22 Comments on How not to send in a synopsis

Baubles on Jul 24, 2009 at 09:47am



Thanks for the info. It’s amazing how difficult it is to get right. Writers can happily write a 100,000 word masterpiece, but when it comes to the synopsis, we find ourselves pulling teeth. Well, at least I do. Maybe I’m just weird. I’ve just finished writing my latest synopsis, and it was painful. How much to put in? How much to leave out? What should the tone be? How long? It’s the biggest pain in the **** that I’ve come to the conclusion that synopses are, in fact, EVIL. And besides, what’s wrong with a blurb? Isn’t that how we buy books? I can see the reason why a synopsis is necessary, I just wish it wasn’t such a big deal to agents et al. The meat of the story is in the book itself and trying to condense the book into one page doesn’t make sense to me. Going on your advice, Cressida, I think I’ve managed to cover everything you’ve said. I only hope that may latest submissions get past this rather inconvenient stage. Just one question: Is it advisable to put a quote from a character in the synopsis? I’ve not done that this time…

Shankut Somaiya on Jul 24, 2009 at 09:59am



Dear Cressida,

Well written synopsis not only reveals the story line and plot but it also ensures how good, confident and literate a writer is. A synopsis should act as a shroud that tells us what is really under it.

The editor of Virgo Press, Rebecca Swift’s article in Writers’ Artists’ Year Book 2010 is a must read for all upcoming and a new writers. I enjoyed the article, thanks Rebecca.

The above Year Book 2010 is the bible of information and ocean of knowledge. The book is my best friend and a companion to enhance my writing horizon. It is well presented and the layout is sensible, easy and index covers nearly everything in the book.

Thank you Cressida for the article.

Regards

Shankut

lawrenceez on Jul 31, 2009 at 18:22pm



Hi, good article. I think writing a synopsis is really difficult. At one time, I made it out like a blurb, but I’ve since learned how to outline the main plot without leaving out significant bits.

Baubles, you were asking whether it’s okay to put a quote from a character in the synopsis…I’m no expert, but I think it probably isn’t. I would leave out any quotes and work at getting all the main elements of the plot down on one side of paper. I think including quotes anywhere on a synopsis might cause problems.

Fran on Aug 3, 2009 at 19:07pm



That’s all helpful stuff. I am trying (in my third novel) to do a synopsis of each part as I get to the end of it. It’s fresh in my mind and the pivotal moments are clear. When I add all the part-synopses together at the end, it’ll be too long, of course, but it’ll be a start – I hope!

bestseller on Aug 4, 2009 at 17:30pm



How not to send in a synopsis? Perhaps the way that I entered one a few years ago!

Having entered the Wow Factor which was run by Faber & Faber I wrote what I thought was a wonderful synopsis that they had asked for as part of the entry. This as it turned out was a wonderful summary of the first three chapters that I had sent and nothing more. Oops!! It makes me wonder how far I would have got, had the synopsis been as wonderful as I thought it was. Even with my poor attempt I was sent a letter (which I will forever class as my 1st rejection) to notify me that although I hadn’t won I had made it through to the last 15% of entrants.

Polish, polish, polish and send it away that’s what I am doing to all the chapters and synopsis now. Fingers crossed!

Cressida Downing (editorial consultant) on Aug 4, 2009 at 22:01pm



Baubles – as lawrenceez says, it’s really not necessary to get a character’s comments in a synopsis. It wouldn’t do any harm, but it will take up valuable space!

bestseller – that’s made me laugh! I have to say – you’re not the only author who has done this…

zoemills on Aug 23, 2009 at 21:50pm



great advice thank you. i must admit a synopsis is my achille’s heel. it helped me a lot

Anna on Aug 25, 2009 at 00:55am



I’m writing mine at the moment and not sure about it. It might be a little to descriptive but i’m worried about leaving things out, or mentioning stories that are not relevant to the main plot. Still its my first ever, but i’m grateful for the advice on this website.

Liv on Aug 25, 2009 at 12:54pm



Thanks for that article, I shall heed the advice as I am about to start my first synopsis. It is terryfying me more than writing the book did. As for the CV element (I have been advised to do this?) I can’t get my head around that all just yet!

Purnamasi on Aug 27, 2009 at 13:01pm



This article is really a good one. Writing a synopsis is more difficult task than writing a book. Now I’ m becoming Hamlet, what can I do if
I’ m writing a synopsis on historical place and its temple? Can I add all the prominent dates while writing this type of synopsis?

Atlast the most difficult job to do is writing a cover letter. What should be the content of a cover letter?

Claire Fogg (Publisher, Yearbooks) on Aug 27, 2009 at 16:44pm



Hi Purnamasi,

Cover letters you say? Well, we have just the thing. Try Judy Chilcote’s post for some pointers on query letters and you’ll also find some more in-depth info in Approaching A Publisher.

We also have a post from Jo, the Editor of the Yearbook, coming up soon, which should help you get into the mood for cover letter writing.

Good luck with it!

