Submission Guidelines

[MrsFionaCharming]

I’m looking at submitting my first novel. I’ve found a small publisher who are doing open submissions to unagented authors in my genre next month.

The submission guidelines ask for “the first three chapters (or 2,000 words)”.

My first three chapters add up to 3,717 words. So should I go for the requested chapter number or word count?

Thanks :)

I would submit the three chapters given it looks like you've a natural break around the 2000 word-ish limit. They can read less if they want (and some agents take a judgement based on the first page whether to carry on reading). I understand publishers and, more usually agents, give the 2000/5000/usually 10,000 word suggestion so someone doesn't submit a stream of consciousness 100,000 one chapter book or the first three chapters if these add up to 300 words if they've written short chapters.

Will you be submitting to agents as well?

Good luck.

Thank you!

I’m going to start just with this, and see what happens.

I have no expectations of winning, if I’m asked for the full manuscript then I’ll take that as a good sign and look at submitting to agents, but if I’m not then I’ll continue to try and improve it first.

Did you hear anything back?

How did it go? Can you send it anywhere else?

I’ve submitted it, but the closing date isn’t until tomorrow. Then presumably it’ll take a while for them to read all the entries and choose the long list. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Well, the competition closed at midnight. About 5 minutes ago, I got an email from a beta reader I exchanged MSS with through the NaNo forums. She’s suggested I completely restructure! So possibly this entire will be a right off.

Did what they say chime with your judgment? It's important not to ignore advice. Equally, advice needs evaluating.

I poorly recall an anecdote from the Marx Brothers which probably isn't true but illustrates something. They'd carefully craft a show. They'd become over-familiar and a little bored. They'd take it on the road to live audiences before filming. Someone would suggest a new joke or scene and they'd leap on it and drop or change something. Lots of content would end up being swapped out. They'd film it and, in retrospect, realise what they'd become bored with would have been better.

Good luck with Guppy.

There’s a few bits she’s suggested changes which I’m planning to ignore as I think they’re just dependent on style. However, lots of points she raised are things I had considered as possible issues, so I think she’s definitely right on that.

It just shows the importance of having someone without a vested interest read your work. The other forum beta I had also gave really useful advice - my best friend just told me she loved it and pointed out a couple of typos!