Description
This article is from the rec.arts.sf.composition FAQ, by Geoffrey
Wiseman loki@mgl.ca with numerous contributions by others.
3.15 When submitting three-chapters-and-a-synopsis, should the rest of the novel be complete, or can I send my work in as soon as I ahve the three chapters? (Science Fiction Composition)
Let me start off with a quote from Gary Farber:
If you'd had a book published, odds are 95% that you'd
know the answer to this: so I presume you are
unpublished, in which case, yes, you need to have the
manuscript finished. It would be a very rare and
exceptional case for an editor to risk signing a contract
with someone who has no track record and no completed
manuscript -- there are too many risks. There are
exceptions, but it would be unwise for you to count on
being one.
Like simsubs, you can get away with it if you're lucky, but it's
not a good idea to count on this. The publisher might ask to
see the rest of your manuscript right away, and you won't have it
to give to them. Alternately, you might want to make major editing
changes to the part the editor already has.
If your agent or publisher is willing to deal with this, and
they've been informed up-front, it's fine. Just be aware that
editors and agents are rarely willing to do this for a new
writer that they have no experience with.
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writing, rec.arts.sf.composition, sci-fi, science fiction, novel, book
