About the synopsis

[Coolhand]

Re: Ask your publishing questions here


Hi John.
I’m an unpublished writer looking for an agent, and as such have a mountain of questions to carelessly sling at people who work in the publishing industry. But I’ll strip it down to the most pertinent one right now.

I’m about to submit my current novel to an Agent. I’ve got my short, professional cover letter. I’ve got my first three chapters all double spaced, size 10 courier font with nice big margins.
And I’ve got my synopsis.
Kind of.

The problem is that everyone, and I mean EVERYONE I talk to about this has a different idea of how long a synopsis should be. I’ve been told that, unless it’s a single page in length, it’ll get binned. I’ve been told that unless it’s three pages, it’ll get binned. I’ve been told that unless I cover all the major plot points (impossible to do in one page), it’ll get binned. I’ve been told if I try to cover all the major plot points, it’ll get binned.
In other words, everyone seems to contradict everyone else.

To make my synopsis coherent and interesting takes about three pages. It’s a sci-fi set in the present day, so I need a certain amount of world and plot detail in there otherwise it’s gobbledegook. I’ve got a one page version that makes no sense, is boring, and leaves out massive chunks of the good stuff. But it's a short 1 page read.
I’ve also got a three page version that makes sense and contains most of the stuff that’ll hopefully make the Agent want to read the sample chapters and the rest of the book.
But it's longer than some people think it should be.

So here comes my question:

Which one should I submit?

Many thanks in advance for your help.

 

[John Jarrold]

Re: Ask your publishing questions here

Hi there.

Ask the agent you are approaching. It's a perfectly reasonable, professional question to ask, and they'll be grateful for being approached properly, rather than just having material dumped on them. And some will only want to see the opening chapters in the first place, and follow up with a request to see the rest of the book and - maybe - a synopsis if they are interested in your writing and story-telling.

 

[Coolhand]

Re: Ask your publishing questions here

Cool, I'll do that. Thanks for your help John.

 

[Astro Pen]

I share the OP's problem.
I have a two page synopsis. (It is a complex 'international and space' plot) and an elevator pitch Checking with the house they demand a one page. 500 word - FHS!
This seems sadistic like "Write the lords prayer on a postage stamp or we won't look at your MS"
Part of me wonders how many hundreds of good books never get published because of this bizzarre demand culture. Can't we at least just have a one standard length for all agencies?

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I share the OP's problem.
I have a two page synopsis. (It is a complex 'international and space' plot) and an elevator pitch Checking with the house they demand a one page. 500 word - FHS!
This seems sadistic like "Write the lords prayer on a postage stamp or we won't look at your MS"
Part of me wonders how many hundreds of good books never get published because of this bizzarre demand culture. Can't we at least just have a one standard length for all agencies?

The standard length is one page single spaced

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

One page single-spaced seems to be safest unless they specifically ask for something longer (as a few places do).

My advice would be to have three different versions on hand: one page, two pages, and three pages. It won't be a wasted effort, because writing it at different lengths will help you to figure out what is the most important for you to include. You do need to cover the major plot points but make sure that they really are major points (at one page you will definitely have to leave out the sub-plots) but you also need to make sure it isn't too terse and dry. There should be something there to catch the agent or publisher's imagination. And make sure when you are whittling it down that it doesn't loses coherence. Tell a story.

This may sound impossible and arbitrary but it isn't really. Think of it as a test of your skill as a writer. If you can do all this in one page, there is a better chance that you have the ability to keep readers interested for the length of an entire novel.

 

[Steve Harrison]

I'd rather write a novel than a synopsis, as it's easier, but unfortunately, as Teresa says, they are essential if querying. I always write a two pager first, then edit it down so that I also have a one page version. I have no hair left to pull out, so I gnash my teeth during the process.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I've never had any trouble, actually, writing synopses. Maybe because before I wrote my first one nobody told me they were supposed to be hard to do and I didn't go into the process filled with fears that I would break some arcane rule and doom my book to eternal obscurity.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I’ve found myself doing some technical writing recently in the day job and all those hours over synopsis and flash fiction stories have paid off immeasurably….