Comments on Nathan Bransford, Author: Exclusives and Literary Agents

Hi Nathan, I recently granted an agent a one mont...

2011-06-14T16:24:57.674-07:00

Hi Nathan,

I recently granted an agent a one month exclusive on a partial, but followed your sage advice to continue querying other agents. Today I received a request for a FULL (first time this has happened, still in shock!), and my question is: do I let this agent know that I will not be able to send it to her for several weeks, because another agent currently has an exclusive?

Or, is it better to simply wait until the one-month exclusive is up, and send it to her at that point? I don't want to leave her hanging, but I have read elsewhere that an agent might be insulted to be told that they'll have to wait on getting a full because the MS is currently out on an exclusive.

I wonder if the same is true in the screenwriting ...

2011-04-13T14:46:55.486-07:00

I wonder if the same is true in the screenwriting world...

Thanks,

Phil

Nathan, I can't find a clear answer one way or ano...

2008-09-09T00:56:00.000-07:00

Nathan, I can't find a clear answer one way or another for this and I'm stressing out about it. The first agent I queried requested my full ms (which was wonderful!), but since I'm expecting it to be a couple months at least before the agent gets back to me, should I keep sending queries out or should I wait? If I keep sending them and I get another request for a partial or full ms, do I tell the newer agent that someone already has the full ms even if they don't request an exclusive? If so do I also tell them who the first agent is?

Thanks,
L

I think it's a little sad-having to ask for exclus...

2008-08-26T12:40:00.000-07:00

I think it's a little sad-having to ask for exclusivity during a revision. As a writer, I've accepted your professional help and you, you've bought my loyalty by helping me and my manuscript. And unless major conflicts arise and we don't fit-I'm going to accept an offer you make over others. It should have been implicit when I agreed to accept your help, no?

I once passed on granting an exclusive. The prima...

2008-08-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

I once passed on granting an exclusive. The primary reason was that I had at least one partial out and didn't think I really could grant the request. As soon as I declined, the agent passed on giving me a read. I realize they get to chose, and I'm okay with that, but this one was sort of haughty about it, as if I didn't also have a choice in the matter.

Lisa-

If it's been two years, pretend like ...

2008-08-26T08:15:00.000-07:00

Lisa-

If it's been two years, pretend like it's a "no," even if he hasn't really said so.

rex-

Check the FAQs on the front page for information on following up with agents.

I had an agent ask for a four-week exclusive on a ...

2008-08-26T08:06:00.000-07:00

I had an agent ask for a four-week exclusive on a partial. It's been six weeks and I haven't heard a thing, despite sending them a self-addressed stamped envelope. Should I email to inquire as to the status, assume they're not interested or give them more time?

I had an agent read my full ms, give me a lot of g...

2008-08-26T07:43:00.000-07:00

I had an agent read my full ms, give me a lot of great suggestions and then agree to read a full revision. The agent loved the revised draft but wanted to put together more comments/concerns before going any further. The agent then took me along when he started his own agency as a potential client. It's been two years and he has not gotten back to me although still says he is interested. He did not ask for an exclusive so I have been querying other agents and two have asked to see the full manuscript. Do I need to tell the new agents about the first one who is still considering me? Or is this a don't ask, don't tell situation? Or do I just wait till someone actually offers representation? Thanks. Lisa

Just wanted to pop by and say I listened to the Po...

2008-08-26T07:19:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to pop by and say I listened to the Podcast at Bleaker Books. Thanks for doing these sorts of things for all us wannabe writers.

:D

I'm chming in late, but thought my story might be ...

2008-08-26T03:48:00.000-07:00

I'm chming in late, but thought my story might be of interest:

I had a few friends give me referrals to their agents, so I queried those agents first--several weeks before I officially started querying (because of the time of year, I wasn't in any particular hurry).

Then I started querying in earnest. I was lucky; I got a few full requests very quickly.

Then I queried "Agent B". Agent B responded within three hours of my query asking for the full with a week's exclusive.

The fact that it was only a week made me very hopeful; I liked that Agent B wasn't going to hold my ms indefinitely. Also, Agent B was one of my dream agents, a big mover at a big important agency.

But of course I couldn't grant Agent B the exclusive.

So I sent the full ms anyway, with a note saying unfortunately there were several other agents reviewing the full, but that I would hate to miss the opportunity towork with her/him so I hoped s/he would be willing to still read.

Agent B replied that s/he would still read but that it put him/her in a slightly difficult position as s/he generally only read exclusives because s/he couldn't devote time to reading if the book was going elsewhere.

Obviously I had a choice to make. And since the future was uncertain I made it.

I replied, assuring Agent B that I was not interested in playing agents off each other and I would of course take any offer from him/her extremely seriously, and that I hoped to hear from Agent B soon.

I had an offer from Agent B by the end of the week, and although it still makes me feel a little guilty, and although there are people who would say it was the wrong thing, I took it. It was obvious Agent B was tearingly enthusiastic, and that was important to me. It was also obvious Agent B would view a "Can you wait a week" as a sign that my enthusiasm wasn't there, and I could possibly lose the offer.

