When agents says they want a synopsis in their query guidelines

ewizz31

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Does this mean a full page where you describe events of the entire novel, or a short paragraph within the query letter? No agents I've seen have given any specifics on length.
 

Fantomas

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A synopsis generally means a 1 page summary of the novel's plot.
 

ewizz31

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From what I've seen it just says "synopsis".
 

Cyia

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If they say "query with synopsis," then usually, they mean a query letter with the basic idea of the book.

If they say "query and include a synopsis," or something to that effect, then they want the one page play-by-play on the main plot.

Those are based on the assumption that you're in the US. If you're not, then the submission requirements will change.

Whatever you do, make sure it's all in the actual email and not attached.
 

marialou

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I know this is an older post but I'm new here and trying to read everything.

This kind of freaked me out, because it seems like a lot of agents I'm looking at (and a few I've queried) are asking for a synopsis, so now I'm worried I've sent a synopsis when they really just wanted a short synopsis in the query letter.

Here are examples of the wording:
Include query letter, three chapters and a brief synopsis
please send a query letter, synopsis, and the first 30 pages

Does it seem like these are requests for an actual 1-2 page synopsis?
 

Maxx

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I know this is an older post but I'm new here and trying to read everything.

This kind of freaked me out, because it seems like a lot of agents I'm looking at (and a few I've queried) are asking for a synopsis, so now I'm worried I've sent a synopsis when they really just wanted a short synopsis in the query letter.


Here are examples of the wording:
Include query letter, three chapters and a brief synopsis
please send a query letter, synopsis, and the first 30 pages

Does it seem like these are requests for an actual 1-2 page synopsis?

I've been sending synopses at the least excuse. It's easy to skip; it is just a page and includes no semicolons. I haven't gotten anything but form rejections, though, so maybe those actually have meant "I am enraged that I had to ignore your exquisite synopsis!" With form rejections, you just don't know what it was that made them uninterested. I'm betting it wasn't the exquisite synopses, however. That thing rocks!
 

Jamesaritchie

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A synopsis is anywhere from one to five pages, with one, three, and five pages being the three most common. If an agent or editor says "Query with synopsis", it usually means a synopsis that is separate from the query letter itself. Synopses are usually single-spaced, but make sure there's white space on the page. Dense prose seldom looks inviting, even if it's good.

I haven't encountered an agent or editor who objected to a three page synopsis, as long as it looked inviting, and many are fine with five pages. I wouldn't go beyond three, and one page is better. I would, however, include the first three pages of the manuscript, unless the guidelines specifically said not to do so. Really good first pages can salvage even a poor query and synopsis, and as Miss Snark always said, including these pages is an unwritten rule.