Querying: Sample Pages

Most literary agents will ask for a few samples pages to go along with your query letter. These sample pages are an extremely important part of your query. While the initial letter is meant to attract the agent’s attention and make him/her want to read your manuscript, the sample pages you provide show off your writing style.

• Follow the directions. If an agent’s submission guidelines ask you to submit the first five pages, then submit the first five pages. Ignoring the agent’s request is a mistake made far too often. If your sample pages end in the middle of a sentence, I’d suggest including the next few words to conclude the sample (but don't include one or two extra pages of text to end a chapter).

• Edit more than once. Your manuscript should already be edited (never submit to literary agents unless your manuscript is polished), but you want to go over your sample pages again before sending in your query letter. An agent is counting on these few sample pages to give off an impression of your writing style, so you want them to be free from errors.

• 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?

Remember that your query letter is only the first step to winning over an agent. Your sample pages need to deliver what your query promises, so you need to spend extra time critiquing and editing those pages before hitting send.