Of course if I hadn't liked Agent B on the phone and liked her/his enthusiasm for the project and for me as a writer, I might have gone the other way. But I didn't, and while I feel guilty I certainly don't regret it.

(BTW, two of the agents who had the full responded to my "I've accepted representation" with cheerful congrats and "Keep me in mind if you're ever looking for a new agent", which was very nice of them.)

Anyway. That was my little story.

I still suspect that if I hadn't gone ahead and sent the ms with my "Can't give an exclusive" email, Agent B might have gone the other way. I could be wrong. But man, s/he had requested it and I was going to shove it into his/her hands, you bet! Lol.

Thanks so much for this post. I still feel a bit ...

2008-08-26T03:37:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much for this post. I still feel a bit bewildered at the 'revisions, then representation' sequence - that an agent would invest so much time in asking for specific revisions when there's no guarantee that the ms will end up in sellable condition. On the other hand, I suppose that protects the agent in case the final version of the ms doesn't float their boat (or if the writer turns out to be difficult to work with). Seems to me that the bulk of the risk lies with the agent.

I would be thrilled for such close attention to the ms. I know it has flaws but I'm not sure how to fix them! Even if I don't agree with what the agent says, I'd respect their critical opinion.

This is a real insight - I had no idea that agents...

2008-08-26T01:49:00.000-07:00

This is a real insight - I had no idea that agents worked so hard with potentially unsigned authors on revisions - kudos to all those selfless hours.

Robin-

No, you could have taken 10 years or...

2008-08-25T21:56:00.000-07:00

Robin-

No, you could have taken 10 years or 10 days, the only thing that matters to me is whether the book is good.

speaking of queries...Is it a good idea to mention...

2008-08-25T21:21:00.000-07:00

speaking of queries...Is it a good idea to mention how long you've been working on the book? I could see advantages and disadvantages to mentioning the time, from being seen as consistant and seeing believing in your own work or being seen as a slow writer who will produce work only once in a blue moon instead of on a consistent basis. I was wondering what your thoughts were.

Thanks, Nathan, you're a star. :)

2008-08-25T19:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Nathan, you're a star. :)

Hi Nathan,

This post couldn't have come at ...

2008-08-25T18:59:00.000-07:00

Hi Nathan,

This post couldn't have come at a better time. I received a letter today asking for a completed manucscript for 4-6 weeks exclusively. I'm super excited because it's my first request for anything more than 10 pages. I do have a question. While I've finished the novel to the best of MY ability, I had a copy editor look it over while I was waiting to hear back from agents. I have made revisions to the first 1/3, have the middle 1/3 being looked at now with the final 1/3 on deck. The changes have been minor; commas, subject/verb agreement, ver tense shifting, typos, that sort of stuff. Should I wait until ALL of it is finished, or send what I have now? What are your thoughts?

Speaking of Churchill. I watched an really cool PB...

2008-08-25T18:24:00.000-07:00

Speaking of Churchill. I watched an really cool PBS program hosted by his granddaughter... about travelling through his last days[or years]. It was really good. I even got a little teary-eyed at the end there.

Sooo, if I query asking about the color of your Letter Jacket, is that too obvious??? LOL

...sorry.

Hi Nathan, moving to a different topic, do you thi...

2008-08-25T18:09:00.000-07:00

Hi Nathan, moving to a different topic, do you think you could address two questions?
1 - a preface is needed, less than a page. Annoying?
2 - in terms of 'time' the book is not truly historical, due to amalgamation of kingdoms. Does this put the book into the genre of fantasy?
Thanks always!

Good advice nathan and thanks for not pulling my e...

2008-08-25T17:31:00.000-07:00

Good advice nathan and thanks for not pulling my eyes out of their sockets. This is the answer I suspected you'd give and needed to hear it. I'm not going to get greedy. I like the analogy of not wanting an agent to take my idea to another author. Fortunately, I'm not in a rush, which is probably why the new package is looking so good. Thanks for the honesty!

-Author with Egg on Face

This really clears things up greatly. I've always ...

2008-08-25T17:10:00.000-07:00

This really clears things up greatly. I've always wondered the difference between being asked for exclusivity at the partial stage and further on from that. It really is great to hear your perspective. Thanks a lot for this.

author-

Well, let's just say you're lucky I...

2008-08-25T17:00:00.000-07:00

author-

Well, let's just say you're lucky I'm not Miss Snark because I suspect she would have gone to town on you for that one.

Are you under any technical or legal obligation to Agent 4? No. But taking Agent 4's advice and then running back to another agent would be a seriously classless move, and Agent 4 would be royally (and justifiably) pissed off at you forever. Unless you come to the good-faith and honest conclusion that you can't work with Agent 4, you owe it to them to see it through if they gave you the suggestion that put the proposal over the top. If you took the advice and ran, not only could Agent 1 very well still reject you, but you would be burning a bridge and your name would be sullied in some parts of a small business. If Agent 4 in the end declines to rep you? Then you can go back to Agent 1 and keep going with the new proposal.

