Sending proposals to one publisher/agent at a time?

by Mi Karlsson Bergkvist
22nd October 2015

Hello,

Is it ok to send propositions to various publishers and agents at the same time in the UK? In Sweden where I live this is the ordinary proceedure, as long as you tell in the cover letter that you do so.

Replies

Hello,

Generally it's fine, expected even.

However do check the submission guidelines for each agent. I have seen some who ask you inform them if you are enquiring elsewhere, and I have seen one agent request you only send to them, and no one else whilst they're considering your work. However if they don't mention submitting to other agents, they don't require you to inform them you're contacting other agents.

Golden rule - Check the submission guidelines.

Best of luck.

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Toni
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Toni Marshall
22/10/2015

Yes, it's fine - until you have one or two interested responses, there is no need to narrow down your field of possibilities. After all, if you sent your work off to one after the other, you could be there for years. You don't have to mention that you are doing this unless you really want to; some agents may think you're trying to force their hand, although it's only what many authors do. Even if an agent asks to see the whole mss, you are not in any way contractually bound to them and can send it off to anyone else who asks unless or until you sign an exclusivity agreement.

Go for it - and good luck!

Lorraine

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Lorraine
Swoboda
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Lorraine Swoboda
22/10/2015