: Re: What to submit when asked for "sample chapters"? For a submission (to a grant program, competition, agent, or publisher) that asks for sample chapters, which chapters do you choose? For example,

@Murphy332

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This is from an agent's page at www.mariavicente.com/blog/manuscript-formatting-submitting-sample-pages

Consider the strength of your first chapter. Too often writers will submit pages from the middle of a manuscript because it is a “more interesting” scene or “shows off the writing” better than the beginning of the book. Your manuscript should shine from the very first paragraph. Of course the story is going to improve as someone reads along, but your opening pages should be captivating. If you picked the book up at a bookstore and read the first page, would you want to continue reading?

I have also seen other advice saying that if your first chapter is a prologue, however: skip it. Go to the first real story-chapter (or non-fiction - content-chapter.)

For more on non-fiction chapters, I like the advice here: www.lisatener.com/2011/06/book-proposal-tip-how-to-choose-sample-chapters-for-a-book-proposal/

What chapters have particularly compelling anecdotes, examples, statistics or stories?


What chapters answer my audience’s most pressing and common questions?
...use chapters that explore the range of the book

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