And yes, all of this still applies even if the words "exclusive" were never exchanged. This is actually precisely why I ask for an exclusive, just so we're all clear on the scenario. Some agents trust that authors won't ditch them for another agent if they give good advice, but I tend to be more cautious.

Don't lose sight of the Golden Rule in the rush to get yourself published. I suspect if an agent took your idea and gave it to another author you wouldn't be pleased. Same goes with the reverse.

Great post Nathan - Here's a question that's somew...

2008-08-25T16:37:00.000-07:00

Great post Nathan - Here's a question that's somewhat off the subject, but related. Let's say a nonfiction author sends selective queries and receives positive responses early on, including a few proposal requests and further partial requests... One of the agents who requested the proposal and partial was author's first-choice agent -- the author thought it would be a long shot to land this agent but was thrilled to get into a spirited back-and-forth during a very positive query process... Anyhow, that agent ended up declining in the end, though was quite apologetic and complimentary to the author.

Then, in round two of querying, a fourth agent thought of a new way author could approach the project. Author likes the new idea and is rewriting the proposal and some sample chapters. Agent #4 did not ask author for an 'exclusive' per se, but now that author has a hot new proposal, author wants to bring it back to the first agent who was really interested in the beginning (that agent has said that it's OK to re-query a revised project the agent has previously showed interest in).

So: What responsibility does author have to Agent #4 who thought of the revised new angle for the project? With great effort by the author, the project is taking a new and better turn. Author wants to send the revised project back to Agent #4, but also wants to revive query process with Agent #1 ... Does the author have a responsibility to say anything more to Agent #4 than the fact that "other agents are still considering this project..." ?

Sorry so long winded!

-Author

Mr. Bransford said: "2) Some agents feel that if t...

2008-08-25T15:23:00.000-07:00

Mr. Bransford said: "2) Some agents feel that if they are going to take the time to read a manuscript they want to do so with the understanding that the author is not going to be swept away by another agent in the meantime (thus wasting the time they spent reading that partial), and they may well decline to consider your partial on a nonexclusive"

It seems to me if the agent is really interested she won't decline to read the manuscript even if the author declines to grant the requested exclusive. If she's truly interested, she'll make the time to read it in a timely manner. She won't let it get away. Since I want an enthusiastic agent, I wouldn't be bummed if she passed because I wouldn't grant an exclusive.

I'm not saying I wouldn't grant an exclusive in any case, but Ms. Snark always said to put a time limit on it.

Highly educational post today, Mr. Bransford. Thanks!

I've never had an agent ask for an exclusive, howe...

2008-08-25T14:53:00.000-07:00

I've never had an agent ask for an exclusive, however I did have one ask to "be notified immediatly if another agent requests the manuscript". Now I had taken that to mean my full, but if, as you said, the full and the partial are essentially the same, should I notify her that someone has asked for a partial?

anon-

I think an agent may give something s...

2008-08-25T14:50:00.000-07:00

anon-

I think an agent may give something slightly more of a look if they know the author targeted specifically and they're the author's first choice, although I think you can convey that without offering them an exclusive.

Personally I don't think an author should grant an exclusive longer than a month, but the requesting agent has to agree to that as well.

Comments on Nathan Bransford, Author: Exclusives and Literary Agents

Hi Nathan, I recently granted an agent a one mont...

I wonder if the same is true in the screenwriting ...

Nathan, I can't find a clear answer one way or ano...

I think it's a little sad-having to ask for exclus...

I once passed on granting an exclusive. The prima...

Lisa-If it's been two years, pretend like ...

I had an agent ask for a four-week exclusive on a ...

I had an agent read my full ms, give me a lot of g...

Just wanted to pop by and say I listened to the Po...

I'm chming in late, but thought my story might be ...

Thanks so much for this post. I still feel a bit ...

This is a real insight - I had no idea that agents...

Robin-No, you could have taken 10 years or...

speaking of queries...Is it a good idea to mention...

Thanks, Nathan, you're a star. :)

Hi Nathan,This post couldn't have come at ...

Speaking of Churchill. I watched an really cool PB...

Hi Nathan, moving to a different topic, do you thi...

Good advice nathan and thanks for not pulling my e...

This really clears things up greatly. I've always ...

author-Well, let's just say you're lucky I...

Great post Nathan - Here's a question that's somew...

Mr. Bransford said: "2) Some agents feel that if t...

I've never had an agent ask for an exclusive, howe...

anon-I think an agent may give something s...

Lisa-

If it's been two years, pretend like ...

Robin-

No, you could have taken 10 years or...

Hi Nathan,

This post couldn't have come at ...

author-

Well, let's just say you're lucky I...

anon-

I think an agent may give something s...