Donald Seburn

Congratulations are in order. You’ve finished your manuscript, polished it to a shine, and you are eager to submit it to agents and publishers. It is a long process, but you are ready to get started, but there’s one final piece you need before you can start querying; you need a synopsis, and not just any synopsis, but one that really shows how great your manuscript is.

Your synopsis is like a handshake—it is your best tool for making a good first impression. A synopsis lands a story in the wastebasket or on the editor’s desk. But synopses are hard, and chances are, yours needs work. Here are some common mistakes authors make when writing synopses, and how to fix them.

DO Tell us the Story

We’ve all heard the axiom “Show, don’t tell.” It is good advice to follow, but not here. Synopses are all about telling. Avoid using descriptive phrases or language. Don’t attempt to create nuance. Upend that iceberg and write it plainly.

DON’T Use Too Much Detail

Your synopsis is not your novel. It is your novel distilled into the briefest, purest form. Focus on the most important characters and events and write them in the simplest way possible. Do not include details that aren’t necessary.

An example of an overly wordy introduction would be: “Theodore is a billionaire with a love of exotic animals, a passion for photography, and a mansion filled with oddities. His life changes when he encounters Jennifer, a young and attractive journalist, who is investigating the death of his cousin, Albert. His cousin supposedly died in a plane accident ten years ago, but Jennifer believes he may be alive. Jennifer and Theodore take his private jet to a remote, tropical island in the pacific to investigate.”

A condensed and improved version: “Theodore, an eccentric billionaire, meets Jennifer, a journalist. Jennifer has evidence suggesting his cousin Albert, believed to have died in a plane crash, may have survived. They investigate, traveling to a remote island.”

Similarly, any unimportant characters and subplots should be removed. For the average novel, your summary should be no longer than a single page.

DO Summarize your Plot

Your synopsis should read as a blow-by-blow of your story’s plot, without any of the fluff. Often synopses tend to be vague about what happens or leave out important events. Make sure your synopsis is as linear as possible. Consider creating a list of the main events of your story and transcribing those exactly. Do not omit any major events, but do not include any non-essential moments. Your synopsis should mimic and demonstrate the pacing of your story. It should have the same structure of beginning, middle, and end.

Note that if your story isn’t linear, or if your structure is irregular, your synopsis should reflect this. Just don’t make it too confusing. If the editor doesn’t understand your story, she isn’t likely to select if for publication.

DO Focus on Character

Books are about characters doing these. If your story is large in scale or fantastical in setting, you may be putting too much emphasis on those elements and neglecting your characters. Your synopsis is a tool for showcasing your character arcs. Make sure that they are introduced properly, their motivations are clear, and their development is on display. After writing your plot, make sure that you have included these character elements in your synopsis.

DO Include the Ending

Unlike a blurb or an Amazon description, your synopsis should include the ending. We as publishers and editors need to know how it all ties up. This is another moment for you to showcase your ability to write a convincing character arc by writing where the character ends up.

DON’T Tell us the Themes

While your story may have a message or moral, it isn’t important at this stage. Your synopsis’s purpose is to showcase your ability to write the big picture—plot, pacing, and character arcs. Themes and motifs are not relevant to this and should not be included.

DO Format it Properly!

Regardless of what tense or perspective you use in your story, your synopsis should always be in third person present tense. “He walks to the store.”

Any important names, including the names of characters, places, organizations, or important objects, should be in Bold or ALLCAPS in their first instance. This helps the editors to parse through and find that information easily.

Do a quick spellcheck on your synopsis. Your synopsis is short; there should be zero errors.

Concluding Thoughts

Your synopsis is one of the most important parts of your story, besides the story itself. It’s difficult to boil down tens of thousands of words into what amounts to a single page. Your synopsis showcases your ability to paint the bigger picture, and it should reflect your story’s arc, momentum, and development. Written well, it can become your best ally in querying. Written poorly, and even the best manuscript will be overlooked.