Including dedication/epigraph in full ms?

Etola · Sep 6, 2014

When sending a full ms out to an agent, does one typically include the dedication and/or epigraph? Someone I know related a story where she sent the full ms to the agent, who signed her, sent the ms out to editors, sold it, and it wasn't until the author got the galley proofs that she realized it was missing the dedication page. So she advised me to always include it in the full. I'm just curious how typical that situation is, and if the dedication should be included when I submit a full?

Quickbread · Sep 6, 2014

So neither the agent or editor asked the author for a single revision to the manuscript in all that time? That sounds like an extremely rare scenario to me. I think it's really premature to send those items as part of a full submission to an agent.

thothguard51 · Sep 6, 2014

Agents and editor do not care about dedications. They care about the story...

Karen Junker · Sep 6, 2014

I would think the time to write a dedication is when the book has been sold to a publisher and is getting ready to go to press -- maybe you could ask your agent to be sure that you get a page or two to do that? Because, really, you will want to thank your agent -- and that is premature if she hasn't even signed you yet.

Etola · Sep 6, 2014

Thank you all for your answers! Yes, it did seem like an odd situation, which was why I asked. One less thing for me to worry about when querying

Old Hack · Sep 7, 2014

If a book doesn't have a dedication or acknowledgements section I'd ask the author if he or she wanted to include one before the book was copyedited.

For no one to realise that there was no dedication at galley stage is extraordinary.

But no, I wouldn't include that information in a submission. Submissions are about selling your book to an agent or publisher, not about thanking your family and friends.

eqb · Sep 7, 2014

That *is* an odd story. Whenever I get the copyedited manuscript for review, the instructions have an item about "please send back a document with any acknowledgments and/or dedication you would like to include."

Including dedication/epigraph in full ms?

Etola

Still looking for stars...

Quickbread

thothguard51

A Gentleman of a refined age...

Karen Junker

Live a little. Write a lot.

Etola

Still looking for stars...

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman

eqb

I write novels