Okay, I have a question. Maybe some of you have some more experience than I do and can help me out. I've got a finished novel manuscript that I'm ready to (gasp) put in the mail, and it's the first thing I've ever submitted. My question is about the synopsis. Is there a preferred synopsis length? I've read everything I can find on the subject, and everybody says that you just need to find out what the guidelines of the publisher are. Some want two pages, some want ten. The publisher I'm mailing this to, though, doesn't say anything about synopsis length. Is there a preferred length, or should I just send out whatever I think gets the job done?
Posted by punahougirl84 (Member # 1731) on :
From what I've read about doing submissions that require a synopsis, if the guidelines are not specific, you should call the publisher and find out. They probably get the question often, and someone will be able to answer that question. If you call the editor's office to which you are submitting, the admin assistant will hopefully have the info.
Wish you the best of luck with your novel! Congrats on being at this stage - it must feel GREAT!
Posted by srhowen (Member # 462) on :
The shorter the better. Readers (at publishers) are limited on their time, so the shorter the better.
Shawn
Posted by teddyrux (Member # 1595) on :
Dittos to Shawn.
You might want to call or email the publisher and ask what their guidelines are.
Good Luck :}
Posted by wetwilly (Member # 1818) on :
How short is short? Right now I'm looking at 5 pages in manuscript format. More bare-bones than that?
The publisher's guidelines on their website say, "Send us whatever you think it will take to sell us your book." I suppose that gives me some freedom, but there are still probably limits to what will sell them my book and what won't.
Really, I guess I'm just freaking out about finally taking that step and putting the book IN THE MAIL.
Why is that so scary?
Posted by teddyrux (Member # 1595) on :
It's scary because it might be as good as you think it is.
It's scary because it might get rejected and you're ego will be bruised.
Who said writers were sane?
Posted by srhowen (Member # 462) on :
I do this, I have a one line synopsis--I've talked about this one before. A simple one line plot summery.
Next I have a short synop, really only a paragraph or at the most two--very short ones.
Then I have the two page sort.
Then I go chapter by chapter and come up with a one line summery of each chapter. I put those together and use a sentence or two to tie them together--this becomes my long synopsis.
It helps to simplify the process and to make the synop as streamlined as possible--only the bare facts about the main plot can get in there--eliminate character descriptions unless they are important to the plot--same with any descriptions really.
Shawn
Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :
Synopses don't need to be in manuscript format (ie, double-spaced) because they are not going to be typeset.
I would say that a single-spaced synopsis (aka "outline") that you send to an editor with the first three chapters (which is what a "partial" is) should be no longer than four or five pages.
Another approach to writing one is to make a list of the turning points in the novel, write a paragraph about each, add a paragraph about the beginning and one about the end (and put them all in the proper order), and then stick in any transition sentences necessary to make it all make sense. And that's your synopsis.
If it's shorter than four or five single-spaced pages and tells the editor enough about the story, then that's all to the good.