My first 3 chapters currently add up to 10 A4 pages of 5,000 words total. A lot of agents ask for either 3 chapters or 50 pages and I was wondering whether I should send more of the book to make up 50 pages or keep it short and sweet?
My first 3 chapters currently add up to 10 A4 pages of 5,000 words total. A lot of agents ask for either 3 chapters or 50 pages and I was wondering whether I should send more of the book to make up 50 pages or keep it short and sweet?
but if you are talking about a short story collection, then 50 pages is the way to go.
Thanks both for the help Matthew and Lorraine, I’ll stick to three chapters if given the choice.
I'm guessing you mean when they actually give you the option and say "either send the first three chapters or fifty pages" rather than one or the other. I've noticed this a few times too. I'm not sure if there's a real answer to this but I tend to go for my first three chapters (which is much less than fifty pages - similar to yours). I assume they put the fifty-page mention in there just in case you have enormous chapters that go on and on and so they're not going to read anymore than fifty pages if you still haven't reached the end of your third chapter by that point.
So I'd go with your three chapters. Like Lorraine says, they just want a flavour of your writing and I reckon they're so swamped under with submissions that they're going to realise by ten pages whether or not they're enjoying your work and aren't going to keep going much further beyond that if their interest hasn't been piqued. Just my guess.