How to Write a Novel Synopsis

If you want a literary agent to represent your book, you will have to write a compelling novel synopsis. That’s right—it’s not enough to spend months of your life crafting tens of thousands of words of brilliant and original fiction. You’ve got to be able to summarize it, too.

Most literary agencies ask for a synopsis as part of a submission package, along with your query letter and a few sample chapters, but it can be challenging for writers to decide what to include in a synopsis and what to leave out.

The key is to remember the purpose of a synopsis. If your query letter is the carrot that lures an agent to read your synopsis, the synopsis is the concise yet utterly compelling summary that leaves them eager to dive into your writing.

In this article, you’ll learn exactly what to include in a winning novel synopsis with help from author Lily Lindon, a former editor at Penguin Random House, and Melanie Conklin, author and writing coach for The Novelry’s children’s fiction team.

What is a synopsis?

The word ‘synopsis’ comes from the Ancient Greek synopsesthai, which means ‘a comprehensive view.’ It makes sense, then, that a synopsis is a short summary of a longer piece of writing. Your synopsis should provide a brief overview of the plot, themes, and characters—including how it ends.

It can feel uncomfortable to spoil every secret, but that’s exactly what a good synopsis does. You want to give an agent or editor every reason to love your work, so the aim is to reveal all of those clever twists and turns in your story. While the query letter hooks the reader with the premise of a story, a synopsis convinces them the sample pages are worth reading.

What is a synopsis for, exactly?

Essentially, it’s your novel in miniature. It tells the reader what happens across your whole story using the main points of who, what, where, and why. It needs to convey the essence of your novel, especially the changes and challenges your key characters face, but in far fewer words.

Agents and editors will look for outlines of your characters, the overall narrative arc, the major plot points, and especially what makes your work unique. They’re also looking for reassurance that you’re in command of your story and you know where it fits in the market. To earn a place on the shelf, your story needs something that sets it apart. Focusing on its unique elements will make your synopsis stand out in the inbox, just as your book must stand out on the shelf.

Some writers resist spilling all the details in a synopsis, but a synopsis is not the same as a ‘blurb’ (the teaser paragraphs on back covers). It is also not an essay: this is not the place for a writer to argue about the novel’s thematic complexities and bigger picture. This is simply your story, summarized in a quick, impactful 500 words.

Does this sound impossible?

Have no fear! No one knows your story better than you, and we have plenty of tips to help you write a synopsis that really shines.

Whether you’re preparing it for agency submission or using it as a tool to develop your story, writing a synopsis is a great way to see if your plot is working. If you can’t summarize your story in a single page, that might be a sign something is wrong, and the story may need more work.

10 things to remember when writing a synopsis

The exact execution of a synopsis can vary, but these guiding principles will help you crack the formula, whatever your genre. Here are ten key things to keep in mind when you write a synopsis.

1. How long (or short) should it be?

Many writers worry that their book synopsis is too long, and for good reason. A lengthy synopsis may deter a reader or, worse, make them think you don’t have a handle on the core components of your story.

Your synopsis should be between one and two pages (no cheating with small fonts!). At The Novelry, we recommend a 500-word maximum word count for your synopsis.

On a practical level, this target will always be within an agent’s specified limits for synopsis length in their submission guidelines.

But perhaps even more importantly, writing a novel synopsis forces you to be strict with yourself. Cut to the heart of your book. Tell your potential reader what happens, using just the big plot points. That’s it. (You’ll be amazed at how writing a short synopsis will help you edit your manuscript more effectively, too!)

2. Where to begin?

As Julie Andrews famously said in The Sound of Music, the beginning is a very good place to start.

Begin with the opening of your novel. In fact, your synopsis should follow the chronology of your plot points—tell us what happens, in the order it happens.

If your inciting incident is good enough to open your novel, it should be good enough to open your synopsis. Want to indulge in one stylish, luxurious sentence in your synopsis? Do it with an irresistible opening line or a pithy ending (if space allows).

Don’t forget the hook

If you have a brilliant hook that really sells the conflict at the heart of your story, by all means, include it at the beginning of your synopsis. (She wasn’t the only one living a lie, but she was the only one who saw the truth...) Remember, though, that you’ll want to use your hook as a short, sharp lure in your query letter, so it is perfectly acceptable for a good synopsis to stick to the facts.

