When A Literary Agent Requests An Exclusive: Solutions For Sticky Situations

by | Submit A Book For Publication, Submit Your Writing | 6 comments

Review Board is now open! Submit your Short Prose, Poetry, and Book today!

Day(s)

:

Hour(s)

:

Minute(s)

:

Second(s)

Deadline: Thursday, February 22nd

When A Literary Agent Requests An Exclusive: Solutions For Sticky Situations

What is an exclusive (or right of first refusal) from a literary agent? Sometimes, when a writer sends a query off to a literary agency, the agent will request an “exclusive”—that is, the privilege of reading a manuscript before any other literary agent is allowed to see it. An exclusive is a kind of “right of first refusal” for agents.

The word “exclusive” tends to make writers panic. What if I grant an exclusive and another agent wants to read the book? What if I don’t want to grant an exclusive because I’m holding out for some other agent? What if I’ve already given the manuscript to someone else before the request for an exclusive?

In any of these situations, there’s no reason to panic. In fact, you should be THRILLED to have such a great problem. If a reputable agent wants to see your work badly enough to request an exclusive, you’re in a good position. Congrats!

Here are a few “problem” scenarios and some steps you might take to wiggle out of them. Keep in mind that every situation will be unique, so these concepts cannot work as a one-size-fits-all solution to your problem. But they may help.

Submit to Review Board

What if the first literary agent who wants to read my book asks for an exclusive?
If the first agent who requests your book wants a guarantee that you won’t send it to anyone else until he or she is finished, don’t panic. First, evaluate your feelings about the agency. Is it your first choice? If so, you may need to be flexible. You do have the power to decline an agent’s request for an exclusive; however, we recommend that instead of turning an agent down flat, consider granting an exclusive for two weeks only. Another option is to indicate to the agent that she or he is the first to request the complete manuscript, and while you cannot grant an exclusive read, you will keep the agent informed if any other literary agencies request the manuscript. This may be enough to put the agent at ease.

What if a literary agent asks for an exclusive, but there’s already another agent reading the book?
If this happens, thank your lucky stars. It means there’s a lot of interest in your book—and you can use that momentum to keep the enthusiasm going. Politely state that the response to the book has been very positive, and you’re unable to grant an exclusive because another agency is already reading the book. Then be sure to go back and tell the first agent that another agent has put in a request. (Note: This isn’t something you’ll want to do unless you can be tactful. You can take the “I was just checking in and oh by the way” approach, or you can say, “I felt it was only right to let you know that another literary agency has requested to see the complete manuscript.”) When agents think other agents are interested in you, they become more interested in you.

How to approach big-time agents who have a lot of rules and demand exclusives.
If you’re querying a big-time agent and he or she wants an exclusive, you may need to be prepared to give it or lose a potential deal. When you approach the bigger agencies (the ones that don’t accept unsolicited queries, the ones that don’t take unpublished writers, the ones that refuse simultaneous submissions, etc.), the rules of making submissions change. You’ll want to query just one agency at a time. If your top agent wants an exclusive, give it—and then stop sending out queries and be very patient. Why? Because if you continue to query agents after you’ve given your top agent an exclusive read, it’s like a tease to tell any others who request your book, “Can you wait until I hear back from someone I like better than you?” You’ll botch that deal faster than you can say New York Times Best Seller.

At Writer’s Relief, our submission strategists work closely with our clients to answer any of the questions that arise when writers get serious about their submission strategies. To learn more about how to make our submission services part of your effective publishing strategy, visit our Web site today!

6 Comments

  1. Geace Brooks

    I have a question. Am I in a good position if my publisher has asked for exclusive rights to my manuscript for a period of one year?

    Reply
    • Writers Relief Staff

      Geace, Good question. Honestly, though, the question you’re asking is bigger than it appears. The answer will need to factor in the other terms of the contract. Before signing anything, see if you can find a lawyer (if not an agent to represent your interests). Some literary agents are also lawyers who are willing to look over contracts (for a fee, of course), even if you’re not formally a long-term client.

      Reply
  2. fern

    I submitted exclusive manuscript to an agent and haven’t heard back in six months. I requested update two months ago and was told it is still under consideration. I have heard nothing else. Can I remove exclusive status and let agent know i want to send the manuscript, or queries elsewhere?
    there was no time limit on original submission.

    Reply
    • Blog Editor

      Hi Fern,

      You can contact the agent and let them know since it’s been exclusive to them for over 6 months, you will keep it exclusive to them for two more weeks and then submit to other agents as well.

      Reply
  3. Beth

    I just received an exclusive request for my full manuscript from an agent I would love to sign with. It would be a dream. I won’t send out any new queries while they read it, but I have other queries out there already. I’ve been sending them out in batches of 10 once a month. If another agent requests the full, what’s your advice? At that point, go back to the dream agent with the exclusive, let them know I have another full request, and give them one week? two weeks? to decide and then I’ll grant the other full request?

    Reply
    • Blog Editor

      Hi Beth,

      As stated in the article: Politely state that the response to the book has been very positive, and you’re unable to grant an exclusive because another agency is already reading the book. Then be sure to go back and tell the first agent that another agent has put in a request.

      Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Review Board is now open! Submit your Short Prose, Poetry, and Book today!

Day(s)

:

Hour(s)

:

Minute(s)

:

Second(s)

 

 

See ALL the services we offer, from
FREE to Full Service!

Click here for a Writer’s Relief
Full Service Overview

Search

Reviews

“Getting that first poem published was the hardest threshold to cross. My team at Writer’s Relief kept encouraging me…then came the acceptance! We celebrated…then I continued writing, and Writer’s Relief continued doing the wonderful work they do!”

—King Grossman, Writer
(Watch King’s video testimonial here!)

“Every piece I have sent out with their help has been accepted for publication! I am looking forward to working with the team on getting my new novel out into the world.”

Services Catalog

Free Publishing Leads
and Tips!

Featured Articles



Featured Video

Follow us!



YES, IT'S MY LUCKY DAY!
Sign me up for
FREE Publishing Leads & Tips
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

WHY? Because our insider
know-how has helped
writers get over 18,000 acceptances.

FREE Publishing Leads and Tips! Our e-publication, Submit Write Now!, delivered weekly to your inbox.
  • BEST (and proven) submission tips
  • Hot publishing leads
  • Calls to submit
  • Contest alerts
  • Notification of industry changes
  • And much more!
close-link


STOP! BEFORE YOU GO...
Sign me up for
FREE Publishing Leads & Tips
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

WHY? Because our insider
know-how has helped
writers get over 18,000 acceptances.

FREE Publishing Leads and Tips! Our e-publication, Submit Write Now!, delivered weekly to your inbox.
  • BEST (and proven) submission tips
  • Hot publishing leads
  • Calls to submit
  • Contest alerts
  • Notification of industry changes
  • And much more!
close-link

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This