Unspecified Synopsis Length?

ceenindee · Sep 8, 2011

I'm interested in submitting to an editor who hasn't specified how long she'd like the synopses to be. Is there a safe standard I can work with (she does mention they're supposed to be single-spaced)?

Old Hack · Sep 8, 2011

Two pages maximum, I'd say. Single-spaced.

ceenindee · Sep 9, 2011

Ah see, that's good to know, because Writer's Market said they range anywhere from one page to twenty-five and if I couldn't find an answer I was just going to shoot for something in the middle. Two pages is way less daunting

.

Thanks!

Wesley Kang · Sep 9, 2011

I'm not an editor, but in general, shorter is better. In QLH (through Show Your Work), there is an excellent sticky on writing synopses. Good luck!

Jamesaritchie · Sep 9, 2011

Twenty-five pages is not a synopsis, whatever WD claims. That's a full outline.

Standard synopsis length is the one page, the three page, and the five page. Shorter is always better. Use as much length as you have to have, but keep it as short as you reasonably can.

ceenindee · Sep 9, 2011

Thanks, this is all news to me. Sounds like 1-2 is pretty safe, and definitely more manageable.

Ok, a question on a completely different topic, but I'm trying not to litter the board with new threads--if the editor says "I’m very interested in projects from writers and illustrators of color," do I mention that I'm of color? It seems relevant, but I don't want it to come off sounding like I'm expecting any special favors.

Old Hack · Sep 10, 2011

Under those circumstances, I'd mention it in my query letter.

ceenindee · Sep 10, 2011

Excellent, thank you.

Angela James · Sep 12, 2011

I actually like a 3-5 page synopsis, if the story is novel-length (as do all of my freelance editors). So if it's unspecified, then you should write a synopsis that tells the story sufficiently for the editor to feel that she knows the story without actually having had to read the manuscript. If you can do that in 2 pages, excellent, but if your story is longer, or your plot complicated, and you have secondary plots, it may take more than 2 pages!

jaksen · Sep 17, 2011

I have the chubby, the medium and the anorexic synopses. I choose what the agent or editor requests, and when uncertain go for the chubby.

Chubby is three pages; medium is two and anorexic is almost a full page.

ceenindee · Sep 17, 2011

XD I like thinking of it that way! Thank you. It's helpful to hear what people are used to seeing. I also checked out that SYW thread and found it really thorough. I'm excited to pull it together.

ceenindee · Oct 3, 2011

Alright, so this is fast becoming cee's place for quick, random questions. Feel free to shut me down if it's getting out of hand.

I just finished my first pass of this thing (yay!) at 2.5 pages and still wasn't sure on a couple things. First, do you just end the synopsis with the end of your story, or are you as the author supposed to come in and say something conclusive/sign it/what have you?

Also, how do you put the synopsis (and indeed everything else) in the envelope if the editor doesn't specify? Completely loose? Each thing paper clipped separately? Bound somehow?

Thanks in advance for any advice. I looked through the SYW thread, which has been extremely helpful, but I don't think it covered some of this stuff.

Unspecified Synopsis Length?

ceenindee

Old Hack

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ceenindee

Wesley Kang

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Jamesaritchie

ceenindee

Old Hack

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ceenindee

Angela James

savvy editor

jaksen

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ceenindee

ceenindee