tell you when a rejection comes in, who the rejecting editor was, and what he had to say about the novel.
 

Jennifer_Laughran

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I happen to be in the "tell editor name" camp because I happen to have a very cool and low-key group of clients and I prefer to be transparent and all that jazz. I know plenty of agents who are in the "tell imprint only" camp, though, and I don't think that's particularly odd.

This may well be because they are giving the ms to the BOSS of the imprint, and the boss is passing along to the editor that they think is appropriate. Yes, that happens. In THAT case, I'd just say the imprint name too.

It may also be because they've been burned by clients twitter-stalking editors in the past. (I know an author whose husband sent facebook messages to all the editors reading her ms. THAT'S AWKWARD.)

It may ALSO be that the boss of the agency is a bit old-fashioned, and just prefers things done the way they've always done them. (My boss, for example, doesn't like us to talk about how many clients we have. Never mind that that info is ON THE INTERNET now... she just doesn't like it. So there we go.) In the past, you wouldn't have had any idea who Cindy Lou Editor was, you would have heard of the imprint, and that'd be enough info.

I must say, some of you folks are pretty trigger-happy when it comes to firing your agents (or at least... what you SAY would make you fire your agent). How about instead of I WOULD FIRE THEM you.... ask them for their reasoning in a non-confrontational way?
 

amergina

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My agent was open with where and to whom she was submitting. We talked about the different publishers and she asked me if I wanted to see the detailed rejections. (She sent me the offers as they came in.)
 

Debbie V

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This may well be because they are giving the ms to the BOSS of the imprint, and the boss is passing along to the editor that they think is appropriate. Yes, that happens. In THAT case, I'd just say the imprint name too.

It may also be because they've been burned by clients twitter-stalking editors in the past. (I know an author whose husband sent facebook messages to all the editors reading her ms. THAT'S AWKWARD.)

It may ALSO be that the boss of the agency is a bit old-fashioned, and just prefers things done the way they've always done them. (My boss, for example, doesn't like us to talk about how many clients we have. Never mind that that info is ON THE INTERNET now... she just doesn't like it. So there we go.) In the past, you wouldn't have had any idea who Cindy Lou Editor was, you would have heard of the imprint, and that'd be enough info.

Thanks for the possible explanations. Adding this question to my list of questions to ask when the phone call comes. This way I'll know what to expect and why once I select the agent who has selected me.
 

Jamesaritchie

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This may well be because they are giving the ms to the BOSS of the imprint, and the boss is passing along to the editor that they think is appropriate. Yes, that happens. In THAT case, I'd just say the imprint name too.

I still want to know that the boss passed it along to a different editor. It's important to know this. I'd also like to know the name of that editor, if at all possible.
 

Drachen Jager

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I happen to be in the "tell editor name" camp because I happen to have a very cool and low-key group of clients and I prefer to be transparent and all that jazz. I know plenty of agents who are in the "tell imprint only" camp, though, and I don't think that's particularly odd.

This may well be because they are giving the ms to the BOSS of the imprint, and the boss is passing along to the editor that they think is appropriate. Yes, that happens. In THAT case, I'd just say the imprint name too.

It may also be because they've been burned by clients twitter-stalking editors in the past. (I know an author whose husband sent facebook messages to all the editors reading her ms. THAT'S AWKWARD.)

It may ALSO be that the boss of the agency is a bit old-fashioned, and just prefers things done the way they've always done them. (My boss, for example, doesn't like us to talk about how many clients we have. Never mind that that info is ON THE INTERNET now... she just doesn't like it. So there we go.) In the past, you wouldn't have had any idea who Cindy Lou Editor was, you would have heard of the imprint, and that'd be enough info.

I must say, some of you folks are pretty trigger-happy when it comes to firing your agents (or at least... what you SAY would make you fire your agent). How about instead of I WOULD FIRE THEM you.... ask them for their reasoning in a non-confrontational way?

Thank you, Jennifer, and everyone else who chipped in (even those who said I should fire my agent).

It's good to hear that this is not abnormal behavior for an agent. Like I said in the OP, prior experience has me very wary, so I'm double checking anything that seems like it might be indicative of a problem.
 

Jamesaritchie

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It's good to hear that this is not abnormal behavior for an agent. Like I said in the OP, prior experience has me very wary, so I'm double checking anything that seems like it might be indicative of a problem.

It's not abnormal, but this doesn't mean it's right. On the plus side, most agents have a way of doing this or that, and don't change this way because many writers are afraid to ask them to change it.

You're the one who knows your needs and wants, and most agents will provide any reasonable need or want, if you ask. If it's something you believe you need, you should ask for it, and if the agent refuses, you should fire the agent.

If it's something you want, there's no reason at all for an agent to not tell you who the reading editor was. This is something I need to know, but I involve myself in the business side of writing more than most writers. Certainly more than most new writers.
 

Bryan Methods

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I'm only just going out on submission, but my agent has named the individual editors she's contacting - and is telling me why she thinks they'd be good matches for me.
 
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Phaeal

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My big question before shaking with my agent was, do you have any problem telling me everything about subs, as they go out, or with copying me all replies. To which the answer was, "Why, not at all."

Phew. Anything less would have driven my records-obsessed self nuts. Whereas, I hear, there are writers who don't WANT to see replies unless they're YES YES YES.

We're obviously from different planets. ;)
 

ishtar'sgate

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It's my understanding that most agents tell the author up front where they plan to submit before each round of submissions, but do they also commonly name the editor they're sending the material to? I thought that was standard, but my new agent says it's agency policy to not mention editor names.

Every agent probably does things a bit differently. My agent sent me a duplicate copy of any response letters he received which included names of both publisher and editor.
 

KTC

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My agent gives all the details.
 

Anna Spargo-Ryan

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My agent gave me the names of all the editors to whom she submitted.

I didn't ask for their responses. The first one I got was an offer, so I didn't want to load myself up with self-doubt from rejections.
 

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My agent tells me editor names and frequently solicits my feedback before she sends anything to new people. It's just a courtesy, a way of making me feel more involved in the process, but I'm so woefully ignorant about the individual editors that I sometimes just make up random objections to people I've never heard of.

"What? You think it should go to Editor X at Publisher Y?!? Are you MAD?" and then I send another e-mail saying I'm just kidding, I have no idea who Editor X is but I'm sure s/he is lovely.

Possibly I'm enjoying myself a bit more than I'm supposed to...
 

Cathy C

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I'm trying to recall if my agent mentioned the specifics of who she was subbing to. I seem to remember she mentioned that she'd just met a new editor for one of the publishers for lunch and it might be a good fit. I don't know that she elaborated and it didn't occur to me to ask. She was the one who knew the industry people, not me, so it just didn't occur to me.

She was right about the editor. She made an offer right away and that's where I've been ever since, so I don't know. I know that I didn't worry about it too much at the time. :Shrug:
 
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