Book synopsis

[EGGammon]

Any tips on writing a good synopsis of your book? I am looking ahead for when I am querying agents and I want to think now, about putting together a great synopsis. But my book is pretty unique, in that it involves a lot of characters, with many subplots, all under 2 main umbrella stories.

Can the synopsis include a paragraph about what sets my book from the rest, ya know, what makes it unique?

[novelator]

Here's a link from my website that might answer some questions for you:

www.mlbushman.com/synopsis.htm (http://www.mlbushman.com/synopsis.htm)

Mari

[katdad]

Yes your synopsis may include an intro section that explains the book in general.

The intro should be no longer than 2-3 paragraphs, followed by the actual synopsis.

Keep your synopsis to fewer than 4-5 pages, regardless of your novel's length or complexity.

Just tell the story in brief, summarizing the major characters and plot points.

And yes, you do reveal the "surprise ending" (if any) in a synopsis. The purpose of a synopsis is not to tease the reader, but instead to clearly outline the book itself.

[maestrowork]

The synopsis should not "tease." It should tell the whole story: beginning, middle, and end. It should tell us who the "major" characters are and what they do. Skip minor details or subplots. If the subplot is major/parallel with the main plot, mention it, too, but don't let it overwhelm your main story. You may quote a few passages from the book, but don't overdo it. Some people debate whether one should write the synopsis in a similar style of the novel itself. Do what is best for you. Be specific (not vague) while skimming the details. A good way to do it is write the whole story first (don't worry about page count), details and all, then trim out the fat, the extraneous adverbs and adjectives, and minor plot/characters. Trim and trim until you're down to 3-5 pages and the story is still coherent. You'd be amazed how much can be said, specifically, without all the details.

[EGGammon]

Wow, thanks you guys! I pictured the synopsis as being a couple paragraphs, not giving away too much. But, if it's just a description of the whole book on a few pages, then I have that (it's what I work from when I'm writing) & of course it will get a little polishing later when it's time to submit.

And thanks for that site! A lot of great links there!

[maestrowork]

You're talking about the synopsis/what-my-story-is-about blurb in your cover letter...

[azbikergirl]

I've also read that synopsis should be told in the present tense.

[katdad]

I pictured the synopsis as being a couple paragraphs
That's actually the summary. Here are a couple summaries from my website, describing my private detective mystery series:

"Sudden Storm" - A wealthy investment banker hires Mitch to find his runaway trophy wife, and the search leads to a shadowy mob boss. Why does the wife periodically leave her husband? What dangers does she face at home? Mitch struggles to find a solution before terrible violence wends its way into the troubled family. And Mitch is further burdened by involvement in a serial murder case. The Slicer has terrified Houston with his brutal killings, and Mitch is asked to help find him. 67,240 words.

"Full Circle" - Mitchell King is hired to protect a sexy murder suspect but he becomes romantically involved, and that influences his judgment. Mitch embarks upon a vendetta that brings him to near ruin. His reputation and honor are challenged as his fixation upon the woman affects his every move. Mitch must also devote time to assisting a beautiful NASA astronaut. She is being harassed and stalked by an emotionally disturbed admirer. 64,100 words.

These are summaries, not synopses. Hope this helps.

[Daughter of Faulkner]

My agent told me only one page for the synopsis. That's all I know. It was the very last thing I wrote then came an outline neither of which I enjoyed writing.
:D

[Elizabeth Genco]

There's a nice article on the synopsis in the issue of THE WRITER that showed up in my mailbox yesterday. I believe it's the March issue.

[azbikergirl]

The length seems to vary depending on the agent or publisher. Russell Galen says he likes to see about 1500 words. Others want longer or shorter. Here's a How To article on writing the 1-pager, and then expanding it.

Beth Anderson's Barebones Synopsis (http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/9534/barebones.html)

What's not clear to me is whether the page-limit requests are for courier or TNR, double spaced or single. The word count total for a 1-page synopsis single-spaced TNR 12 is a whole lot higher than 1-page double-spaced Courier 12. One book I have on queries and synopses states that anything that fits on a single page should be single-spaced.

[maestrowork]

Synopsis is Times Roman (10 or 12 pt), single-spaced. That does seem to account to about 500 words per page, so 3-page would be 1500 words. As for the actual length, consult the agent's submission guideline or ask them. Most agents I've contacted asked for 1 to 3 pages.

