To my amazed delight, I stumbled across the following on Publishers Marketplace's page for Movable Type Literary Organization(
http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/jasonashlock/):
"Having found that that
query letters do a fine job of showcasing one's talent in writing jacket copy or promotional material but rarely offer agents a useful preview of a writer's prosecraft, in lieu of query letters, MTLG asks that authors send the first ten pages of their manuscript, followed by a one page synopsis of the balance of the work, and a word count."
Well, it's about time! I do believe I'll send brave Mr. Ashlock a few sample pages.

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A~