Frequently Asked Questions

OnlyOneChapter.com is simply designed to discover and promote new writers. There are two parts to the site: firstly, for unpublished writers looking to be discovered by a publisher/literary agent; and secondly, for published authors who can promote their book via i-Read&Buy! This can be done by the publisher or the authors themselves.

We have support from publishers and literary agents - and this is what makes OnlyOneChapter.com unique. Every registered publisher and literary agent has been vetted and contacted directly by OnlyOneChapter.com. All of the publishers and agents have given their commitment to support OnlyOneChapter.com, and the site has been designed based on their requirements. We are continually contacting more to encourage them to use the site as an additional, effective source of discovering new talent. 

OnlyOneChapter.com offers an excellent opportunity for new authors to get serious consideration from publishers and literary agents who are looking for new writing talent and the next big thing.

They can search our database for new talent that is specific to their genre and if interested, they can contact you directly. The site is easy to use and saves you having to send unsolicited manuscripts that undoubtedly end up on a slush pile. OnlyOneChapter.com turns the tables, and brings the industry to you.

Once you have registered with OnlyOneChapter.com you will be able to

• Upload your first chapter
• Give a brief description of the story
• Submit your synopsis
• Provide a min-biog and photo
• Promote your work to numerous publishers in the UK and abroad
• Publisher/literary agent can make immediate contact with you if they are interested.
• Receive a chapter assessment by our editors giving invaluable guidance and direction

Our opening launch offer is:

This one-off payment can only be made by credit card via Nochex.

No we will not. To ensure quality, submissions will be vetted and screened and only work that is deemed to be of an acceptable standard will be registered. We have taken this step to control the quality of work and to encourage publishers to actively use OnlyOneChapter.com. Whilst we are happy to deplete their "slush piles" for them, we do not want our own.

All our submissions are screened by our team of editors who all work in publishing and are up to date with what you need to do to get your manuscript published, whether you are writing fantasy fiction, romantic novels, literary fiction and non-fiction.

Sure, all of our assessments are different but here is a recent one.

He Had It Coming, by Brian Lynch

The agent/publisher may not be familiar with the case the writer is novelising, so it might be best to explain and give the facts that are currently detailed in the synopsis in the covering letter instead, using the synopsis to introduce the characters and give a précis of the storyline. One page in single spacing is the ideal length for a synopsis. I would recommend that the author provides a Prologue in which he gives the details of the case and states the year in which the murder took place. I like the sense of tension and anticipation built up on the first page. On p3, are the words HE'S DEAD, the thoughts or words of the first character, or the heading of the following section? It's not clear, especially as there is no full stop after 'he muttered'.

The author has done a pretty good job at describing Emma's emotions on hearing of the death of her husband, but he could do with getting a bit more deeply inside her head and describing her feelings firsthand, perhaps giving her thoughts, too. (For example: Dead? She felt nausea rise in her throat. He couldn't be dead! He'd been right as rain not twelve hours earlier, when he'd left for work. "There m-must be some mistake," she stammered, suddenly aware that she was shaking.) The author needs to read up about 'show and tell' as there is a little too much 'tell' in this draft (i.e. the writer telling us what is going on, rather than showing it through the thoughts, emotions, dialogue and reactions of the main character). The last paragraph on p12 is all written from the point of view of the author telling the reader how a good reporter should operate. This needs to be conveyed through Hart. Perhaps he can recall what his old editor taught him when he was a trainee.

I do like the way in which, as the truth dawns, Emma perks up, but the author teases us by not saying why but keeping us in suspense instead.

As the writer is a newspaper man himself, the newsroom scenes have an authentic feel. Was this the name of the actual newspaper that reported the murder? Maybe the true facts that the writer has adhered to could be mentioned in the Prologue or Preface.

The writing flows very well, but I think that in this first chapter, there needs to be more an edge, a personal reason why this story is important to Cyril. Is he threatened with losing his job if he doesn't deliver a groundbreaking story? Does he have a personal reason that would make him want to expose what life and conditions at the asylum are like? There needs to be a harder drive and a bit more tension. Why not let him have the instinct that it's murder, rather than Tom Abbott? It's all rather ambling and countrified at present. The author should think Taggart rather than Midsomer Murders! More pace, less incidental detail, and sharper focus. But it's an excellent start.

Sanctuary, by Glyn Smith

I have a slight reservation regarding the storyline, in that I am slightly confused as to where Ben's true emotions lie. Is he really in love with Mary all the way through the book? Does he rekindle his affair with Ginny at any point, to help him recover from his knock-back when Mary left him? Or are he and Ginny just friends? How far do his feelings for her go? I think you need to make his emotional state clear in the synopsis, otherwise he comes across as unfeeling and cold. Is he overjoyed to be having a child? If so, that should be made clear, too. Another thing that needs clarifying is how important the French setting is to the book. Is there an element of A Year In Provence about it? If so, the agent or publisher will want to know and this could be mentioned in the covering letter. The synopsis should ideally be one page in single spacing.

