One of the hardest things for an author to write is a synopsis. After being immersed in the wonderful world of your book, boiling it all down into a summary is daunting. Here’s why: You’re shifting from the seductive world of creative writing to the tedium of copywriting. It’s that simple. But … STILL!
Never fear: Former literary agent Nathan Bransford comes to your rescue with one of the best guides for writing a synopsis in this blog post.
Nathan’s definition of a synopsis will give you some perspective:
“A synopsis is a 1.5-4 page single-spaced summary of what happens in your novel. That’s it. It’s an end-to-end summary of the plot from start to finish. Don’t worry about spoilers. And do include how it ends.”
As to WHY you need a synopsis, he sums it up this way:
“Agents and editors typically use synopses as reference documents. They use them to get a sense of the overall plot of the novel.”
Wait! What’s all that whispering I’m hearing through the cyberspace? “So what? I’m self-publishing!” or “I’m writing nonfiction. This doesn’t pertain to me!” read on!
Nathan also addresses why YOU as the author needs a synopsis:
“Think about how many times you’re going to have to summarize your work over the course of the book publishing process.”
From there, Nathan walks you through the process with these tips:
- Summarize through specificity
- Use a consistent voice
- Don’t worry about spoilers
- How to format your synopsis
- Don’t overthink it!
A nifty trick he recommends is writing your query letter first and even provides a template for that.
I’d add this to the process: You’ll want to have several variations of your synopsis as you prepare to publish and market your book:
- A long synopsis of up to 4 pages as Nathan recommends
- A two-pager without spoilers that you can use for your press kit or on your website
- A 3- to 5-paragraph version that will work as your book description or blurb – think “book jacket” copy
- An even shorter version for querying (2-3 paragraphs)
- A log line/elevator pitch – one to two sentences that you can spout out without even thinking about it in less than 15 seconds
If starting with the query-letter synopsis freaks you out, then back up and try this method in order:
- Write a "vomit" draft of up to 10 pages -- just get it out; don't edit it.
- Then cut that in half and edit it until it’s 2 to 4 pages.
- Then write 3 to 5 paragraphs that could serve as the book-jacket description.
- THEN condense that into Nathan’s query-letter template.
Even if you’re writing nonfiction or planning to self-publish, writing various synopses is an excellent exercise for writing a book proposal and publishing or marketing your book.
Give it a go, and let us know in the comments how any of the above is working for you.
Bonus: I highly recommend following Nathan Bransford's blog – it’s jam-packed with excellent advice for writers who are just starting out or who need refreshers. Plus, Nathan regularly critiques query letters – that alone makes him one of my favorite publishing experts. Check these out to start with:
- “You Gotta Be Succinct”
- “Sharpen Your Protagonist’s Goals in a Query”
- “Organize Your Query Coherently”
We’d love to hear what you think in the comments below. And if you’d like to get a free 20-minute consultation with Booktique Consulting, sign up for our list here.
