My book is a memoir, ie non-fiction
I have checked online and come up with sites that say synopsis should be:
Past tense+first person or past tense+third person
OR
Present tense+first person or present+third person
I know I will probably get different answers, but I would appreciate as many responses as possible, then I can make up my mind.
Hi, Jeremy,
There's no simple answer.
The synopsis is there to explain the book to an agent or publisher who has never met you and has no idea what you are writing about, or how you treat the subject. There are differences between fiction and non-fiction synopses, and if you ask ten people for opinions on how to write one, you'll get ten answers.
If you have an agent in mind, check their rules on their website, not in a listings book which can be out of date as soon as it's published.
If you have three agents in mind, check all their sites as they may ask for different things. For each one, stick to what they request. You may have to write three synopses, but so be it.
In the synopsis you are, as I said, explaining the book: so you'll say something like, 'The Dry Stone Waller is about XYZ. It deals with...' - so from that point of view, it's in present tense.
'The first part deals with how I learned that I was different' - both present and past tense. If the book were fiction, this would be wrong, but for non-fiction, it's just the natural way of telling what's there. 'The first part deals with how I learn that I am different' - doesn't work for me.
You may have to go through each chapter saying what happens, or what lesson is learned, or however you want to write it, in order to demonstrate how you progress your story. Is it, for instance, written in chronological order, or by theme? You could have it as: 'The first third of the book explains how... the middle third is the dark time before... the final part shows the freeing power of...' or you could do a chapter-by-chapter description.
I've read that a non-fiction book, unlike fiction, doesn't have to be finished when you submit a synopsis. and so you could write in the future tense. 'The last chapter will...' but again, check with the agent first. They may only want completed works.
Whatever you write, you're selling yourself as a writer, and so must get the grammar and delivery as perfect as possible. This is your shop window, remember - selling not just a book, but your ability to deliver that book in a readable form.
So, two rules: check what the agents want, and give it to them that way; and make sure the synopsis sells your skill as writer. After that, write it as it sounds best to you.
Hope this helps.
Lorraine
Sorry meant present tense, third person!
Most example ones I've read have been past tense and third person, Jeremy, and that's how I wrote mine. But they are for fictional works. I suppose like anything in writing, it depends on what fits your book. Maybe try writing a synopsis in a few styles and seeing what reads best. You could try posting on shared works for some feedback.
Clare