Who is the book's main character? Whose viewpoint is Chapter One written from? I think the author needs to learn about 'show and tell', as the chapter appears to be written from a remote authorial viewpoint in which the writer tells the reader what is going on. This doesn't work in a novel, especially a romantic one. The reader needs to follow the storyline by means of the thoughts, feelings, hopes, fears and emotions of the main character (there can be more than one viewpoint, but a new chapter or section should be started whenever another character takes over the narration). This is what is known as the 'show' style of writing, when we are shown the story unfolding from the perspective of one or more main characters. This way of writing is warmer and more emotional and allows the reader to empathise with the characters, which is what is needed in this kind of novel. There is plenty of information available on the internet regarding 'show and tell' which the author might find helpful.

The synopsis focuses on Ben as the main character, so why doesn't the book open by establishing him in the reader's mind, rather than opening with the female characters? The girls' conversation could come in Chapter Two, when the reader will be aware of Ben's feelings for Mary so the revelation that she is about to leave him will have much more impact. (By the way, Cyril is a really old-fashioned name and makes him sound about 90. I suggest calling him something different.) In this day and age, it seems strange that Ben and Mary should be living together platonically when he has feelings for her, and she for him. Why is Ben so reluctant to commit, or to form a proper relationship? This is why we need to meet him first, so we can establish in our minds exactly what his feelings towards Mary are. How old are these characters? Twenties? Thirties? This needs to be dropped in somewhere, perhaps with a mention of a birthday.

My suggestion would be to open the book with the Ben section that starts on p8, when Ben is thinking how lucky he is. His world is shortly to be shattered but let the reader discover this later, rather than finding out first and then meeting Ben afterwards. I would trim some of the detail about the French neighbours in order to progress the main storyline.

On p11, Ben's and Mary's viewpoints get mixed up. This section is Ben's and should be written entirely from his perspective. Mary's thoughts should not be mentioned as he wouldn't know them! I think the reader would prefer to experience Mary's confession about Cyril in 'real time' rather than in Ben's memory, so I advise writing in a 'live' scene written from Ben's point of view. In fact, if at all possible, I would try to stick to his viewpoint throughout the book as he is the kingpin and the women's lives circle around his. The writing is fluid and the author has a good, readable style.

Author Response ...

" ... Can you pass on my thanks to whoever did the assessment on 'Sanctuary'. I have been trying to get such a critique done, but couldn't find out where. Your assessor's comments are worth their weight in gold! It was just what I needed, and I will be working on my work, taking the suggestions on board (or a majority of them)"

We use a number of editors, picked for their suitability for their work. They all extensive experience having worked for Curtis Brown, and between them have had over 30 novels published for both adult and children. Their books have been published by a number of different publishers including HarperCollins, Macmillan, Pan, Virago and Scholastic.

All material placed on a website is copyright protected and you own the copyright of your submitted work. Virtually every work created by an individual is covered by copyright as long as it meets certain conditions. These prerequisites are:

1. The work must be original
2. The work must be in a material form

You do not have to register the work (indeed, there is no agency to do so), pay a fee or undergo any type of bureaucratic process. You do not even have to attach the internationally recognised copyright symbol (©).

Most countries have signed up to the Berne Convention and the Universal Copyright Convention providing basic minimum copyright laws and reciprocal rights for nationals in all the signatories' territories internationally. In short, copyright material created by UK and non-UK nationals or residents (whose country is a member of at least one of the above conventions) falling within the scope of one of the conventions is automatically protected in the UK.

If we decline your submission our panel will provide a critique with advice on how to develop your work. It is envisaged that the screening process should not take longer than seven working days.

i-Read&Buy! allows publishers and self-published authors to promote new titles, generate exposure and sales, linked to Amazon. As long as the book is available and listed on Amazon, the publisher or author can simply upload the first chapter and the blurb. This offers an additional marketing and sales opportunity for all writers regardless of whether they have a publisher or have chosen to go down the self-published route. Find out more.

The book must be available at Amazon. The web address is required and you will be able to copy and paste this from the "tool bar" of Amazon onto the registration section of OnlyOneChapter.com.

This is very easy to do.

e.g. To promote:
A Sea Change by Michael Arditti

• Go to Amazon
• Search and find the book
• Copy the web address in the tool bar at the top
  
  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sea-Change-Michael-Arditti/dp/1904559212/ref=sr_1_6/202-1702691-3985431?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186685281&sr=1-6
• Paste this address in the required box as indicated

None of these. Our goal for undiscovered writers is to provide a website that brings the author and publisher together. Our only association with the publishers and literary agents is that they are registered with us to discover new writing talent and/or to promote new releases.

