Can you COMPEL me (or an agent, or an editor) turn the first page of your manuscript? Can you create 15 lines of narrative so seductive that I'm unable to resist?
While an agent or an editor may read a little further than that, it sure won't hurt to make your first page irresistible.
So herewith I'm planning a version of Miss Snark's Crapometer exercise. But from a storytelling/editing point of view.
BTW, she did an amazing job. Received about 700 250-word "hooks" and she's critiquing them all. During the first weekend, her rate was one approximately every 4 minutes, which included pasting the thing into her blog and commenting. Whew!
But maybe it's a fair test. Agent Kristin Nelson posted her year's stats on her blog, and she received 20, 800 queries in 2006. If you figure 40-hour work weeks, and take two weeks off to rest your eyes, that comes to about 10 queries per hour. And some of us wonder why agents use form rejection slips. When does she find the time to do the rest of her work? Oh, I'm sure she works more than 40 hours per week, but even at 80 hours per week that would still be 5 queries per hour, hour after hour after hour . . .
So Miss Snark is doing a huge service by donating one agent's view of hundreds of hooks the writers thought were enticing enough to engage interest. I sent my own in, and await a reaction.
I'm saving the entries that she declared to be winning hooks to
analyze what makes them work (for her). A pattern seems to be emerging
Maybe the Flogometer Critique can help you when you reach the stage of submitting pages, whether with your query or in response to a request for a partial or full.
Maybe I can help you focus on the story part of sucking a reader into your narrative.
Introducing the Flogometer Critique
So next month I'll open up Flogging the Quill to looking at a sample of what an agent or editor will see on the first page of the first chapter of your manuscript.
We're talking about the 15 double-spaced lines that appear on your manuscript's first page when the chapter starts about 1/3 of the way down (as it should), with 1-inch margins.
I averaged the first-page count in my first four novels, and the mean for those 15 lines was 220, but the range was wide: from 168 to 249. That's using Times Roman instead of Courier, which puts more words on the page.
So let's settle on a nice, round 200 words for the Flogometer.
Here's the deal: When I open up for submissions next month, you'll be invited to send the FIRST 200 words of your novel in the body of an email. NO more. My Word knows how to count words, and I'll be precise in my pickiness.
The Flogometer is NOT YET OPEN for submissions. I figured you might want to take a little time to really focus on those first 15 lines and do a little editing and polishing. They had better gleam like the steel hooks they should be.
What will happen to your sample is that I'll post it with notes, i.e.
- Read more, with reasons why, plus edits if I see places for improvement.
- Pass, with reasons why.
It took Miss Snark, who apparently has an incredible amount of energy, a long weekend to blitz through just 140 submissions. I don't have that kind of time or juice to devote, so the Flogometer review may take longer, but I'll get to them all.
If, that is, anyone sends something in.
The process, but ONLY after I say "go" (after the first of the year):
1. At top of email (email address to be given later, when the session opens):
- You MUST tell me that it is okay to use in the Flogging the Quill blog
- I would appreciate it if you would also tell me that it's okay to use in a how-to craft book based on the blog.
2. Paste the first 200 words of your novel into the email. Please separate the paragraphs in the email with a line space if that doesn't automatically happen.
3. I send you a number by reply email, which lets you know if the sample has been received and will help you gauge when yours will appear.
4. I'm not limiting this
5. Readers: Vote via Comments whether or not a sample COMPELS you to turn the page. DO NOT BE KIND. Do not be generous. Neither kindness or generosity are helpful at this point. However, if you comment on a submission, be considerate and constructive. I'll block nastiness.
Please DON'T SEND anything yet. I'll let you know. It will be after the turn of the year. The process stuff above will be repeated.
Report on my Flash Editing workshop at the Write on the Sound conference
The Write on the Sound folks share ratings given presenters by
attendees, and I was pleased with what I received from the workshoppers
who came to my session.
They were asked to rate the presenter/presentation by giving 1 to 5 points, with 5 being the top rating. Here's what Flash Editing received:
Out of 21 writers who turned in an evaluation:
- 10 gave it 5 points
- 8 gave it 4 points
- 2 gave it the middle, 3 points
- 1 gave it 1 point
Okay, for one person I didn't meet expectations. On the other hand, 18 out of 21 people gave me top-2-box scores, with nearly half bestowing the top rating. I'm pleased, and I believe the feedback I got will make the next one even better.
Happy Holidays!
I think I'll take the week after Christmas off, but I will put up a computer tip post from the archives about uses for the Word comment feature, so stop in.
For what it's worth,
Ray
Free edit. Email a sample for an edit that I can post here.
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© 2006 Ray Rhamey
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