So, you wrote a novel and did the tiring agent research. Whew! Take a deep breath, it’s time to construct the all-important query letter and synopsis. First of all, make sure you understand the purpose of each document, as they are very different in aim:
QUERY: Get the agent’s interest by hooking them with your voice, story, and personal qualifications. Remember that you are writing for the publishing market, not so much to a specific agent at all, so try to think like an editor most of all. What is your dream editor looking for? Because that’s also what the agent is looking for.
SYNOPSIS: Provide a succinct summary of your book. The agent wants to see where you take your characters and if it’s the kind of project and story that will be compelling enough to stand out in a crowded book market. For that reason, try to include a few unique details or character quirks that make your manuscript memorable.
These two pieces of the query puzzle go hand in hand, and much of the query can be taken directly from the synopsis, so I suggest you start there – as will I here…
Synopsis
The synopsis is a one-page**, single-spaced skeleton of your novel. There are two main objectives:
Describe the primary characters, only providing NAMES (in ALL CAPS when first mentioned) of featured characters who appear in critical parts of the story. Try to limit the names as much as possible.
Describe the plot for your central protagonist(s). Even if you have multiple points of view, try to identify the one individual that readers are rooting for the most. Describe that character’s narrative arc as succinctly as possible, adding secondary details if necessary.
**Note: Some agents ask for a long synopsis after reviewing this standard 1-page one, so it may be worth saving an earlier, longer draft of your synopsis before you start cutting it!
Some developmental recommendations:
Use your summarizing skills – pretend that you’re telling a friend what your book’s about, and don’t worry about the length or quality of the writing.
There’s a lot that you won’t be able to include in this synopsis, so I highly recommend reverse outlining to identify the most important beats. My friend Chelsea has a great post on that HERE.
Cutting for length is easier than you think. Take a paragraph and make it a sentence. Or rewrite a long sentence into a functional short one.
When you’ve got it down to a page, go back through and sprinkle in sentences that reflect the voice/tone of the manuscript. An effective synopsis starts with a voice-y hook that establishes the primary protagonist and the main storyline, but it’s equally important to maintain that voice through the saggy middle and to finish strong.
Try to connect the first and last paragraphs in some way. One way to do this is to include something in both these parts (an image/object perhaps?) that indicates the protagonist’s arc is complete.
Query
As you can see, your job will be easier if you’ve already written the synopsis because you know exactly what you need to include in this all-important query letter. I followed a similar formula for both my queried projects.
1-2 paragraph book teaser = hook + character + setting + status quo + external & internal conflict (what’s at stake?): The elements in this equation can be combined into one sentence, leaving you space to describe the bigger parts (like the conflicts) for a few sentences each. Start with a bang by going straight to the hook. This hook can and probably should be copied and pasted from the opening of your synopsis, and everything in the query is a condensed version of the first half of the synopsis as well. The external conflict (something in the character’s way) and internal conflict (an inner "demon" the character must confront to resolve the external conflict) are not the same thing.
Describe the marketable qualities = Complete at __,000 words + TITLE + category + genre (pick only 1!) + comps (no more than 2)
Brief bio = who are you + where are you from/do you live? + personal achievements or experiences that qualify you
There you have it. Queries AND synopses, like all things, will require a little grit and reflective time to get right. Share it with writing friends and get multiple opinions (at least three, preferably more). If you’re getting lots of Rs off a cold query, then consider revising the book teaser portion of your query completely. Unlike the query, the synopsis tends to be more like information for the agent. They will want to read the synopsis and think the story is interesting enough to read the whole thing even though they know what happens!
SIDENOTE: If you are querying a memoir, the tips above will still apply BUT you will also need to provide a detailed outline of your book, with at least a paragraph about each chapter. Louisa Deasey's blog post is the best resource I've found on preparing a memoir book proposal.
I hope some of these tips help! Now, off to the query trenches with you. Good luck!
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