Mention in your query that you’re querying other agents.

If an agent is interested and asks for an exclusive, let the other agents who are considering the ms. know that you are granting that.

If someone offers representation, let everyone know that you’ve either taken the offer or need to hear back quickly in order to make a decision.

Don’t cc everyone you’re querying when you send your initial e-mail.

Most agents need at least six weeks to read a manuscript. It’s okay to follow up occasionally and find out where you are in the queue and if someone never responds, then you probably should move on to the next name on your list. In the meantime, I think it’s good advice to keep busy with your next manuscript.

Here’s a question: why do I keep hearing the book sales overall are increasing and yet the voices of WOE keep bemoning the book publishing industry??

I just want to say thanks to you and the team for your commitment to this blog. I’ve learned, been encouraged and entertained by these weekly entries.

In 2013, I’m going to read about writing in multiple POV and then I’m going to write my second manuscript (Contemporary fiction with a hint of the supernatural.)

As Jane rightly notes in her intro, if we submitted stuff exclusively to your agency, we would be waiting forever to get published. On the other hand, as Jane also observes, you don’t want to invest your time in an author who is shopping her novel to a gazillion publishers as she is pleading with you to sign her on. What is a fair balance, in your opinion, where nobody gets cheated? Obviously your opinion is going to be biased, as is mine. But what should we be doing while we wait, if anything, and how can we make our wait time as productive as possible without shortchanging the best efforts of the literary agent?
Thank you.