All our publishers and literary agents have registered and we only accept those that are in Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook

Yes, but only those that have registered are able to review the submissions. Each reviewer can grade the work and a Top 10 listing per genre will exist based on the reviews and scoring given.

Your page contains a “contact author” form where professionals can easily request the work via OnlyOneChapter.com. We notify you by personal e-mail if a publisher/literary agent makes a request for your manuscript. You, in turn, send the work to the requesting party, which ensures that you are always in control of your manuscript’s movement.

That is because it is what they have requested and have stated that only one chapter is enough judge the submission and proceed with interest. If a publisher/literary agent wants to see the whole manuscript they can request it via OnlyOneChapter.com, and we will contact you immediately.

You are right, and we have their support, too. This site is an additional source and publishers/literary agents can view what is available quickly, efficiently and effectively. Importantly they can search for submissions that are specific to their genre.

Less cost, less time, less disappointment, less paper.

That depends on your work. Both publishers and literary agents receive hundreds of unsolicited manuscripts each day, many of which end up on the "slush pile". Instead of you sending unsolicited manuscripts to them, the publisher and literary agent are coming to you. It's like a "literary dating agency" online!

They have committed to supporting OnlyOneChapter.com. We have not just listed them; we have contacted them directly and obtained their support. The big “but” is that the success of OnlyOneChapter.com is based a number of elements, one of which is quality - and that is critical. If the quality of the submissions is poor, publishers will stay away. That is why we will be screening the submissions.

Yes. An email alert will automatically go to them notifying them

• when a submission has been registered that is of interest to their chosen genre(s)
• and when regular site updates are sent, eg Top 10 listings

OnlyOneChapter.com aggressively markets our writers' work, both online and offline, through:

• Continually increasing the registration of publishers and literary agents
• Continuous marketing campaign to raise the profile of OnlyOneChapter.com and therefore, your work
• Radio, press, internet marketing and, with your help, word of mouth
• Presence at many Writers' Conferences every year
• The internet and other channels
• Book-related media contacts

To edit any part of your submission, simply login in and click on edit.

It is a short "blurb" about the book, i.e. what appears on the back cover.

A synopsis is a clear, concise overview of your work. It is a sales pitch focusing on the plot rather than flowery writing. A good synopsis will demonstrate that your plot is sound, original and worthy of the effort that you have put into writing your manuscript.

1. It is written in the same style of writing as your book. If your book is "chatty," then your synopsis is, too. If your book is serious, literary, filled with dialect, or any other style, so must your synopsis.
2. It is written in the present tense
3. It is written in third person
4. The synopsis introduces your main characters and their main conflicts, all woven together in the narrative. (It does not list your characters)
5. One paragraph should flow logically to the next. If you are switching ideas, you need to make sure you build in a transition to connect your paragraphs.
6. You do not have to include every character or every scene, plot point, or subplot in your synopsis. However, your synopsis should give a clear idea as to what your book is about, what characters we will care about (or dislike), what is at stake for your heroes, what they stand to lose, and how it all turns out.
7. It is important that you put the conclusion to your novel in your synopsis. There should not be any cliffhangers or teasers as agents and editors will want to know that you know how to successfully conclude your story.

As short as is practicable, whilst still telling the whole story. A length of two to seven pages is recommended; most books should be synopsized in four pages or fewer: as a rough guide, one double-spaced page per 50,000 novel words. Some editors have specific length requirements; follow them and be prepared for several synopsis sizes.

Synopsis Checklist:

• Does the opening paragraph have a hook to keep the reader reading?
• Are your main characters' conflicts clearly defined?
• Are your characters sympathetic?
• Can the reader relate to them and worry about them?
• Have you avoided all grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes?
• Have you hit on the major scenes, the major plot points of your book?
• Did you resolve all important conflicts?
• Did you use the present tense?

Either way can work. You can write your synopsis before you even begin to write the book and it can also be easier doing it this way. This will help you with your plotting and the synopsis can be a guide for you while you write. You don't get bogged down in all the details, mainly because you aren't aware of all the details yet. However, what often happens is that once the book is finished, you will need to go back and change your synopsis.

The book will probably take on a life of its own and there is no reason you have to follow your initial synopsis exactly. However, you might find the rewrite much easier when you have an initial synopsis with which to work.

There is another reason to write a synopsis before you write the book: once you already have an agent and you are discussing future projects, you can present your ideas in this one-page synopsis format for your agent to consider.