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- Sep 23, 2007
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I know what to include in a NF proposal, but memoir is a hybrid animal, and therein lies confusion. I know now that it's important to finish the book before querying. But I'm wondering...do you need to include chapter summaries in a memoir proposal?
Disclaimer: These are the sorts of questions that drive agents crazy. Rightfully so, I guess, because so much information's available online. But sometimes the answers contradict themselves, and sometimes they're confusing.
To wit:
WRITER'S Q: Do you think that a memoir book proposal's Table of Contents should be in first or third person?
AGENT'S A: I don’t often think of memoirs as having or needing a table of contents, but I think if yours does it should be written in whatever person you’ve written the book.
Do you suppose they were talking about chapter summaries? Because I tend to think of Table of Contents as a skeleton outline. The chapter summaries provide the meat, if I'm not mistaken.
Disclaimer: These are the sorts of questions that drive agents crazy. Rightfully so, I guess, because so much information's available online. But sometimes the answers contradict themselves, and sometimes they're confusing.
To wit:
WRITER'S Q: Do you think that a memoir book proposal's Table of Contents should be in first or third person?
AGENT'S A: I don’t often think of memoirs as having or needing a table of contents, but I think if yours does it should be written in whatever person you’ve written the book.
Do you suppose they were talking about chapter summaries? Because I tend to think of Table of Contents as a skeleton outline. The chapter summaries provide the meat, if I'm not mistaken.