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- Nov 13, 2017
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I have a concern about the querying process.
I have a YA fantasy novel that I have started to query and have received a few rejections so far. No big deal; I am familiar with submissions and rejections across different industries.
However, I am little perturbed that readers and agents will never see my novel for what it is because most submission guidelines specify only the first 5-10 pages. My novel includes journal entries of the antagonist, diary entries of one of the protagonists, news articles, and obituaries. All these vary up the point of view and really bring the readers in on an intimate level with all the characters: their backstories, motivation, etc. Problem is that none of that occurs in the first 10 pages. Aaaaargh! So frustrating.
Now, I know what you are going to say: "Start off with a bang ... Bring the reader in over the first few pages ... Show us everything in the first few paragraphs," yadda, yadda, yadda. Problem is, I can't do that because the plot structure is based around starting in medias res and then backstory is told using the devices I mentioned above (combined with good old-fashioned narration) over the course of a relatively fast moving plot. The reader just doesn't get to the heart of the "story" immediately.
So my question is: Can I somehow specify this in the query letter? Or would that be frowned upon? Otherwise, readers and agents will be reading the first 5-10 pages, which are mostly plot-driven, and likely thinking the story is flat or not layered enough. But it is! Again, sooooooo frustrating.
Or maybe I should only be looking to submit to agents that request the first 3 chapters or first 50 pages, instead of those that just want the first 5-10?
What do you all think? Thanks for any tips.
I have a YA fantasy novel that I have started to query and have received a few rejections so far. No big deal; I am familiar with submissions and rejections across different industries.
However, I am little perturbed that readers and agents will never see my novel for what it is because most submission guidelines specify only the first 5-10 pages. My novel includes journal entries of the antagonist, diary entries of one of the protagonists, news articles, and obituaries. All these vary up the point of view and really bring the readers in on an intimate level with all the characters: their backstories, motivation, etc. Problem is that none of that occurs in the first 10 pages. Aaaaargh! So frustrating.
Now, I know what you are going to say: "Start off with a bang ... Bring the reader in over the first few pages ... Show us everything in the first few paragraphs," yadda, yadda, yadda. Problem is, I can't do that because the plot structure is based around starting in medias res and then backstory is told using the devices I mentioned above (combined with good old-fashioned narration) over the course of a relatively fast moving plot. The reader just doesn't get to the heart of the "story" immediately.
So my question is: Can I somehow specify this in the query letter? Or would that be frowned upon? Otherwise, readers and agents will be reading the first 5-10 pages, which are mostly plot-driven, and likely thinking the story is flat or not layered enough. But it is! Again, sooooooo frustrating.
Or maybe I should only be looking to submit to agents that request the first 3 chapters or first 50 pages, instead of those that just want the first 5-10?
What do you all think? Thanks for any tips.