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The biggest challenge a first time author faces after writing a novel is drafting a synopsis. Synopsis writing is an absolute art which is the stepping stone in launching your career as an author by a publisher. When you send your book proposal to publisher/literary agents , what do you think ? Are the publishers going to look into your full manuscript , they have simply no time to look into the manuscript. They are inundated with thousands of query letters and so it is imperative to understand that you really need to have something special in your query letter to get noticed by the publisher.

The only arsenal you have in your writing artillery is your synopsis. So if your synopsis stands out among the slush pile in the publisher’s hands, you will definitely get response from them. Now how can we write a killer synopsis that could get you a publishing deal?

First we need to know what is synopsis ? I can define the synopsis as the qualitative and quantitative narration of a plot, characters, conflicts in a succinct manner. It should clearly mention the basic exposition of the plot, characters and reveal how the story ends. The synopsis should be maximum two page length ( 1500 words for novel) and one page for novella ( 500 -800 words ). There is no restriction in exact word length but you need to convey those basic elements in synopsis .

5 Tips on How to write a killer synopsis. Share on X

Here are 5 Tips on How to write a killer synopsis mentioned below.

#1 Write the synopsis first before writing novel

This is the first basic step of writing a novel. Most of the authors write their novel first and then pen down the synopsis which is very daunting task. How could you condense a 40k word novel into mere 800 words conveying important points ? Its overwhelming and challenging for newbies. So before starting with the manuscript, write that raw thought process of your entire story plot before writing the full story. You will realize you have written a great synopsis.

#2 Active voice

Always use active voice in narrating the synopsis . Its a good practice to use third person in writing the synopsis.

#3 Fresh Concept

Try to use a fresh and original concept to describe your story plot. You need to make your imagination and create some unique ideas of your story concept which the literary agents/publishers have never heard before.

#4 Short & Simple :

Keep your writing short and simple and cover all the emotions in your writing.

#5 Use Hook Words

Try to use hook words in the synopsis as much as possible to entice your reader. Remember you need to reveal the story ending but still try to make your plot unpredictable .

Conclusion :

Finally I would like you stay focussed on your writing and keep practicing writing synopsis . Once you write several drafts of synopsis of the same story, you will realize you have mastered the art of writing synopsis . Pretty soon I will discuss about how to write a query letter to literary agent/publisher. Feel free to comment on the post . Don’t forget to subscribe if you like to follow such post in future.