posted
Okay, so the general rule is, you can submit query letters to many different publishers at once, but if they ask for the whole manuscript, then only one publisher at a time, is that correct?
The second part of the question is, what if you have, say... 3 different novel manuscripts ready to be sent out. What if (completely hypothetical of course,) one publisher wants one of your books, and another publisher wants another? I'm sure this has, probably not happened so often, but whats the rule if you have multiple works ready to be sent out to publishers??
posted
To my understanding for your second question, maybe you have to inform both publishers that have accepted your novels that another publisher has accepted another piece of your work.
I think that's a rule that is fairly common place, then again, I've never submitted yet.
As for your first question, I honestly don't have any idea.
posted
I don't think it matters what you tell them. Your professional arrangement, when you send a manuscript to a publisher, is to offer them a chance at THAT SPECIFIC BOOK. You don't offer up your whole portfolio and in fact, if they accept the book for publication but you don't like their offer, you don't have to take it. If you had another publisher interested in another book, it may give you some bargaining power because there is a probable market for the book.
If this happened to me, I would get on the phone with some reputable agents and let them deal with it.
posted
From what I have researched, the only way you can get multiple publishers to bid on a book simultaneously is if you have an agent you auctions your script. Meaning, if your book is good enough that multiple publisher want it, your best bet is to hire an agent and have him setup an auction.
In any event, you can only send you full manuscript to one publisher at a time without an agent. Sending it off to more than one at a time is a good way to get publishers angry at you. A lot of good advice of this sort is in this thread:
posted
Jammrock, that's a different issue but good advice for that. This is multiple different manuscripts.
Basically, what Christine said. If you find yourself in that position, you'll be able to land an agent very quickly and then it becomes someone else's problem.
posted
I would've thought you would inform each publisher that the other has accepted a different novel than the one you offered them---out of courtesy, if nothing else.
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