Querying Middle Grade - Number of Chapters

JasonB2784

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Most UK agencies ask for the first three chapters of a novel when querying. If you're querying a middle grade novel, do agencies mind if you send them more chapters to make up for the shorter length that middle grade chapters tend to be, or do they still expect only the first three chapters?


The reason I ask is because middle grade books tend to be shorter, the chapters are also shorter too, so if you only give them the first chapter you're in effect giving them less words, ie the the first three chapters of an adult book might contain 10'000 words altogether, yet the first three chapters of a middlge grade book may only contain 4'000 words.


So do agencies mind if you send them more then the first three chapters of a middle grade book to make up for their shorter length? And if you do this, do you have to explain your reasoning for sending more in the query, or will they understand?


Thanks
 
cornflake

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First three chapters is first three chapters. Agents who rep MG know they rep MG. Follow the guidelines.
 
Latina Bunny

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If the agents are asking for the first three chapters, then send them first three chapters. Follow the agents' guidelines.

Advice? Write the three chapters to be engaging or interesting enough so that the agents would ask for more in the future. ;)
 
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Toothpaste

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As they say, size doesn't matter :) . Remember, the purpose of the first three chapters is to show your writing style, your technique, and whether or not an agent is excited by the story so far to ask for more. And all that should be well established in three chapters, regardless of length.

(I also want to point out that I was an MG writer myself who queried agents in the UK, so I do have some personal experience with this. Also how fantastic is it that in the UK they want to read your pages right away, as opposed to in the States where they just want a query and THEN request a partial?? I loved that about the UK :) )
 
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