If in doubt, don’t delay. Drop your readers directly into the opening scene, ideally at its most interesting point (likely the inciting incident). Present the protagonist’s initial dilemma/moment of change as soon as possible (bumbling editor LILY is taking out the bins when aggressive aliens kidnap her...) and then move the story forward.

3. What’s the tone?

To some extent, there is space for personal preference here. Some literary agents prefer a synopsis that gives a taste of the novel’s tone, as well as its main plot points. Others prefer it to be a ‘factual’ tool, devoid of voice quirks.

In general, be professional, clear, and to the point. It’s good to demonstrate your creativity and flair—if it adds to the effectiveness of the synopsis—but if your voice is taking you over the word count, cut the shenanigans.

Write in third person (even if the novel is written in first person, present tense). This will help you give a precise overview of the plot points.

If your novel is funny, you may not want to include jokes in your synopsis as the humorous writing style is unlikely to land out of context, but don’t hide descriptions of your set pieces or brilliant ironies. Use the synopsis to tell your comic story in complete deadpan.

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4. Who are the characters?

A book synopsis needs to tell an agent who the characters are, what’s at stake for them, and the challenges they face.

As you (presumably) do in your novel, start with the main character, who should almost always appear in the first paragraph, if not the first sentence. In most stories, you’ll want the synopsis to revolve closely around what happens to the protagonist at the start and a brief summary of the key scenes that follow.

Unless you’re writing something dystopian, you probably have more than one character. You don’t need to mention all  the other characters’ names (in fact, please don’t), but you should include the key players in the order of their first introduction (i.e., Cast in Order of Appearance).

Describing your characters

When introducing major characters, it’s helpful to add a very short description. This can be as simple as one adjective that gives some insight into their personality (LILY, a well-intentioned editor...). Add ages, if relevant—no need for birthday and star sign; ‘late 70s’ will suffice. In children’s novels, it’s particularly helpful to give the protagonist’s age, as this is often an important indicator of the intended reading audience.

Adjectives

Adjectives can be distracting and clunky in a novel, but in a synopsis, they’re useful for quickly transmitting character types.

Ensure your adjectives are deft and specific. They should describe the character’s personality or motivations (rather than appearance) because these impact the character’s actions and allow the agent to understand the mood of their scenes. Upgrade bland or generic words using a thesaurus, and ensure every word gives the impact you desire.

5. Once upon a time, in a land far, far away

Is your story in the present, past, or future? Make this clear right at the opening of your novel. You don’t want an agent to realize your story is historical fiction only when you mention the Titanic sinking. Lead them into your story’s primary setting with confidence and precision from very early on in the synopsis.

You don’t need to go into too much detail here. Often, you can offer all the description needed by writing a few simple words. For example:

• In modern-day Manhattan...
• In a near-future Lagos...
• In Elizabethan London...

A concise and specific description allows you to set the stage and quickly move on to the heart of your character and story. Those are, after all, the most compelling parts of any book summary, so keep that setting description as concise as possible!

If your novel is set in a whole new world

If you’re writing science fiction, fantasy, or other fiction with significant world-building details, give the reader enough information to understand that this is not our familiar Earth—but only in a brief summary. A good example for this kind of genre is introducing the setting and time period up front (Mars, 2099...). Pepper any further information about your world throughout the synopsis so it’s not front-loaded with information.

Remember, only explain the essentials. Leave us wanting more detail. Say just enough to make us want to read your sample pages, saving the beautiful descriptions of your beach hotel, haunted house, or distant planet for the actual novel.

6. Spoiler alert?

Writers often worry about spoiling major plot twists in a book synopsis. Some argue that its purpose is to intrigue an agent to request the full manuscript and, therefore, it’s a good thing not to reveal every  plot twist.

We caution against this. Remember: your synopsis is not a book blurb or a marketing tool. It is a professional outline used by an agent to confirm that your entire novel is in good working shape and fulfills the demands of its readership with a satisfying plot and conclusion.

What is a great synopsis, if not the ultimate plot spoiler?‍

Tell us all  the juicy bits. After all, you can’t describe your twisty thriller accurately if you hide all the twists and leave out the conclusion! Let the literary agent know they can expect a satisfying ending from your novel. If your story is compelling, spoilers of your plot twists won’t stop them from reading on but will only encourage them to dive right into your sample pages.

