8 Comments on Why an agent wants exclusivity

Laura K on Sep 17, 2009 at 11:36am



Hi Cressida.
It’s really interesting to learn that agents broker consultants such as yourself to read work, I have to say I have always worried that manuscripts may not receive attention due to the volume received daily. Do you work for multiple agencies and do all agencies employ professionals such as yourself?
As an aspiring author, my intention would be to do a blanket submission to all appropriate agents, wait for inevitable rejections but keep working my way through the list until someone picks it up. At this precise moment, I feel that should anyone realise the merit of my work I would fling myself into their literary arms and handcuff myself to them, with no intention of straying from their side! But I’ve read that while agents can demand exclusivity, there is much to consider from the author’s point of view including fees, level of representation and even compatibility of personalities! I do understand your point though, but was your client able to offer a better ‘package’ to tempt the author back?
Thank you!
P.S Any chance I can sent my lovely manuscript straight to you?!!!

Cressida Downing (editorial consultant) on Sep 17, 2009 at 19:48pm



Hi Laura K,

Answering your questions as best as I can – most agencies do read unsolicited manuscripts. Some employ professional readers (like myself), while others divide the pile up between the staff in the agency.

With a huge volume of post, a manuscript may not be looked at for long, but the agents (and their staff) are used to assessing for what they want very quickly – so please don’t worry that your work isn’t getting properly considered.

Authors do need to consider whether a particular agent is right for them, and once you get an offer, the Society of Authors is a good place to get advice on a possible contract – as well as getting information from the Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook of course!

In the case I was describing, the author went with the other agent. Unlike a published author, who sometimes gets fought over by different publishers, it’s pretty much accepted that it’s the author’s choice at this stage, so my agent wouldn’t have got involved any further.

I hope that answers some of your questions – and good luck with your submissions!

Best regards,
Cressida

butterflybaby on Sep 18, 2009 at 04:58am



I agree with the point that no one wants to waste time on something like that. But looking at it from the prospective writer’s point of view, if she had some doubts as to being signed on, that might have prompted her to take up a better offer.
For someone who’s been waiting a long time for something positive to come out of one’s efforts, its not far off to lose hope and sign up to what’s on hand. I dont agree with exclusivity- it seems unfair to be waiting endlessly for an agent who sometimes may seem to hold your future in their hands.

Paul Lamb on Sep 18, 2009 at 12:17pm



Frankly, I think you have to consider it the cost of doing business. The writer is the one with the most to lose in this exchange. It’s a buyer’s market, and the writer has strong incentive to make multiple submissions. I think it may be a bit arrogant to expect a writer to give an agency an exclusive solely for the agency’s convenience and expense.

Andrea Hicks on Sep 18, 2009 at 13:54pm



Hi Cressida,
I think the problem for most aspiring authors is timing. It takes so long to write a novel from draft to manuscript stage that we become impatient, myself included. And from the tale that you tell about an author choosing one publisher over another, time is money, for agents, readers and for publishers as well. It’s so easy to get carried away with the creative process of the craft of writing a novel (and the dreams that go with it) that I think we forget that publishing is a commercial enterprise. The basis of that enterprise is money, particularly with the difficult period we are all encountering at the moment. When I was writing both my novels I felt that the timing was perfect but the process of finding an agent is a lengthy and often fruitless one and I can honestly say that I didn’t once think about how much time and money it would cost an agent to read my manuscripts. Agents and publishers operate in the same way as every other business and I’m afraid we have to be realistic. The bottom line pays the bills and as writers I guess we have to be the best we can be to be part of the business of publishing. Personally, I would rather do my research thoroughly and make sure that my manuscript was sent to an agent most likely to consider my work. I feel by doing this I’m giving myself the best chance of being published.

ChrissieB on Sep 19, 2009 at 13:50pm



I am right now at the stage of having finished my first novel and trying to find an agent who will handle it. There are hundreds of agencies out there. I am going through trying to shortlist those that might be interested in my genre of novel and even then there are at least 30 on my longlist.

Am I going to choose just one to whom I’ll send my synopsis and first 3 chapters? No I’m not. I just don’t have enough years to wait while each agency in turn takes three or more months to reject my submission.

Of course publishing is a commercial business. Anyone who for a moment thinks otherwise is being completely naive. But let’s not forget, when an agent successfully places a book with a publisher, and the book sells well, the agent will make about 15% on the sales.

The business that agents are in is trawling through very large number of manuscripts in order to find the one that will be a winner. It is axiomatic that for that vast majority of manuscripts the agents will “waste” time. However, their return on those few mss that make it to publication will be munificent.

It is not so different to the agency model in any sector. I am an IT contractor. I send my CV to a large number of agencies, often for the same advertised role. They will spend time looking at my CV and deciding whether they want to represent me to their client. That may well include time spent talking to be on the phone. If they come back to me saying they do want to represent me then I will agree exclusive representation with them for that role.

If I am lucky and find an agent interested enough in my novel to “calll in” the entire manuscript, then I will happily give them exclusivity for a finite period of time while they decide whether or not they will offer to represent me.

What does niggle me is agents’ refusal to considered emailed submissions. It is simply a waste of resourced to print everything out, and a tremendous expense for budding authors to print everything out single-sided and double-spaced . The postage costs are prohibitive.

colt on Dec 11, 2009 at 14:17pm



I agree with the last writer. I recently sent a manuscript to an agent at a cost of Twenty Pounds plus. I simply cannot afford to do this very often without some form of encouragement

Mo on Dec 15, 2009 at 00:34am



Im an illustrator (not english one) and been working as that for like 20 years. I can see the point of exclusivity. I can also see the point from the other view as author and get stuck on a long term. But wouldn’t it be fair at least when it got so far to reach the hand of a second turn of judgement and proposal idea that their would be some sort of payment made for keeping the exclusivity?

Because when you as an agent find such interest that the material can really turn out to be good, well at least thats the time you decide when you want to give important points to make the material better fit for the purpose you find it interesting.

This prepaid encouragement to keep exclusivity to the agent as I see can only be a good and fair deal. It doesnt have to be much but at least it shows the interests and also as a repay for sending in the material. The prepaid cash in the end can be withdrewn from the outcome sales of the material.

Sorry if my english somethimes can be messy to read but I hope you got a point of view as a suggestion.