Nathan Bransford - The Forums

While researching agents to query, I ran across a specific company that asks for the following:

Fiction Submissions

-Query letter
-Synopsis
-First Three Chapters of Manuscript
-Author Bio

When they ask for a synopsis they are not specific as to what kind. Would you send a 1-page, 6-page...or???

Also, in regards to the first three chapters in my MS, obviously I can send them, but I have a 2 page prologue. Would I send the 2 page prologue as well as the first three chapters, or just the prologue and the first two chapters...

Okay, and another on their website says to send your query to email address...would you send only your query letter or query and maybe the first five pages of your MS?

klbritt wrote:When they ask for a synopsis they are not specific as to what kind. Would you send a 1-page, 6-page...or???

If the length of the synopsis isn't specified, go with 1-2 pages. That's pretty safe for just about anything.

klbritt wrote:Would I send the 2 page prologue as well as the first three chapters, or just the prologue and the first two chapters...

I would err on the side of caution and count the prologue as a chapter. It likely wouldn't be a deal-breaker to send all three and the prologue, but I tend to go for the safe bet. If they like it, they can ask for more. Others may disagree, because depending on who you listen to you'll get different answers to this question.

klbritt wrote:Okay, and another on their website says to send your query to email address...would you send only your query letter or query and maybe the first five pages of your MS?

If they don't have email specific query requirements, send what they ask for. Just don't attach anything. Copy/paste everything into the body of the email. Agents will not open attachments and you'll go straight to the rejection pile.

If synopsis length is not specified you're best with a short one (1-2 pages, but remember you can single space a synopsis).

The majority of agents want to see Chapters 1, 2 and 3 and do not want to see the prologue at all. Not something authors like to hear, but true nonetheless. Unless you have read interviews or Tweets from this agent saying he/she doesn't mind prologues you're best not sending it. If you get a full request then when you send the full you can include the prologue as the complete manuscript. Basically if you're labeling it a prologue they want to know that it can lift right out of the story and chapter 1 is good to go on its own. If that can't happen, then the prologue should actually be labeled chapter 1. Make sense?

If it just says "send query" then just send a query. I know Nathan has blogged in the past about how it doesn't hurt to send a few pages (pasted in) but recently more and more agents have taken the attitude that if you send more than what they asked for you've already shown them that you don't follow directions. If they like your query, they'll ask for pages.

Good luck!

I feel like I've seen agents answer something like this before with an answer like, "send whichever one you think is better."

But, yeah, I'd also try to make sure it wasn't TOO long because those agents are busy people, and they have a lot of queries to get through.