tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post180889427294693547..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: Exclusives are not in your best interestJanet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-6334269336124207442007-12-21T21:35:00.000-05:002007-12-21T21:35:00.000-05:00...it doesn't make me read your work any faster. I...<I>...it doesn't make me read your work any faster. In fact, it makes me LESS likely to read your work because I know there's no competition baying at my heels.</I><BR/><BR/>Very nicely put.Magshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05350451902814461987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-21738939109792129412007-12-21T16:00:00.000-05:002007-12-21T16:00:00.000-05:00This is quite helpful info; I was previously misin...This is quite helpful info; I was previously misinformed about exclusives and actually encouraged by another writer not to send a ms. to more than one agent. <BR/><BR/>What I continually wrestle with is what information I should divulge - if I say, have one full ms. to an agent and then receive another request (or more, with any luck), should I tell all the interested parties that the ms is under review elsewhere, even if no one requests exclusivity? Or should I just assume that if one requests a full, he/she must expect that another agent might do the same? Gah.TRBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03771825314615968145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-38911971227489224602007-12-21T12:27:00.000-05:002007-12-21T12:27:00.000-05:00I prefer to first send queries to a small set of a...I prefer to first send queries to a small set of agents who seem to have preferences aligned to my work and who seem good to work with.<BR/><BR/>Then send out to everyone else.<BR/><BR/>However, I have heard one author say that this results in the author perfecting the query through mistakes made with the most preferred agents, so that the author stands a better chance with later agents.John Arkwrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14724588347915809218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-21065077872880332382007-12-21T11:31:00.000-05:002007-12-21T11:31:00.000-05:00It's kind of like volunteering to cut your own thr...It's kind of like volunteering to cut your own throat when no one's even said they were going to do it for you. I won't (well, wouldn't have) grant exclusive even if the agent demands it (only had one agent have a problem with it.)<BR/><BR/>The way I figure it, if the writing's good enough, agents will be willing to look at it and fight for it anyway; if it's not, no amount of acting the supplicant will help. And it's not hard for an agent to beat out the other guys when you tell the client, with all sincerity, that you'd be a charter member of their fan club and first in line to buy the book even if they chose another agent.<BR/><BR/>Merry Christmas!DeadlyAccuratehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08361707307035259942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-7949414153192402712007-12-21T11:24:00.000-05:002007-12-21T11:24:00.000-05:00I asked this question of several agents, but none ...I asked this question of several agents, but none have dared to answer:<BR/><BR/>How do you know that a writer is telling the truth when they say: "Agents X, Y, & Z have offered representation"? What's to stop a writer from lying about this? Do agents call each other to verify offers of representation?Josephine Damianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17952030380866201241noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-21100960945610425902007-12-21T11:22:00.000-05:002007-12-21T11:22:00.000-05:00Your post here is the best advice anyone could giv...Your post here is the best advice anyone could give a writer in any stage of pitching a book. <BR/><BR/>But when you read that you are getting an exclusive, don't take it too seriously. The odds are you're not.ryan fieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13361694356025572544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-71188693963451488772007-12-21T09:50:00.000-05:002007-12-21T09:50:00.000-05:00I have granted exclusives voluntarily, but only on...I have granted exclusives voluntarily, but only on my terms and for very short periods. After all the querying I've done, I feel like I do 'know' some agents I would like to work with (eh hem - you included if you repped my current genre and fell in love with my prior work) and don't have a huge problem by giving them the first read out of the gate. But after that, all bets are off.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for all you do, Janet - and happy holidays!Joanne Levyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04735440622911669055noreply@blogger.com