The art and science of a good sample chapter

How to write a book excerpt that engenders maximum slaps on submission. (Am I using the teen slang right?)

This is the final installment in my Das Rheingold cycle of book proposal advice. I’ve talked us through everything else that goes into a proposal—titles, overviews, author bios, “comps” sections, and chapter outlines—as well as offering not one but TWO posts on the single biggest issue that vexes nonfiction authors: nailing the argument.

Why have I saved…