[triceretops]

Proposals, pitches, outlines, chap outlines, synopsis, overviews, are all single spaced. That has been my take on it anyway--it's a business letter. Sample chapters--double space.

Tri

[gp101]

Single-spaced??

Does everyone agree on that? I had read it was supposed to be double-spaced and that's how I wrote mine. However I don't want to send out my current synopsis if that's incorrect.

[EGGammon]

Wow, lots of different answers... I guess I'll just have to check with the agents I send the synopsis to. With my novel, as I said before, there are two umbrella stories over many smaller subplots. Should I detail the umbrella stories and mention the fact that there are many subplots? Or should I explain in detail everything?

[maestrowork]

gp, it's single-spaced unless otherwise noted in the submission guidelines.

[James D Macdonald]

Yes, single-spaced.

Times Roman is okay.

Manuscripts are double spaced and in Courier.


(No one is going to be editing your synopsis for production....)

[mr mistook]

I've been writing drafts of my synopsis. I'm pretty sure I can nail the whole story in two pages @ single spaced TNS. One page would be a bit of a challenge. Three to five pages? No problem!

What are the margins on a typical synopsis? Inch all around? What about the header to the document? Where does my name and addy go, and all that other good stuff?

Where does the title go, and do I leave spoiler space before I begin the synopsis?

[maestrowork]

Egg, if it's a 1-2 page synopsis, cut all the intricate subplots and minor characters. Focus on the main story. If it's a 10-page synopsis, then go ahead putting in the subplots, etc. (It's understood that there are subplots and details in novels, but the agent wants to know what your main story is about: the beginning, the middle, the end.)

[James D Macdonald]

Include the surprising twist ending in the synopsis.

[Man with twohanded sword]

A good sample synopsis is part of this article:
www.sfwa.org/writing/OP71.htm (http://www.sfwa.org/writing/OP71.htm)

Or, at least I think it's good.

[STORMTURNER]

If I were a publisher with the power to offer you top billing for your novel and I gave you three minutes summarize it, what would you say?








That's your synopsis.

[Daughter of Faulkner]

Well said!

[wrombola]

For those of you who have been through the process...

Before querying do you prepare a synopsis? If so do you write multiple copies in case the agent asks for a one page, five page, twenty page version?

How often do agents ask for a synopsis anyways?

[Devil Ledbetter]

For those of you who have been through the process...

Before querying do you prepare a synopsis? If so do you write multiple copies in case the agent asks for a one page, five page, twenty page version?

How often do agents ask for a synopsis anyways?I haven't done a synopsis ahead, but I do Notepad versions of the first 5 and 10 pages, etc. to copy and paste into the body of an email (depending on which size the agent prefers).

[maestrowork]

Yes. I have a 10-page. Then I pared it down to 5 pages, 2 pages, 1 page, 3-5 paragraphs, and 1 paragraph.

I find that agents tend to ask for 3-5 paragraph or 1 page synopses. When they don't specify, I tend to give them a 1 page anyway -- I don't want to scare them with a 10-page mini-series!

What I did was go through chapter by chapter and write down what that chapter was about, in one paragraph or two. By the time I was done with it, I had an outline for a synopsis. Then I just trimmed and added, depending on what I needed. The process worked out pretty well for me.

[izanobu]

I only submit to publishers, so it might be a little different, but here's what I do.

I write a query letter, a short (usually around 1000 words) synopsis, and then send that plus the first couple chapters (wherever there is a good place to break off in the start of my novel, usually somewhere between 15 and 30 pages unless I'm doing an e-query, for which I'd send only maybe 5-10). So I write the synopsis when I write the query letter.

Remember, your synopsis doesn't need to be a play by play of everything that happens. It just needs to highlight the major events, follow the voice and tone of the book, and tell the ending. Telling the ending is super important.

Hope that helps :)

[Anne Lyle]

And motivation, as someone reminded me in another thread. Why your protagonist gets involved in the story and acts as he does is far more important than a blow-by-blow account. Otherwise you end up sounding like a 5-year-old: "And then...and then..." :)

[Satchan]

I've been pondering this, too. And in cases where agents don't ask for a synopsis in their initial submission materials (query + first 5 pages, etc.), are they likely to ask for it later? I was planning on finishing my synopsis before querying, but...

[maestrowork]

It's better to have ALL your materials ready to go in case the agent/editor asks for it, so you don't have to scramble. What's the rush? You've spent months, if not years, writing the manuscript. Don't you think it deserves a synopsis? It only takes a few days, if not hours, to write.

