Synopsis how long

This gives you leeway to fill in any extra detail later. That said, you may not have given enough detail about their motives or personalities to make your story sing.

Note down any crucial character points you need to include in your synopsis, but be frugal with the detail. Extraneous backstories are a waste of words in your synopsis, so be careful not to let your personal connection with your characters get the better of you here. Build up your outline into a synopsis by filling in the gaps that will help the reader make the leap from one plot point to the next. If your story is solid, it will more or less tell itself at this stage - your job is to make it sound compelling.

Let it sit for a few days so you can get some distance from your work. When you come back to it, read it with a critical eye. Check it explores each of the elements in the section on what to include in your synopsis above. Perhaps most importantly, check it meets the word count and formatting requirements set by the agent.

Now you know how to write a book synopsis, you can start submitting your synopsis and query letter to agents. While you're at it, you should also start thinking about your author bio too! Like the author bio, keep it short and sweet.

Describe the essential points and direction of the story without giving too much away. Dangle the story in front of the potential reader with enough information to grip them and ignite their curiosity, hook them in and make them want to know what this is all about, make them want to read on, without waffling.

Keep it snappy, between to words. Be lethal. We're an independent website which is partly supported by ads and affiliate links. If you have any questions or if you're ready to go ahead, please fill out our short design enquiry form.

Professional book services for self-publishing and indie writers. Say hi: hello bookbeaver. What we do. This guide will cover the following:. What is a book synopsis? What is the purpose of a synopsis? It sits alongside the opening of your novel and your agent pitch letter in your pitch package, and it lays out the complete narrative arc of your plot. Some agents will read the synopsis all through before even looking at the writing sample.

No literary agent worth their salt is going to object to a really good one-pager. What you definitely need at or near the top of the synopsis is your pitch line. This is usually the key question, dilemma or driving force of the novel — or the heart of the novel, to put it another way.

And if you know you have a great hook or a high concept, that should be your pitch line. Your email address will not be published. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. This from a reader: Lately, I am seeing more requests, especially from publishers, for a one-three paragraph synopsis.