Hello again,
I recently read an interview with seven top-tier literary agents that asked a handful of questions, and one of them was "Should writer include a synopsis automatically with their query or only upon request?" I was always under the impression that you shouldn't submit this *with* an initial query, but was surprised to find out how many of them actually said yes! The relevant question and the link to the article are pasted below. What are you all's thoughts on including a synopsis with your query without even being asked for it?
FF: Should a writer automatically send a synopsis? If so, how long should that synopsis be?
BJR: I don't request a synopsis, since I find them tedious to read, but if a writer wants to include one that's fine. It should be short (those twenty-eight-page chapter outlines are a complete waste of time and I never read them) and in narrative form if possible.
LD: A short one. One to two pages. Short is better.
WC: [I'm] not that interested in a synopsis, more about the writing itself. Doesn't hurt, but several lines in a cover letter is just as if not more effective.
PS: I think so. I prefer five pages or less.
SL: Yes. One to two pages maximum.
LH: I prefer a pitch letter, with writing credentials and the points of the story so I will be able to tell right away if it is something I can market. A synopsis should be as long as is necessary to work as a selling tool for the novel.
JK: It never hurts. I rarely read 'em unless I really like the book, and then I always want to see how the book will go. I think you should try to limit it to one to two pages, maximum. Double-spaced, of course. And make it read really, really smoothly, too. (Yeah, right--it's far easier said than done!)
NA: It can be helpful, but is not essential. Whereas receiving a synopsis without a sample chapter(s) is distinctly unhelpful. Reading a sample of the text is the only way to make a judgment. [The synopsis] should be no more than a couple of paragraphs.
http://fictionfoundry.alumni.columbia.edu/query_tips_from_agents
I recently read an interview with seven top-tier literary agents that asked a handful of questions, and one of them was "Should writer include a synopsis automatically with their query or only upon request?" I was always under the impression that you shouldn't submit this *with* an initial query, but was surprised to find out how many of them actually said yes! The relevant question and the link to the article are pasted below. What are you all's thoughts on including a synopsis with your query without even being asked for it?
FF: Should a writer automatically send a synopsis? If so, how long should that synopsis be?
BJR: I don't request a synopsis, since I find them tedious to read, but if a writer wants to include one that's fine. It should be short (those twenty-eight-page chapter outlines are a complete waste of time and I never read them) and in narrative form if possible.
LD: A short one. One to two pages. Short is better.
WC: [I'm] not that interested in a synopsis, more about the writing itself. Doesn't hurt, but several lines in a cover letter is just as if not more effective.
PS: I think so. I prefer five pages or less.
SL: Yes. One to two pages maximum.
LH: I prefer a pitch letter, with writing credentials and the points of the story so I will be able to tell right away if it is something I can market. A synopsis should be as long as is necessary to work as a selling tool for the novel.
JK: It never hurts. I rarely read 'em unless I really like the book, and then I always want to see how the book will go. I think you should try to limit it to one to two pages, maximum. Double-spaced, of course. And make it read really, really smoothly, too. (Yeah, right--it's far easier said than done!)
NA: It can be helpful, but is not essential. Whereas receiving a synopsis without a sample chapter(s) is distinctly unhelpful. Reading a sample of the text is the only way to make a judgment. [The synopsis] should be no more than a couple of paragraphs.
http://fictionfoundry.alumni.columbia.edu/query_tips_from_agents
