You got an offer of representation! Now what? 😮

Answering your questions about navigating offers of representation from literary agents

Happy new year, writers! If you’re querying, I hope this is the year that you receive an offer of representation. So today, I want to dedicate this post to prepping you for what to expect when that long-awaited call or email finally comes.

Should you work with the first agent who offers you rep? Should you let other agents you’ve queried know? And what happens next?

Here are the questions we’ll discuss:

• What is the etiquette for telling other agents about an offer of representation?

• What if you get an offer that’s not from your dream agent?

• How do you notify other agents about an offer?

• What should you do if you get multiple offers of rep?

• What questions should you ask an agent before signing with them?

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What is the etiquette for telling other agents about an offer of representation?

When you get an offer of representation, know that it is not expected for you to immediately jump to sign with that agent. Any agent who is pressuring you to make a decision on working with them quickly may not have your best interests at heart.

If you get an offer of representation from an agent, the standard process is to email all of the other agents who still have your query, whether they have asked for the full or partial manuscript or not, and let them know you have received an offer of representation and are able to send them the full manuscript if they would like. Any offering agent will give you time, typically two weeks, to let other agents know that you have received an offer and consider your options from there. They understand that agents review their queries on different timelines and that they may not have had a chance to look at yours yet.

Your notification may bump your query to the top of the inbox of any agent who just hasn’t had a chance to review it yet. If they like the premise and the sample pages, they may request the full manuscript and hop to read it quickly.

This can get you into a situation where you have multiple offers of representation, which is a good position for you. Having multiple offers allows you to get to know all of the literary agents who are potentially interested in working with you. You should interview them all and make sure you're finding the right professional fit.

I mentioned two weeks is the industry-standard deadline for making your decision on whether or not to work with an agent who has offered representation. But if you need longer than that for some reason, such as if you'll be traveling without reliable Internet access, then just politely ask the offering agent if you could extend that timeframe by a little bit.

The agent is going to give you, at a minimum, those two weeks to decide. So, I recommend taking that time to really think it through and consider other options if they're on the table. They are still going to want to work with you at that two-week mark just as much as they wanted to when they offered you representation. And if they rescind their offer for any reason, then that is a huge red flag, and you shouldn't work with them anyway.

What if you get an offer that’s not from your dream agent?

What happens if you get an offer of representation, but not from an agent at the top of your priority list? Should you decline this offer and hold out for your “dream” agent?