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From: psc@lzwi.UUCP (Paul S. R. Chisholm)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: Potpourri (really, selling your first novel)
Message-ID: <156@lzwi.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 30-May-85 13:47:13 EDT
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Posted: Thu May 30 13:47:13 1985
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< Smokey the Bar says, "Help stamp out software pirates" [squish!] >

> From: lah%ucbmiro@Berkeley (First Lieutenant Leigh Ann Hussey)
> >(Note that for a novel, you should send a query with an outline and
> >sample chapters, *not* the whole novel.  You don't even need to have
> >the novel finished.)
> 
> Sorry, but that's a bad piece of advice.  I only hope that you haven't taken
> it already and suffered an unnecessary rejection.  When you have five books 
> or so out, then you can start thinking about sending outlines.  Most of the
> writers I know, however, sent their first novels complete.  When an editor
> knows for certain what he/she is buying from you, ie, will it sell, they won't
> care (much) what it's about.
>...
> Meanwhile, an editor can't be sure of what he/she's getting on the basis of an
> outline and a few chapters unless he/she's seen your work before.  Send the
> whole thing, with return postage (unless you don't want it back), and hope for
> the best.  I'm marketing my first novel, too.  (By the way, the above
> commentator was right about stories -- having a short story of my own out does
> not seem to have made much difference; what HAS is going to conventions.  Know
> your editors and colleagues-to-be, get your face seen and your work heard --
> in that case, having a prior short story or two published is good, as it gets
> you into cons as a guest and you can meet more people that way).
>...
> Leigh Ann Hussey
> (lah@ucbmiro.BERKELEY
> (horatio@ucbmiro.BERKELEY)

As the poster of that advice, I bow to your superior experience.  The idea
that going to cons and meeting editors helps sounds especially right.
-- 
       -Paul S. R. Chisholm       The above opinions are my own,
       {pegasus,vax135}!lzwi!psc  not necessarily those of any
       {mtgzz,ihnp4}!lznv!psc     telecommunications company.