Wild and Wooly

It’s been a little crazy lately.

Right now I have a complete manuscript with an agent. She did not specifically ask for an exclusive read, but that’s pretty much understood. Another asked for the same book, but only wanted the synopsis. I sent the synopsis. However… after reading the synopsis if he wants the whole thing, I must wait until the first agent responds. (The thinking is the first agent is putting a lot of time into reading a complete manuscript while the second agent only has a page or so.)

It is perfectly acceptable to query more than one agent. If is also OK to query agents and a publisher about the same novel. If you sell it you can tell the agent hey…I sold it to a big publisher, want to represent me?

So. While the agent stuff is going on I sent that same complete novel to one publisher. Another complete novel is at a different publisher. Yet another publisher asked to see a synopsis of a different book, which means I can’t send that book anywhere else, even though they only have the synopsis. Publishers and agents have different rules.

This is all par for the course. Agents and publishers have unique wants and requirements; some want the whole thing right away, some want queries first, some ask for partials. Add to this mix...exclusive requests at different times in the process.

Yes, that’s a lot to keep track of. I have a document that I meticulously keep notes of where everything is. But I’m sure I’ve made mistakes. I don’t know specifics, I only know in the hundreds of documents I’ve sent I’m positive that I have. I try not to worry about it. Editors, agents, and publishers are, after all, human. What I hope is that if I’ve queried an agent more than once, he or she will smile and say that woman really wanted me. :-)

But since I do want to be professional, I do my best. I think all writers should. The tracking system doesn't have to be fancy; mine is a word doc with every book's comings and goings.

Remember that if you’re feeling like you are in a bit of a writer’s whirlwind that’s a good thing; you have a bunch of stories out there and a number of people who want to consider said stories. As my husband would say, chill, relax, breathe.

And keep track.