First five pages

write2livelive2write · Jan 30, 2007

Hi everyone, greetings! I am a newbie here and I need your help!

Some agents accept unsolicitated manuscripts. They ask you to send the first five pages of your manuscript along with your query letter. I have a prologue. So should I send the first five pages of the prologue or of chapter 1?

Thanks in advance.

write2live & live2write

Nickie · Jan 30, 2007

If your story starts with a prologue, I'd send that one. But I'd probably add chapter one as well, just to show them how the story is developing.

Nickie

alaskamatt17 · Jan 30, 2007

I'd just send the first five pages you expect any reader who picks it up to see.

IrishScribbler · Jan 30, 2007

alaskamatt17 said:
I'd just send the first five pages you expect any reader who picks it up to see.

This is my vote, as well.

CaitlinK18 · Jan 30, 2007

Send the first five pages of chapter 1. This is pretty standard.

write2livelive2write · Jan 30, 2007

Thanks everyone for your reply.

aadams73 · Jan 30, 2007

CaitlinK18 said:
Send the first five pages of chapter 1. This is pretty standard.

Yup, what Caitlin said.

Saundra Julian · Jan 30, 2007

I agree send pages from chapter 1...

Gillhoughly · Jan 30, 2007

write2livelive2write said:
So should I send the first five pages of the prologue or of chapter 1?

Chapter one, the first five pages.

Forget the prologue for now.

The agent wants to see if you have a hook and know how to put a sentence together.

You may let the agent know that there is a prologue.

Do NOT send prologue, plus another five pages of the book. The agent also wants to see if you are able to understand simple directions.

For more info get to know THIS agent:

http://misssnark.blogspot.com

Learn what not to do!

Judg · Jan 30, 2007

I've seen other agents say to send the very first pages, whether it's a prologue or chapter one. There seems to be disagreement among the professionals on that one.

Dave.C.Robinson · Jan 30, 2007

It still boils down to the following:

a) Demonstrate you are able to count to five correctly.
b) Count to five from a point you would expect someone to start reading your book.

bunnygirl · Jan 30, 2007

I would send the first five pages of Chapter One. That's what I've read at various agent sites. In my case, I ended up cutting my prologues anyway, so based on that experience, I wouldn't even consider sending prologue material. But that's just me.

write2livelive2write · Jan 31, 2007

More votes for chapter 1! So I guess I'll send the first 5 pages of chapter 1 but mention in my query letter that I have a prologue. Thanks for your help!

johnzakour · Jan 31, 2007

write2livelive2write said:
More votes for chapter 1! So I guess I'll send the first 5 pages of chapter 1 but mention in my query letter that I have a prologue. Thanks for your help!

I wouldn't even bother to mention that you have prologue. I don't see how that can help you. The first 5 pages should able to stand on their own without a prologue.

JanDarby · Jan 31, 2007

Skip the prologue. Skip even the mention of it.

I'm not the only person (agents/editors included) who hates prologues, and one of the cardinal rules of query writing is to avoid mentioning anything that might give the recipient a reason to reject the story before they see how you handle to off-putting material.

A favorite author of mine once wrote a romance that featured the standard sort of young-ish couple falling in love, but with a strong secondary romance between two elderly people. Did she mention the secondary plot in her proposal? Heck, no. Not when she knew the person she was submitting to wanted (or thought she wanted) a fresh and sparkly young couple falling in love. Once the editor was hooked, though, the subplot worked brilliantly, and the editor was okay with it, enthusiastic even. But if it had been in the proposal, where the editor couldn't see the brilliant execution, it would probably have been shot down.

Don't give 'em a reason to shoot you down until you absolutely, positively have to.

JD

write2livelive2write · Feb 1, 2007

Very good advice. Thanks, JD!

scarletpeaches · Feb 1, 2007

Everyone else is wrong. What you do is, send chapter thirteen, page 239, the fourth paragraph of page 17, and a Russian language translation of the final sentence.

MidnightMuse · Feb 1, 2007

And cookies.

Don't forget the cookies.

scarletpeaches · Feb 1, 2007

On pink paper.

Sprayed with perfume.

First five pages

write2livelive2write

Nickie

Not too old to learn

alaskamatt17

IrishScribbler

CaitlinK18

"Sephiroth is my bishie!"

write2livelive2write

aadams73

A Work in Progress

Saundra Julian

A work in progress

Gillhoughly

Grumpy writer and editor

Judg

DISENCHANTED coming soon

Dave.C.Robinson

... with the High Command

bunnygirl

Token Rabbit

write2livelive2write

johnzakour

Dangerous with a Keyboard

JanDarby

write2livelive2write

scarletpeaches

MidnightMuse

Midnight Reading

scarletpeaches