There are a lot of reasons you may want to write a synopsis for a book. Maybe it’s part of your zero drafting process, or you’re preparing yourself to talk confidently about your book at writers’ convention. But the most common reason authors write synopses is as part of a submission package when you’re trying to get your book published.
You’ve already written ~80,000 words of a novel, so writing a one-page synopsis should be easy, right? Not so fast—writers struggle with the synopsis more than almost any other document (except maybe the query letter). Let’s guide you through everything you need to know about how to write a novel synopsis that gets results.
What is a novel synopsis?
A novel synopsis is a broad overview of an entire narrative arc that introduces the protagonist, setting, major plot points, guiding conflicts. Its purpose is to give a literary agent or editor a sense of what happens in your story, and to show them that you know how to structure a satisfying plot.
What’s the difference between a synopsis and a book blurb?
One of the big mistakes new authors often make is confusing a synopsis with a blurb. Although they have elements in common, they’re used for very different things.
A blurb is a promotional tool designed to compel readers to pick up (and buy) a book. It’s printed on either the back or the inner flap of the dust jacket, as well as in the description of any online store. It functions a bit like a movie trailer, giving the reader hints of what to expect but not revealing everything.
A synopsis isn’t meant for readers—it’s for industry professionals. It summarizes the entire novel including the plot twists and the ending. Rather than trying to get someone to buy your book, a synopsis shows that you know how to craft a cohesive and commercially viable story.
Do all authors need to write a book synopsis?
A synopsis is used by authors of full-length narrative books: novels, memoirs, and creative nonfiction with an overarching story arc. Other types of nonfiction work like educational texts, travel guides, or cookbooks will normally be submitted with a detailed chapter outline instead.
If you’ve written a short story collection or essay collection, you might include a list of mini-synopses: short, one-paragraph summaries of each story. You can follow the guidelines in this article, but you won’t need to go into as much detail—a broad overview of around 50 to 100 words for each story is fine. Poetry collections don’t require a synopsis.
Not all publishers and agents ask for a synopsis with a submission, but a large number of them do. That’s why it’s a good idea to have your synopsis ready to go, even if a few of your submissions don’t require them.
How long should a synopsis be?
A good synopsis is around one to two pages, or 300 to 800 words. Sometimes, an agent or publisher might request a specific length in their guidelines: up to 500 words, up to 1,000 words, one page, and so forth. Always follow the submission guidelines. If they don’t specify, between 500 and 600 words is a good baseline.
You might find it helpful to draft two synopses: One longer version between 600 to 800 words, and a more concise one between 300 to 500 words. That way, you can send whichever best suits those particular guidelines without having to scramble to write a new one.
If the synopsis is too short, the person reading it may not get a full picture of what your story’s about. If it’s too long, they might feel overwhelmed and not want to read it at all.
How to format your synopsis
Before you hit Send, there are a few industry conventions that agents and publishers like to see in a synopsis.
A synopsis should always be written in present tense, even if your actual story is written in past tense. Weird, right? So you’ll say “[My Main Character] is an aspiring swimmer hoping for a chance at an Olympic slot” rather than he or she was an aspiring swimmer.
Synopses nearly always use the third person point of view (he, she, they). The exception is if you’re submitting a memoir; for this, you can use either third or first person point of view. Still keep it in present tense though, even if you’re talking about real events that happened in the past.
A synopsis should be written in a standard font like Times New Roman using one- or one-and-a-half point line spacing. At the top of the first page, write the title of your novel or memoir along with “synopsis.” In the top right hand corner of each page, write the title of your book and your full name. This is because the person reading it might print it out, and if they do they’ll have no way of knowing whose email it came from. If the pages get separated, each one will have the title and your name on it.
Authors will sometimes put a character’s name in capital letters the first time it’s mentioned (“[MY MAIN CHARACTER] is an aspiring swimmer hoping for a chance at an Olympic slot”), but this is becoming less common today.
A step-by-step guide to writing your synopsis
Ready to get started? We’ll make it easy for you by breaking it down into these ten easy steps.