Normy on Sep 5, 2009 at 14:39pm



Hiya
I’m trying to write the synopsis for the first of three novels I’ve written (hoping to write five in total, all featuring the same characters) but I’m having trouble as the story is heavily character based more so than plot based.
It has lots of surreal surroundings, characters and events.
Any tips on how to balance the synopsis for a story like this would be of great help and much appreciated.
Also, as this is the first of five stories, should I outline the other four?

Many thanks in advance.

Normy

Purnamasi on Sep 8, 2009 at 13:43pm



I would be ever grateful to you if you will respond to my first part of my comment on august 27.

Cressida Downing (editorial consultant) on Sep 8, 2009 at 14:24pm



Purnamasi – are you writing a fiction or non-fiction book? If it’s a fictional book, I would just put the rough outline of times in the synopsis. If you are writing a factual book, you will need to be more precise. Have a look at my post on sending in non-fiction submissions if that’s relevant to you.

Normy – see how much you can leave out to fit it on one page, the key events should bring themselves forward and you should get a sense of how the plot is shaped. As for your next four titles, mention them in your covering letter, but let the editor or agent concentrate on what you are sending in.

Best regards,

Cressida

Laura K on Sep 16, 2009 at 20:17pm



Hi Cressida,
Great advice – I’m currently half way through writing my novel and am just wondering whether it’s ever a good idea to submit the first three chapters and synopsis of book before the entire manuscript is finished? I’ve heard of authors doing as such successfully but would a prospective agent / publisher be prepared to wait for the finished manuscript?

Cressida Downing (editorial consultant) on Sep 17, 2009 at 19:50pm



Hi Laura,

It’s not a problem to submit a partial before completion – it’s more common in non-fiction submissions than fiction. It’s better to have it finished, but given how long it takes for submissions to get read, why not send in a partial now – while you continue to work on the rest.

If an agent does express interest after seeing the first three chapters, then it’s good to be able to give them a firm timetable at least as to when they will be able to see the rest. As well as being courteous, this shows them that you are able to write to deadlines, which is a great asset for a client!

Best regards,

Cressida

sam on Sep 19, 2009 at 03:07am



am currently editing my first novel, and it is only writing the synopsis did I realise that it would probably benefit every aspiring author to write their synopsis at around the “penultimate edit” stage, as this allows the writer to see the “bare bones” of the story, and see whether or not it makes sense, as a story… of course, you have to do another synopsis, after the final edit, but the story should sing by then (hopefully)

… the synopsis problem I am currently experiencing is… some agents/publishers specify the synopsis should be just one page, and while that is fine for a 90,000 word novel, my novel stands at… 210,000 words… there is too much story for just one page, even if I write a basic version…

I think I shall first submit to people who want two pages for their synopsis!

Cressida Downing (editorial consultant) on Oct 22, 2009 at 10:34am



sam – good point – writing your synopsis can definitely clear up a few plot niggles as you’re going along.

Having said one side of A4, I wouldn’t throw away a submission for having two pages of synopsis. I am less keen on a synopsis that is the length of a small chapter though, as that is more in the nature of a breakdown of the plot, event by event.

Ron Gee on Oct 26, 2009 at 18:50pm



Hi Cressida,
I read your article with interest. I have just finished a novel (87000 words) and am about to begin the process of sending it off but I am slightly confused. I have just read Carole Blake’s book From Pitch To Publication and she is quite specific in her requirements ie: Synopsis should be four to ten pages long and double spaced. Is this a subjective matter to different agents? As you state that one A4 page is all you should aim for and can be single spaced. My synopsis is five page A4 double spaced after many hours of paring. Am I doomed before I start?
Regards Ron

Cressida Downing (editorial consultant) on Nov 9, 2009 at 20:00pm



Hi Ron,

Congratulations on finishing your novel! A great achievement. All the suggestions you will find on this blog are to some extent subjective, but I do think a concise synopsis is important.

I would aim for a maximum of two sides single-spaced if one side really isn’t containing the story.

If you are plotting your novel, then the length Carole Blake suggests sounds about right.

Good luck!

Cressida

Clare on Nov 10, 2009 at 00:53am



Hi Cressida,

What a headache I’ve got now! Writing my synopsis to send with a competition entry so I don’t really want to mess it up because I know it will be good exposure for my book. The problem I have is not a great one but very frustrating. I have written one page single spaced so far and as there are no guidelines as to the length of synopsis I am assuming that a maximum of two would probably be best.

Reading your post again i am now worried that I may be doing it wrong. I have written in short but snappy paragraphs and the first page has covered six chapters, (approx 25 in total) and I don’t want to make it a chapter by chapter breakdown because that’s not what it’s supposed to be.

Any suggestions for a desperate Insomniac!!

Clare (bestseller)

Cressida Downing (editorial consultant) on Nov 12, 2009 at 09:46am



Hi Clare,

Start by trying to explain what happens in your book to a stranger (in your head) and keep the subplots to a minimum. See if you can summarise each chapter in a couple of sentences and work with that.

Good luck for the competition!

Cressida