7. Be concise

8. Be even more concise

Okay, that example was cheeky—but sometimes a concise sentence delivers all the clarity you need.

Don’t bog your synopsis down with irrelevant details, and delete any information that isn’t essential for people to understand the story. If a character makes a cup of tea because they’re thirsty, delete it. If a character makes a cup of tea to poison someone, include it. Remember: major plot points only.

What about character backstory?

Avoid too much of this. Only give us the details we need to understand the narrative. Don’t include full names, every location, instructions for magical devices, details of subplots, multiple character arcs, or dialogue quotes. These take up a lot of writing real estate without offering significant insights. When in doubt, save it for the book.

9. How should it look?

There’s no uniform template for writing a book synopsis. However, as with all the materials in your submission package, it should be immaculately well presented. For example:

• No typos
• No spelling mistakes
• No odd fonts
• No pictures of your cat

Structure your sentences in paragraphs, not bullet points. Put the names of the main characters in CAPITALS when you first introduce them (LILY had just arrived at court when she received the news that her star witness had died...). Use font size 10–12pt with double spacing unless the agent specifically requests otherwise.

A further note on file preparation

If you’re ready to submit to agents or publishing houses, make sure you follow the guidelines on each specific website. If you haven’t taken the time to format your work (and your manuscript) in the style they’re asking for, they may be less likely to view your submission favorably. Sometimes, agents get so many submissions that they are filtered through a computer system. Don’t let yours get stuck in there because you attached a Word document rather than a PDF!

10. Think like an agent

Like any creative endeavor, there is no one right way to produce a well-written synopsis, unfortunately.

Some industry professionals will have preferences about what you should or shouldn’t do, but at the end of the day, synopsis styles are almost as varied as the novels themselves. Remember: the synopsis is there to fulfill ONE purpose: to give an agent an immediate overview of your novel.

When in doubt, ask yourself:

• If I was an agent, what would I find helpful?
• Would I need to know this before reading the novel?
• What would make me confident that it’s worth my time to read the chapters?
• What could be off-putting?

If your premise and your novel are utterly brilliant, one dodgy comma in your synopsis isn’t going to make an agent set your story aside. Your synopsis is there to help your application, not hinder it. Juliet Mushens, one of The Novelry’s trusted literary agents, says:

Give the agent a perceptive bird’s-eye view of your book, and they’ll be desperate to read more. Let them see the inciting incident and rising action. Give them a sense of the main arc, the main conflict and the overall plot—ideally on about one page—and they’ll be desperate to read your full book.
—Juliet Mushens

An example

Synopsis writing is a very specific skill, so it’s helpful to study examples as you prepare to write your own. Melanie Conklin, one of our writing coaches here at The Novelry, offers this glimpse at the synopsis for her middle-grade novel Crushed.

This synopsis totals 493 words, just under our 500-word suggested limit. Notice that it focuses on the central story arc—a mystery involving social media dares.

The book also contains subplots relating to Sophie’s family, a forensics murder mystery at school, and a 12-person Greek chorus that weighs in on the central situation periodically—but none of that is in the synopsis. It’s not necessary.

This example synopsis outlines the core elements of the story of Crushed, offering plenty of intrigue to readers, who are then drawn to reading the novel and discovering all the other complementary elements of the narrative.

Still unsure?

The answer to solving a synopsis problem is almost always to simplify. Return to the fundamental beats of your story. Try telling your story to yourself—in a voice note, for example. Listening to yourself describing it can help you see what can be cut while ensuring you have written enough detail to sensibly explain your story.

Your synopsis needs to be understood by a complete stranger, so ensure you’re not assuming any knowledge about your story that an outsider couldn’t know. If you’re unsure, try sharing your synopsis with a trusted reader—your friends at The Novelry will oblige! See what they remember if you ask them to tell your story back to you. See what’s getting lost in translation.

Don’t rush

Don’t send your synopsis to agents until it’s ready. Just as you wouldn’t rush out a first draft to anyone, don’t do your novel an injustice by writing a poor and half-baked synopsis. Spend time polishing it until it gleams. Show off every clever idea and twist that makes your story and your writing special—and do so with pride! You are the champion of your story, and a cracking synopsis will show others why they should champion your story, too.

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