No simultaneous subs?

It means you can't submit the same manuscript to multiple agents/publishers at the same time. It doesn't apply to queries.

DennisB said:

Exactly what do submission guidelines that say "no simultaneous submissions" mean? You can't send in queries for two or more books at the same time... or you can't shotgun your queries to a bunch of agents?
If it's the latter, do you just ignore, or do you avoid sending to that agent unless you want to slam on the query brakes?

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I'm glad you asked that question. I've pondered this very issue. To leave an MS with an agent - who may hang on to it for months before getting back to you - while you could be sending it off to another agent who has expressed interest, is detrimental to the writer. Isn't it? From my inexperienced POV it seems grossly unfair, but I know nothing about the publishing process, and I'm viewing this through the eyes of a writer. I hope someone will explain how this process is of benefit to anyone but the agent.

Exclusives don't have to be open-ended: it's wise to limit them to two, four or six weeks, and if you've not heard back from the agent at that point let them know that the exclusive is up, and that you're going to start sending your work out again if it's been requested by anyone else.

Exclusives aren't good for writers, you're right: but it takes a lot of time to read a full ms and it's intensely frustrating to read through one only to find that someone else read it more quickly and has already signed it up. I can understand why agents and editors request them.

More the Better

I too can understand why agents prefer no simultaneous submissions, but new writers (like me) need to submit to multiple parties in order to have even a slim chance of connecting with someone. Agents are busy, they have a tough job, and they won't take on a work that they believe they can't sell because they don't get paid unless they sell. I'd like to think agents/editors/publishers know what a longshot it is for any new writer to get published and therefore won't begrudge a writer for using a shotgun approach.

Old Hack said:

Exclusives don't have to be open-ended: it's wise to limit them to two, four or six weeks, and if you've not heard back from the agent at that point let them know that the exclusive is up, and that you're going to start sending your work out again if it's been requested by anyone else.

Exclusives aren't good for writers, you're right: but it takes a lot of time to read a full ms and it's intensely frustrating to read through one only to find that someone else read it more quickly and has already signed it up. I can understand why agents and editors request them.

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Thanks. Time limit, then.

I am in a wierd situation where I sent out a dozen queries over the weekend and heard from 2 agents who wanted to see my completed manuscript & 1 agent who wanted to see the first 50 pages. The problem is, one of the agents who wanted to see my entire manuscript specified 'no simultaneous submissions,' but also added that if it was out with anyone I should specify with who and since when.

On one hand I don't like to send the manuscript under false pretenses, on the other, in today's market I can't imagine having multiple agents interested so I am tempted to anyway, since it would seem strange to wait 2 months before sending it to a second and thiird agent who expressed interest today.

Any thoughts?

thanks

Guy Fawkes said:

I am in a wierd situation where I sent out a dozen queries over the weekend and heard from 2 agents who wanted to see my completed manuscript & 1 agent who wanted to see the first 50 pages. The problem is, one of the agents who wanted to see my entire manuscript specified 'no simultaneous submissions,' but also added that if it was out with anyone I should specify with who and since when.

On one hand I don't like to send the manuscript under false pretenses, on the other, in today's market I can't imagine having multiple agents interested so I am tempted to anyway, since it would seem strange to wait 2 months before sending it to a second and thiird agent who expressed interest today.

Any thoughts?

thanks

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First thought: I wish I had your problem.

Second thought: I wonder if you've already sent the other agent(s) the manuscripts and chapters they requested. If so, I'd be honest with the agent who wanted the exclusive about what has already been submitted, and I'd give them a time frame during which I would hold off submitting any more and/or accepting an offer from anyone else. If you haven't already sent your MS to the other agents, it's a different game. If you'd really, really love to be represented by the agent who wants the exclusive, maybe you have to tell the other two they have to wait.

Third thought: Limit the "exclusive". I am sending my MS to blah, blah to blah, blah, as requested, but will hold off all other submissions until I hear back from you. I hope that is acceptable.

A lie would surely bite you in the ass later.

Good luck.

David Couzins said:

I too can understand why agents prefer no simultaneous submissions, but new writers (like me) need to submit to multiple parties in order to have even a slim chance of connecting with someone. Agents are busy, they have a tough job, and they won't take on a work that they believe they can't sell because they don't get paid unless they sell. I'd like to think agents/editors/publishers know what a longshot it is for any new writer to get published and therefore won't begrudge a writer for using a shotgun approach.

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Every established writer out there was once a new writer. You sell because you have a book that's marketable, not because you're new or old. You aren't increasing your chances with simultaneous submissions, you're lessening them.

