You are finally done with your novel.
You have written every detail of it, edited the version, and polished it to perfection.
The only thing that you’re missing out on right now is how you’re going to convince the publishing houses or the publishing agents that your book is worth a publication.
Well, there are only a few handfuls of publishers who would actually go through the entire manuscript of your book to decide if you’re the kind of writer who needs to get published.
Persuasion can be a bit difficult in such a situation. So how can you persuade someone that your book has got what it takes to get the reader’s attention and bring sales?
A Synopsis.
A well-crafted synopsis of your book will luckily help your publisher find out the answers which he is seeking. In fact, a well written synopsis which is clear, concise & captivating is everything you ever need to get started with an all out agent battle over your novel! Do you want to get there, too?
Well then, here’s an easy four step method to help you create the best synopsis for your novel or novella. But before we get into the details, let’s learn a bit about what synopsis is and why they are important.
What is a Synopsis?
A synopsis is a short description of your book that may include the major plot points, what factors influence character motivation, & how it’s unique. It tells an agent or editor about the story in broad strokes and aims to capture their interest enough to make them want to read more. A good synopsis should be no more than one page if you want agents or publishers to pay attention.
Why is Synopsis Important?
Agents & editors get flooded with queries all day long. They don’t have time to read full manuscripts, so they use synopses as a way of filtering out novels that aren’t worth their time. If your synopsis doesn’t immediately hook an agent/editor, then they won’t bother reading any further.
How to Write a Synopsis in Four Easy Steps?
Getting your book published can be quite tasking. You are finally done with your manuscript but you are also left wondering what’s the best way to get it published. Well, pitching your novel is one of the best ways to convince publishers or agents about how genuine you are in getting your work into print. A pitch is basically an art whereby you need to meet certain criteria – most importantly coming up with a succinct yet captivating synopsis for your work without giving too much away.
Here’s our four-step method for writing an incredible synopsis that stands out from all the others which will definitely help you on your quest of getting your work published! Let us guide you through them.
Discuss Major Plot Points
The major plot points are definitely the most important. You need to list down your main characters, their motivations, the setting of the book, and who is your antagonist.
You should also discuss what incites the central conflict of your story? The events that will discuss this conflict should happen at the beginning of your synopsis. This is crucial because it establishes there is something that needs to be resolved right away for readers to understand how dire the situation is.
Your readers are invested in what’s going on, so you should continue discussing what will happen throughout your story until your climax. You must discuss how the conflict will be resolved and give a hint as to where things might go from there or leave it with an open ending.
For example, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald follows protagonist Nick Carraway who moves next door to his wealthy neighbor Jay Gatsby who was in time during World War I in college.. One day, Daisy Buchanan, Gatsby’s long-lost love, shows up with her husband, and Gatsby is forced to watch their reunion from afar.
He spends the rest of novel trying to win Daisy back and finally succeeds in doing so after his rival’s suicide. However, at the end of the story, we realize that he just imagined it all which leaves us wondering if we can always get what we want despite all odds being against us.. There are no wrong answers when it comes to writing a synopsis but you should keep these tips in mind.
The Unique Selling Aspect
This is where you need to talk about what makes your novel different from other works on similar subjects or genres. What kind of voice do you use? Is there a unique element of fantasy or sci-fi? Like other stories, does your book contain any magic or technology?
For example, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is about a society divided by social classes where the lower classes are forced to participate in an annual event called The Hunger Games. This deadly competition forces children from each district to fight to the death until there is only one survivor left alive.
Although this might seem like it would fit into the science fiction genre, this novel also contains many elements that could be found in ancient Greek tragedies. There’s even commentary on how reality television can strip away humanity and reduce humans into mere spectacle for entertainment purposes. Thus, it shows off different genres all at once!
The Editing Process
This step comes down to a lot of hard work. Most writers make the mistake of trying to include every single detail in their synopsis or going too vague and not giving enough information. Therefore, you need to focus on clarity and remove redundant words from your sentences. Here is a checklist of things you need to do:
- Read the synopsis out loud and see whether it flows naturally. Do not use contractions as they sound informal.
- Edit your synopsis until each sentence is clear and concise. Make sure there are no unnecessary words that do not contribute to the plot or character development.
- If your synopsis drags on too long, then you need to cut down some parts to bring the word count closer to 100-200 words.
It’s better for it to be short than too long and boring for readers!
Giving Your Synopsis the Flavor It Needs
Last but not the least, you need to make sure your Synopsis has the perfect flavor to entice your audience and encourage them to make a purchase. Analyze what makes your novel unique from others in the same genre by answering these questions:
What is the voice?
Voice gives distinction and direction so make this stand out in your synopsis. It should be clear and to the point so give us the best brief description of voice you can come up with.
What’s the plot twist?
The plot twist is what makes your novel stand out from the rest. Make sure that it isn’t already given away or too predictable. Plot twists are often kept secret until the climax, so don’t reveal anything yet!
Who’s telling this story?
Your novel may have multiple points-of-view (POV) present, but only pick one for your synopsis! Stick to third person POV as it is more personal than first person POV which uses “I” constantly throughout its narration.
What kind of language does it use?
Colloquial language is what gives your novel its own unique flavor. Make sure you don’t use big words and complicated phrases so nobody gets confused reading it!
Some Basic Tips To Improve Your Synopsis
- Be careful with commas and semicolons as they may not be needed very often if the sentences are long and complex.
- When writing a synopsis, you can rearrange some sentences to make them flow better or add more clarity that way.
- Punctuation-like hyphens should also be replaced with commas or em dashes (—), which are less formal than colons (:) and semicolons (;).
- Avoid using “ly” at the beginning of adjectives as they are unnecessary.
- Skip the adverbs and adverbial phrases that use “ly” to avoid writing long, distracting sentences.
Concluding Thoughts
So there you have it, that’s all there is to know about writing the ideal synopsis for your novella.
We hope you found our post both fascinating and useful. And, as a reminder, not all genres require synopses, so don’t try to force them if they don’t fit the bill! Try submitting your book to professional proofreading or ghostwriting firm like ours to see how well your synopsis performs. We assure you won’t be dissatisfied.
Good luck with your synopsis!
I hope it’ll be awesome enough to get an agent!