[Tiergan]

It's better to have ALL your materials ready to go in case the agent/editor asks for it, so you don't have to scramble. What's the rush? You've spent months, if not years, writing the manuscript. Don't you think it deserves a synopsis? It only takes a few days, if not hours, to write.

Bows down to Maestro. A few days! If not hours! Geez, I wish. Sometimes I feel it takes longer than my novel itself. I think I will try your method though, chapter by chapter, then reduce from there.

[Rhoda Nightingale]

I'm currently knee-deep into the subbing experience myself. I wrote/sent out a few queries first. I have yet to see whether that was wise or not.

[Erik M]

Have everything ready before hand. Many agents want a synopsis when you query. With the first book I queried, I only had a fairly lengthy synopsis--probably too lengthy, though no one complained. Now I am getting ready to query a second book and have a one page and a three page synopsis prepared.

[erin_michelle]

I always have a 1-page synopsis, 2-page synopsis, and the first three chapters formatted in Wordpad, along with the query, ready to go. It's stressful enough waiting for responses; I don't want to be fiddling around with a synopsis or formatting issues during the wait.

[AnnaSaikin]

Good question. I forgot about the synopsis preparation. Thanks for the reminder!

[AlishaS]

The first novel I queried I ahead of time wrote a 1, 3 and 5 page synopsis and had it at the ready. Only 3 people requested it.

The current novel I am querying I have a 1 and 3 page synopsis that I only wrote up when someone wanted it, I got lazy.

[Anne Lyle]

I had to write a synopsis before submitting, because most UK agents want a partial, not a query letter. Most of those want a one-page synopsis, and by snail-mail, so I wrote however many words would fit on an A4 page single-spaced in a sensible font size (about 500, IIRC).

For my proposal package I was asked for two 2-page synopses (by email), so I wrote 1000 words on each and let them worry about how many pages it would come to :)

[wrombola]

I'm wondering if we need a synopsis Hell forum. I have heard that is often the second thing an agent will read after your query.

My first attempts at a query was closer to a synopsis anyways, so I am hoping the actual synopsis won't be too painful.

[momgotshocked]

I have a question about this: (or, I should say, I need to find out if I am doing it all wrong)

My synopsis is stealing from my query. In other words, most of the sentences in my query are also in my synopsis, and then my synopsis goes on in more detail.

It's because I worked hard (like for over a year) on my query, which now has nice sentences that explain my story about as neatly and concisely as I can explain it, and when I went to write the synopsis, well... those sentences just sort of jumped off the page of one and on to the other.

Somehow this doesn't seem right (because I realize the same agent will read them both) but anything else would feel contrived (like writing the same thank-you-note for the same amount of birthday-money to different relatives and trying manfully to rearrange the words. Been there?)

What to do?

[Acsa Waters]

Oh this is such a beast! I have one that I painfully brought down to 3 pages and wouldn't you know, the agent requested 1-2 pages. Pulling my hair out.

[Anne Lyle]

I have a question about this: (or, I should say, I need to find out if I am doing it all wrong)

My synopsis is stealing from my query. In other words, most of the sentences in my query are also in my synopsis, and then my synopsis goes on in more detail.

I wouldn't worry about it. After all, you are sending the query first then the synopsis along with the chapters, possibly several weeks or even months later. Having the same text in both will hopefully just remind the agent why she liked your query in the first place.

[CAgirlforever]

Every agent wants something different for the synopsis, so my advice would be to check out his/her website first. For good measure, I wrote up three different synopses: one page, three pages, and six pages. I can easily trim up the three page one when necessary, and have never been asked for a synopsis longer than six pages. Good luck!

[dangerousbill]

Any tips on writing a good synopsis of your book? I am looking ahead for when I am querying agents and I want to think now, about putting together a great synopsis. But my book is pretty unique, in that it involves a lot of characters, with many subplots, all under 2 main umbrella stories.

Can the synopsis include a paragraph about what sets my book from the rest, ya know, what makes it unique?

Leave out the less important subplots and minor characters as the synopsis gets shorter. Start with a ten pager, shorten it to 3 pages, and finally to one page. The you have synopses for all requirements. Keep tweaking them. A synopsis is a sales tool, and it deserves the effort.

The difference between your novel and others belongs in the cover letter, query, and/or blurb, but not in the synopsis.