@shaeofsunshine, I hear what you’re saying. Whatever the intent behind the video, the framing of “what NOT to do when you get an offer” felt more like a caution than an open-ended suggestion to a lot of writers and well-respected agents.

The tricky part is the power imbalance. In the query trenches, agents hold all the cards. An offer of rep is one of the very few moments where authors do get to set boundaries, and industry-standard guidance exists partly to protect writers from overthinking or second-guessing themselves.

Of course there are situations where two weeks isn’t enough, and that’s absolutely something to discuss with the offering agent. But asking nudged agents to set their timeline can complicate the process and place unnecessary pressure on both the author and the offering agent.

I say this as someone who got an offer recently and saw the video after nudging others. My immediate reaction was panic, even though I’d done everything by the book. That’s why clarity matters so much in this space, especially for querying authors who already feel unsure of every step.

I saw the video, and she wasn’t implying that anyone had to do anything. She just suggested that if you got an offer of rep and if there are other agents you want to work with then you could be open to having a conversation with them about the deadline in case the 2 week standard wasn’t enough time. She never suggested authors give up their power, or that they have to do anything. It’s been blown out of proportion, and honestly, she never said there was anything wrong with the industry standard. I took it as opening up the lines of communication so you can be sure of all your options when making the final decision.

She had good intentions.

Hmm, she posted a video on Threads & Instagram (and deleted it) about the #1 thing you should not do when you get an offer of rep. According to Jennifer, when you're nudging other agents, you should ask them what timeline fits THEM. This is really weird advice. The industry standard is a two weeks deadline and you can't let the offering agent wait forever. When you get an offer, it's your timeline, not the agents' you're nudging. If they're interested, they need to find time in those two weeks.

Please be aware of this!

EQ: 10-23-25 Literary/Upmarket
ER: 1-21-26

Form.

I'm sorry, but your project does not sound like a fit for me at this time, and so I will have to pass. Thank you for considering me and best of luck with your future queries.

Sincerely,
Jenny

Queried: 10.09.25
Full Request: 11.04.25
R&R: 1.08.25
Romantasy