Today's Three-Hundred comes from a currently untitled, mainstream novel by brave--er, Lucky Victim #6!
Okay, so now everyone is wondering, what are we supposed to learn from a Three Hundred Thursday entry that's SO CLEAN? Don't worry, you can learn things from good stuff too.
* When you turn in something without grammatical errors, awkward sentences, iffy word choices, etc., it makes an agent/editor/reader take notice. And read on. They'll notice the time and effort you've put in to your work to make it shine. Remember the "Why I Stopped Reading Post" where I talked about if it was this confusing in the first few pages, it probably would be the rest of the book? The opposite holds true. If the author is this precise in the beginning, that will probably continue as well. The same holds true for a query. I can't tell you the number of times during agent Sarah Megibow's #10queriesin10tweets that I've read the line, "grammar and writing are weak" as a reason for her rejecting it. It's important. It's your preview, just like those first words are. This is your first impression. Get. It. Right.
Help out and comment below. Please remember to keep your comments respectful and consider the author and his/her willingness to participate. (Thanks, Victim #6!)
Are you interested? Use the Contact Me page to send your first three-hundred words or your query letter for critique. Be brave!
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