If a literary agent has guidelines for a query letter and the first five pages, is it okay to send more?

A literary agency I'm interested in has guidelines on their website to send a query with the first five pages of a manuscript. However, my manuscript is told in two points of view, so before the action starts, I do a character study of the two sides, before they met each other. This takes eight double-spaced, formatted pages, which is the first chapter.

So what do I do? I mean, if I send five, it'll leave the agent wondering why the other character mentioned in the query doesn't show up.

Thanks in advance!

Send both POVs in 8 pages but explain clearly (and briefly) that you are aware of the guidelines and the reason why you have not followed them to the letter. Follow all other instructions to the letter.

Absolutely not. If they ask for five pages, that is what they want. Sending more will just send you to the slush room for an eventual decline letter. I really do not understand why it is that people cannot grasp the concept that publishers and agents set guidelines and they are to be followed explicitly. If they allow you five pages, consider yourself lucky. Some only want a 2 page synopsis. Pax-C

Do what they say, they mean it. It is a reflection on your writing ability if you can (or can't) grab the reader's attention in the first five pages.

You do exactly what they say in their submissions page. No if, whats or buts.

Ah, a first five pages agent...

There is a school of thought, fostered by The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman, which says that you can judge whether a book is worth reading by reading the first five pages. It's a pretty widespread idea according to what I know of the industry. In fact, back when I was ebook reviews editor for ForeWord Magazine, that's how the head review editor and I agreed that I would choose books for review--by examining the first five pages.

So, is it okay to send more?

Usually I give short answers and long answers, but this one only requires a short answer: NO.

But if you'd like the longer answer anyway:
If the agent asks for only five pages, then you send only five pages. Sending more-even if for good reason--makes you look like an ID-10-t. You can't follow directions. You think you know better than the agent. CIRCULAR FILE!

Now what you CAN do is send just a query. Regardless of what the guidelines say, a query alone is never wrong. A query alone might get your a request for fifty pages while the query plus 5 might not get you read beyond the five. On the other hand, they might ask for fifty and not read beyond five.

Might I also suggest picking up a copy of Noah Lukeman's book? Even after all these years, it remains on my short list of the best writing books of modern time--along with Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by King and Browne and How to Publish Your Articles by Shirley Kawa-Jump (aka Shirley Jump of romance novel NYT best-seller fame).

Good writing and good luck.