: Why would an agent request an exclusive submission? I understand why publishers often ask for exclusive submissions. They're counting on a story that has been submitted to them to be available

Vote Up Vote Down

Agents are a rare breed. Agents can be picky. Even more picky, than publishing houses. Every agent has just a limited amount of time that he will be able to dedicate to new writers. He is trying to make sure, that his time is well spent and not wasted to an author, that is maybe hired by another agent the moment he starts to read his manuscript. I think youl'll find a lot about writer's etiquette while working with agents in "The forest for the trees" by Betsy Lerner. Most agents won't ask you to do this; they just will silently assume that you are a writer playing fair. That you did your research on the publishing industry and that you won't waste their time. If you will be picked by two agents, they might end up pissed and you'll get a bad name in the industry. (It is small. News travel.) Try to avoid that. Play fair. Agents are subtle and quick to anger.

(0)

Vote Up Vote Down

I've never worked with an agent, but I'd think the reason is obvious: An agent gets a commission on anything he manages to sell for a writer. If the writer uses multiple agents, than an agent could spend significant time trying to sell something this writer has produced, and then another agent sells it and collects the commission, and agent number one gets nothing for all his effort.

I've heard that publishers don't like it when a writer works with multiple agents. If they get the same manuscript from two different agents, they now could get in the middle of an argument over which agent should get the commission.

(0)