Your First Chapter’s Job

If it doesn’t work, all your effort is wasted.

As I prepared to teach on nonfiction books at a writers conference, I had three opportunities to test what I planned to present.

In the previous few days, I’d critiqued two nonfiction samples and one nonfiction book proposal. All three authors missed the point of what a first chapter should accomplish.

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Manuscript Format Gaffes

Make sure your submission is dressed for success.

Once glance at the manuscript told me the author was at best a hobbyist—not serious about the craft of professional writing.

All that without reading one word of his novel.

Even if the story were great, any literary agent or acquisitions editor would begin an evaluation having already counted several strikes against it.

A … Continue reading