Hi everyone, just wondering what your thoughts are on sending chapters to an agent. My chapters could be quite short, or could be grouped together to be fairly long. Do I send 3 short chapters in the hope they want to read more, or 3 longer chapters to give them as much story as possible?
Thanks in advance
Read the requirements for each agent/publisher on their website, and follow them to the letter.
Is the novel complete? It must be, before you send anything, because if the agent replies that he wants to see the whole mss by return, you can't wait - it has to go by return or you will lost his interest and goodwill.
It's all about doing what they ask, and only that: send your work as specified, with spacings and font as required, as an attachment or embedded in the email as they prefer.
One person's first three chapters could be a lot longer than the next one's, so if they give a word limit, stick to that.
You usually give a synopsis of the rest of the story, so the chapters are there to give a flavour; they will show whether you can write (and punctuate!), and importantly they should make the reader want to know more. No matter how short they are, that's the vital point: they must grab the attention. You'll sweat over the synopsis, but an agent who dismisses your chapters - if he even gets that far, as he'll read your query letter first - won't even touch it.
Good luck!
Lorraine
Thanks for your advice and answers. Much appreciated.
@ Jummy, yes that is scary, particularly given my punctuation! :)
Clare. I was once set a test by a writing school; it was to write a first chapter 'which was so good the publisher's reader would ask for more'.
I thought it a good idea and dived in. It is a good excercise for it sharpens the mind.
Every time I finish a book. I go back to my 'first chapter' and re-write; following the advice 'the publishers reader would ask for more'.
Even if my effort does not satisfy any particular 'publisher's reader', at least I feel I have justified myself and my work.