Step 1: Introduce your protagonist
The first line will introduce your main character. Include their name and any relevant information about them that pertains to the story, such as their motivation or key relationships. If it’s a MG or YA novel, you might also include their age. This will lead into a quick description of the “ordinary world,” which is our next step. For example: Sandra Lonleyhart is an eighteen-year-old intern at a luxury fashion magazine.
Step 2: Establish the status quo
The status quo is what your protagonist’s life looks like before the story begins. Put together, this will say something like Sandra Lonleyhart is an eighteen-year-old intern at a luxury fashion magazine, hoping to move up into hard-hitting journalism. We’ve introduced the main character, a defining trait, and what they’re up to when we first meet them.
In this opening line, you can start to hint at the sort of genre you’re writing in.
Step 3: Introduce the inciting incident
So we know who our main character is and what they want. But what about the story? That’s where the inciting incident comes in. It’s the moment in your book which disrupts the status quo and sets the plot into motion. This should only take one or two lines to describe what happens.
Sandra’s inciting incident might be an office party that ends in a shocking twist, an unexpected offer from within the magazine, the arrival of a handsome new executive, etc.
Step 4: Add in the first key plot point
Now we’re jumping ahead a bit to the first key plot point, which happens around 25—30% of the way into the book. Describe the moment in which something happens to raise the stakes and make your protagonist even more invested in their journey.
Step 5: Hinge your synopsis on the midpoint
The midpoint is the hinge that happens right at the middle of your book. And, it should happen at roughly the middle of your synopsis.
This is the key event which divides the story into a “before” and “after.” It also marks a moment when the protagonist shifts from primarily reacting to taking action.
Step 6: Add the second key plot point
Once you’ve reached the midpoint, things start gathering steam. The second key plot point is a new development or complication which kicks things up a notch and puts increased pressure on your main characters. All of the possible paths the story could have taken are merging into one inevitable conclusion.
Step 7: Culminate in the climax
The climax is the big finish, and the culmination of everything you’ve built up through the preceding major plot points. The heroes are victorious, the baddies are vanquished, the lovers come together at last.
Step 8: Wrap up with the resolution
Then, take a moment to establish where these characters are headed next (this is called the “denouement”). This gives the story (and the synopsis) a satisfying sense of completion. It will also hint at the character arcs your cast has undergone.
Step 9: Fill in the gaps
Now, take a look at the plot points you’ve written down. Do they flow seamlessly into each other to form a cohesive whole? Because the synopsis should have a sense of natural progression—this thing leads to this thing leads to this thing—you may need to double back and fill in some of the empty spaces.
This just means adding in some context that helps the reader understand how two plot points are related.
Step 10 Revise, revise, revise!
Once you’ve cobbled together your novel synopsis, set it aside and take a break. It can be hard to catch inconsistencies or disjointed phrasing when you’ve been staring at it for hours; taking a step back helps to come back with fresh eyes.
You might also get another writer to look over your synopsis. This is especially helpful if it’s someone who hasn’t read the full book. That way, they can tell you if the synopsis makes sense, if everything is clear, and if it makes the book sound like something they’d like to read.
Then, make any necessary adjustments and give it one last look. Remember: your novel should read like a complete, cohesive story in miniature.
Synopsis mistakes to avoid
Synopsis writing is pretty straightforward, especially if you wrote your book from a plot outline to begin with. But there are a few traps that new writers sometimes fall into, which can sink your publishing journey before it’s even begun.
Mistake 1: Editorializing
We all want to communicate important themes through our writing; it’s tempting to close out a synopsis by saying something like “This character’s experiences illustrate the importance of community and solidarity in the face of oppression,” for example.
And while this may be both true and relevant, it’s best kept for the query letter rather than the synopsis. The synopsis is for the overall plot.
Mistake 2: Ending the synopsis too soon
Remember how we talked about the difference between a synopsis and a blurb? In a blurb, you give away just enough to entice the reader without revealing the ending.