Agents and editors do know, which is precisely why they ask for no simultaneous submissions. If you want to sell as fast as possible, do as they ask.

Old Hack said:

Exclusives don't have to be open-ended: it's wise to limit them to two, four or six weeks, and if you've not heard back from the agent at that point let them know that the exclusive is up, and that you're going to start sending your work out again if it's been requested by anyone else.

Exclusives aren't good for writers, you're right: but it takes a lot of time to read a full ms and it's intensely frustrating to read through one only to find that someone else read it more quickly and has already signed it up. I can understand why agents and editors request them.

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Exclusives shouldn't be open ended, but you can't usually set such limits, either. An agent knows how long it will take her to get to, read, and evaluate a manuscript. You have to give her as much time as she needs, or there's no point in even querying that agent.


The agent sets the length base don her number of clients, her to be read tack, her current time limits, and a number of other things. She should set a time limit, but it has to be hers, not yours, if you want a fair reading and the best chance of success.

If an agent requests an exclusive and the writer says in reply, "I'll give you an exclusive but want to limit it to two weeks," it's perfectly reasonable for the agent to say, "I can't read it in that time-frame but could do four weeks."

The agents I know are all perfectly reasonable people, who would find nothing unacceptable in this sort of discussion, and certainly wouldn't penalise a potential new client because they suggested a time-limit on an exclusive.

I just sent two queries to the same agent I won't name names, but he replied not to send simultaneous queries to him because he finds it annoying. So I guess the answer to your question is not to send queries for two books to the same agent at the same time. Though I really do not see why not. Two separate books should be more enticing.

Thomax Green said:

I just sent two queries to the same agent I won't name names, but he replied not to send simultaneous queries to him because he finds it annoying. So I guess the answer to your question is not to send queries for two books to the same agent at the same time. Though I really do not see why not. Two separate books should be more enticing.

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Those aren't the same thing. Simultaneous submissions refer to submitting the same manuscript to different agents simultaneously. Simultaneous queries to a single agent is something I'm pretty sure not a single agent in the industry would accept unless he or she specifically requested you to send a second one (in which case, it's not even really simultaneous). This is not really agent-specific; just about every agent finds this annoying.

Re Guy Fawkes' post: one of the agents who wanted to see my entire manuscript specified 'no simultaneous submissions,' but also added that if it was out with anyone I should specify with who and since when.

Anybody got an idea why an agent would want/need this information?

Assuming the other submissions were to different agencies, I don't see why the question would be asked. The agent knows others are interested, so he's aware that if he doesn't want to be scooped, he should give it priority. I'd be inclined to assure him that no-one else at his agency has the manuscript and leave it at that.

What do you think?

Zeddo said:

Re Guy Fawkes' post: one of the agents who wanted to see my entire manuscript specified 'no simultaneous submissions,' but also added that if it was out with anyone I should specify with who and since when.

Anybody got an idea why an agent would want/need this information?

Assuming the other submissions were to different agencies, I don't see why the question would be asked. The agent knows others are interested, so he's aware that if he doesn't want to be scooped, he should give it priority. I'd be inclined to assure him that no-one else at his agency has the manuscript and leave it at that.

What do you think?

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I think it's so they know who they're up against. For example if you had a full out with a high powered agent, a not-as-high-powered agent might put you as a priority in the hope to "scoop" the other agent. (This is a good thing. It'll get you read faster. And perhaps lead to a quicker offer that you can parlay to get high powered agent into bumping you up in their queue if they don't want to lose you to the other agent.)

Another reason if you had a MS out with Agent Y, and Agent X is good friends with them, they may pass because they don't want to step on Agent Y's toes. (This is not so good, because Agent Y might pass on it whereas Agent X might have offered. Although, if they've got similar tastes, it might have been two rejections anyway.)

Of course, the former situation I see happening more than the latter.

Alternatively, if you've got a MS out with Marginal/Scammer Agent, GoodAgent might give you a warning nod to be careful.

I think it's a good thing to tell them who has it. IMHO it puts a bit of fire under their feet to know the competition.

Good Luck!

Thomax Green said:

I just sent two queries to the same agent I won't name names, but he replied not to send simultaneous queries to him because he finds it annoying.

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What you describe here is called multiple submissions -- that is, sending more than one manuscript to the *same* agent or publisher at the same time. (Or before they've replied to the first one.)

Simultaneous submission means the same manuscript sent to more than one agent or publisher at the same time.

Note: A query is not a submission.