Fabulous First Chapters

Making your opening as compelling as can be

Hi Story Lovers!

We have the deadline coming up for our annual First Chapter competition in which you can win a feedback meeting with our literary agent judge, which this year is Louise Buckley. Louise is with The Ampersand Agency, where she represents a diverse list of commercial and upmarket fiction across adult and young adult categories. With a keen eye for compelling narratives and fresh voices, Louise has built a reputation for championing authors who bring emotional depth and originality to their work. She is particularly drawn to psychological thrillers, contemporary women’s fiction, book club reads, and YA that tackles complex themes with authenticity.

Before joining The Ampersand Agency, Louise honed her editorial expertise working in publishing, giving her a comprehensive understanding of what makes a manuscript stand out in today’s competitive market. Her passion for discovering new talent and nurturing writers through their publishing journey makes her an invaluable judge for this competition.

Getting your submission ready

Back in late 2023, I ran a workshop called Fabulous First Chapters and to help you all with your submissions for the comp, I’m sharing the replay link here with you today.

Please drop a tip in my jar to say thanks!

And good luck with getting your chapters polished up to win that meeting with Louise. We’re looking forward to reading them all!

With love,

Amanda 💙