Partial or Proposal…Which is it? And WHAT is it?

(Sharon couldn't be here on the blog today, but we'll hope she'll be back with us soon!)

The answer to the first question is either or both. But whichever it is, it’s a submission, most likely to an editor.

Some make a distinction between the two. For those yet published? It’s a partial. Published? It’s a proposal. But that doesn’t necessarily hold true. Call it what you want, you’ll probably be submitting one in the future, if you haven’t already.

A submission can be many things. A QUERY LETTER is a submission, of sorts. A SYNOPSIS (coming to Bits & Bytes soon!) is a submission, as is a synopsis with chapters.

How do you know which is the right kind of submission?
The best indicator is found in the publisher’s guidelines. Some publishers prefer you query first. Some will ask you to begin by sending a partial. We’ve discussed querying (with a query letter) here on Bits & Bytes, but it doesn’t end there. One of the outcomes of that query letter may be a request for some type of submission of the manuscript, most often a “partial”. This can mean something different, depending on the editor and the publishing house. The best way to find out, if you’re not told by the editor in her request letter, is to either ask or check the publisher’s guidelines. As a general rule, most (but not all) partials will consist of a synopsis of the story and the first three chapters. No, not the chapters you think are your best. After all, you want to HOOK (coming soon!) the editor right away, just as you hook the reader who buys the book and begins reading the first line of the first scene, first chapter. If your story begins with a prologue, include that with the first three chapters. Still, if you’re not sure what the editor wants, ask. Both you and the editor will be glad you did.

Why does an editor ask to see a synopsis and first three chapters?
A synopsis of the story will give her (or him) an overall view of the story. A well-written synopsis will cover the major TURNING POINTS, the GMC (coming soon!) of the two main characters’, and let the editor know there’s a satisfying HEA. An editor can tell from a synopsis if the story is the type s/he is looking for, whether it will sustain an entire book, and many other things, just in a few pages. What the editor can’t always tell from a synopsis is the style in which the author writes. That’s where the first three chapters come into play.

Are the first three chapters always what the editor wants to see?
Not always, especially with published authors who have been writing for several years for the same editor. Once a relationship is formed between an author and an editor, some of the questions have been answered. The editor has become familiar with the author’s style, knows s/he can sustain a full-length book and can do it within a certain time frame. Many multi-published authors submit only a synopsis and first chapter as a proposal. Still others have sold books on a synopsis only. You and your editor will know when that time comes. Until then, learn to write the best synopsis you can and polish those first three chapters until they shine! And don’t forget to finish the book!