Prologues/Epilogues in submissions

Full manuscript means full manuscript. That means chapters first-through-last and also means prologues and epilogues. You can probably safely leave out the acknowledgements page, if you want to, but include prologues and epilogues.

When they request a full, you put in everything, including the acknowledgements.

When I sent my first full MS the next time I saw it was after copy-editing and got a "check this over" --which was the last stage before it went to galleys.

That's why it's so important for new writers to make sure they are indeed sending their final draft.

I didn't know this when I sent in my 2nd novel--which was first draft. They accepted it as a final! It was good, but not final draft good, and my editor was none too pleased to find that I did a complete rewrite of the book to make it better. She didn't care about better, she just wanted it in on time.

That was a sharp lesson, teaching me not to be too trusting of their judgment on what makes good writing. They were in a freakin' hurry to get it published, but I wanted to make sure it would be a good read.

Thankfully it worked out for us both, but since then I have been careful.

Good luck!

LIsten to that man. He has a scary avatar. send your acknowledgements! Quick!

His avatar looks exactly like my uncle Wayne. My uncle Wayne is scary though!

Gillhoughly's avatar looks like me first thing in the morning.

PeeDee's looks like me last thing at night.

I wouldn't send acknowledgements. You'll have lots of time for that later, and besides, you'll want to thank your editor, etc.

Strange question, Karo, to even think about sending a 'full' manuscript minus the Prologue and the Epilogue. If the story is not complete without them what would be the point of not sending them?

And if the manuscript would be completely readable and understandable minus the Prologue and Epilogue, why have them at all?

I know the question was a general one, but am I missing something?

Bufty said:

Strange question, Karo, to even think about sending a 'full' manuscript minus the Prologue and the Epilogue. If the story is not complete without them what would be the point of not sending them?

And if the manuscript would be completely readable and understandable minus the Prologue and Epilogue, why have them at all?

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Bufty raised some relevant questions. Before you send out a full, you need to think about if your story is the best it can be, is it complete, and if everything in it (prologue/epilogue/glossary/maps/etc.) are necessary.

I went to send the first five pages of my manuscript to an agent. When I did that, I sent her the first five pages, starting with chapter one. I completely left out my prologue. Doing that made me realize that if I didn't automatically treat the prologue as my best food forward, then it didn't belong there. No more than if I was embarassed by the first five pages of my first chapter.

(will probably keep it anyway; I like that it gives away the whole entire story, if you read it right)

Nevertheless, you see my point, which is also Bufty's point, which is also Ray's point........

First 5 is somewhat different, though, PeeDee. If an agent asks for first 10 pages, I am not sure if I would send the prologue either, whether it's important or not. But I know what you're saying: It forces to think about if your prologue really belongs. That's probably one reason why I don't usually write prologues.

maestrowork said:

First 5 is somewhat different, though, PeeDee. If an agent asks for first 10 pages, I am not sure if I would send the prologue either, whether it's important or not. But I know what you're saying: It forces to think about if your prologue really belongs. That's probably one reason why I don't usually write prologues.

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I really wouldn't have sent the prologue anyway. My point was more that when I was critically looking at my first five pages, I didn't look at my prologue's pages (albeit, it's only two pages long) and go "Ah! This will win me instantly!"

On those rare occasions I do write prologues, they're usually self-contained short stories which I wrote less to be part of the main work and more to help me warm into the tone and feel of the main story. They usually either move to later in the manuscript, or get severed altogether and become short stories all by themselves.