~Submitted my manuscript: What next?

[Green Knight]

But since we are going into detail here, let's examine your assumption that you can send in your book, receive multiple offers, and accept the best one. How is that supposed to work?

Well, I am assuming we are in the real world still. Most people are unlikely to get more than one offer. Most people are very likely to get none.

Submit to 10 at once, and IF your book is good enough, you may get an offer in about a year's time. Submit to the same ten in sequence, and the law of averages puts that offer back to about five years hence.

No, it is not a race. But if for example you are writing a series, you would like to know that Book 1 is going to be published, wouldn't you? Or else writing books 2 and 3 are going to be very much more difficult.

Perhaps some publishers really do have a thing about simul. subs. So be it. But weighing up the relative risks (a 5% chance perhaps of narking off one publisher who probably would have refused the book anyway; compared to waiting many years not knowing) I know which one I would - which one I did - pick.

It's a business. Business is tough.

[Green Knight]

Originally Posted by j. d. worthington

There's generally a strong sense of community with the publishing business, especially when it comes to genre publishing. And they look very dimly on writers whom they perceive to be playing both ends against the middle.

It may certainly look that way from the outside At the publishing house where I worked, it was all lovey-dovey and sweetness and light face to face, but once backs were turned, you should have heard the language...!

[Teresa Edgerton]

Originally Posted by Green Knight

Well, I am assuming we are in the real world still. Most people are unlikely to get more than one offer. Most people are very likely to get none.

Correct me if I am wrong, but you were the one who brought up the (unlikely) possibility of two or more offers.

It's a business. Business is tough.

Very true. Especially for those who make up their minds in advance as to how it does or should work, and refuse to adjust themselves to the reality.

However, there is really not much point in continuing to beat this dead horse. I'm not likely to convince you of anything, and you certainly are not going to convince me. I'll just point out that submitting to one publisher at a time and revising at intervals in between worked well for me and for other writers that I know. If your method also brought everything you wanted (I'm assuming that was a book deal, but if it was merely to get things over with quickly others may wish to work and hope for something more) there is really nothing more to be said.

[Teresa Edgerton]

Originally Posted by Green Knight

At the publishing house where I worked, it was all lovey-dovey and sweetness and light face to face, but once backs were turned, you should have heard the language...!

That sounds to me like a publishing house (or any business) that was failing badly. When times get tough people do tend to turn on each other. Perhaps that colored your perspective.

[Green Knight]

However, there is really not much point in continuing to beat this dead horse. I'm not likely to convince you of anything, and you certainly are not going to convince me.

Not you, no. In fact, I don't want to 'convince' anyone as such. Merely offer another perspective. I am getting the feeling that things are slightly different in the States from how they are here. In the UK my impression is that publishers accept the reality that authors will submit to many publishers/agents and play their cards close to their chest. They may not relish it, but they live with it. And no-one with good business sense is going to turn down the next Terry Brooks just because they suspect he's sent it to someone else as well. There will be a limit to such tolerance naturally - if Brooks Mk2 starts to haggle outrageously from one to the other, then show him the door, sure. But competition is a fact of business life, and rival bids (if they happen at all) are just grist to the mill.

Didn't mean to turn this into a big argument. Just trying to point out that most people may wait an awful long time if they choose the submit-wait-submit route. Shalom.

[I, Brian]

Alternatively, don't submit to publishers and simply target literary agents instead - much quicker response.

[Mark Robson]

Originally Posted by I, Brian

Alternatively, don't submit to publishers and simply target literary agents instead - much quicker response.

A very good point. Response from publishers in the UK - 3-4 months. Response from Literary Agents 2-6 weeks. That's a big time saver.

[Green Knight]

Originally Posted by Mark Robson

A very good point. Response from publishers in the UK - 3-4 months. Response from Literary Agents 2-6 weeks. That's a big time saver.

Also, last time I checked, there were barely any UK publishers that were taking non-agented submissions in any case.

Maybe that solves the whole thing. Multiply submit to agents (they certainly don't mind it). Then they do the whole multiple-submission thing for you. Simple!

[Stuart Jaffe]

You've all beaten me to the point! As I was reading this thread I kept wondering just how many publishers could this manuscript be sent to? Almost none of the majors accept unagented submissions. If you're going the small press route, I suppose I see where this is all coming from. But then the real question is why haven't you gone the agent--major house route first? Unless you absolutely know your story is in a small niche market, you might as well take the time to start at the top. If you don't believe in your work enough to do that, then all of this conversation is pointless.

[SJAB]

I, personally, check an agent's submission requirements before submitting. Some don't mind being one of a number of multiple-submissions, some do, some want to be told of the fact, some don't.

Go by the guidelines, submit what an agent/publisher requests, it's very simple...

[twobumproductions]

Two screenwriters about busted their noggins just to get to my time travel novel about Amelia Earhart. The Algonquin Writers Conference has accepted me (only 15 are invited) to their conference. My editors (3) and various well-read readers found the book to be a great read. But agents are another bit of skullduggery that baffels me. They set and wait for something new and exciting to come along then pass it up. Agents have said everything about my book from poor writing style to unsellable, to fabulous writing, to 'should you find a house to publish you, it will sell very well.' It amaze me that Harry Potter was picked out of a slush pile!!!!