In a synopsis, which serves a very different purpose, you need to tell the story all the way to the end. This is because the person reading it—the agent or editor—needs to see that you know how to build to a satisfying conclusion.
Mistake 3: Going on too long
Likewise, you don’t want to go into every single detail—that’s what the book is for! Be mindful not to include too many character names or subplots. You should be able to hit all the key points in your story without going over two pages (three, max).
Mistake 4: The leading question
Another blurb-derivative snafu is the leading question: “Will they reach the treasure before it’s too late?” “Will the hero overcome his pride before his true love flies off into the sunset?” “Will Sandra Lonleyhart uncover the truth before she loses everything?”
While these leading questions can be useful for compelling readers, they’re not ideal when addressing publishing professionals. Agents want answers, not teasing questions.
Mistake 5: Flowery language
Remember: a synopsis for your novel should be straight to the point. It’s not the right place for effusive sensory imagery (this can go in the novel itself). Phrases that seem to sparkle in a story can feel meandering or waffley in a synopsis. It’s a delicate line between injecting a little bit of your natural voice and spinning off into prose poetry.
Mistake 6: Superfluous worldbuilding
If you’re writing in a world-rich genre like fantasy, science fiction, or historical fiction, you might have a lot of context to convey through your story. Because a synopsis is all about concision, you need to carefully consider what to include and what to leave out.
Avoid the temptation to deep dive into complex character backstory and political machinations that shaped your characters’ lives. Include the bare minimum the reader will need to understand how and why the key events unfold.
An example of a good synopsis
To see how it looks in practice, here’s a short example synopsis of fan-favorite rom-com Pride and Prejudice.
Elizabeth Bennett lives with her parents and four sisters on a small estate (the protagonist). Because Elizabeth’s father has no sons and women cannot inherit, Elizabeth’s mother is desperate to get her daughters married off to rich men (the status quo). When two wealthy bachelors, Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy, move in nearby, Mr.s. Bennet sees an opportunity (the inciting incident). Mr. Bingley throws a party and falls head over heels for the eldest Bennet daughter, Jane. At the party, Elizabeth overhears Mr. Darcy talking derisively about her and becomes determined to loathe him forever more (the first key plot point). Jane and Bingley spend more time together, and Darcy begrudgingly becomes drawn to Elizabeth’s intelligence. Meanwhile, a regiment of handsome soldiers has set up nearby. Elizabeth and her younger sister Lydia are particularly attracted to an officer named Mr. Wickham. The Bennets’ cousin Mr. Collins, who is set to inherit their estate, proposes to Elizabeth. To Mr.s. Bennet’s horror, Elizabeth declines.
Mr. Bingley sends a letter saying he and Darcy have left for London (the midpoint). Jane is devastated. Elizabeth soon learns that Darcy convinced Bingley to give up Jane, making Elizabeth hate him even more. At their next meeting, Darcy clumsily proposes to Elizabeth; she rejects him with disgust (second key plot point). Later, while visiting family, Elizabeth tours Darcy’s grand estate. She meets him and his sister, and finds her hatred towards him thawing. Elizabeth receives a letter saying that Lydia and Wickham have run away together, bringing shame on the family. Just as all seems lost, Darcy covertly pays Wickham a large sum of money to marry Lydia honorably (the climax). He admits he did it for love of Elizabeth, and proposes again. This time, Elizabeth accepts. Bingley likewise declares his love for Jane. Each lives happily ever after on the estates of their wealthy new husbands (the resolution).
This synopsis covers all the key scenes in about 300 words. Yours can be a little more detailed than this, but don’t spend a lot of time covering every single train journey and shopping excursion and catty remark. Notice how the synopsis reveals the ending and the plot twist about dastardly Wickham, instead of leaving them to the imagination. It shows the person reading it that the writer can tell a complete story.
A great synopsis is your secret publishing weapon
It’s no secret that many writers dread writing their synopsis. But, it doesn’t have to be intimidating. After all, you’ve already done the hard part: writing the book! Now, it’s just about breaking it down and putting the pieces back together. Happy writing!
