Thread by @lynnjohnstonlit

Some clients literally gasp when I tell them book proposals can be 100 pages (double spaced). Some #writingtips on the sample material.
✔️Make it good. Seems obvious but don't expect to polish the sample later. Polish it into a jewel now.

https://twitter.com/jbakernyc/status/1450853350942158858

✔️The start and end of your sample doesn't have to coincide w/ actual chapters in the final ms. More imp to showcase your best stuff.
✔️# of chapters isn't as imp as # of words. If short chapters, include more.
✔️Don't include entire ms unless requested.

✔️Craft the reading experience of the sample. Does it have an arc? Will editors feel satisfaction from reading it?
✔️The goal of the sample is to leave them wanting more.

✔️If publisher will want to know IF you can write (newer writers) include a longer sample. If the Q is HOW you will treat the material (established writers), a shorter sample is ok.

✔️I have sold proposals with only chapter summaries but in these cases, the overview serves as a sample and/or the summaries are long enough to be almost sample chapters.

So how many pages should your proposal be? I'd say most of mine are 40-60 double-spaced pages. But my motto is whatever it takes!