Chapter 2 | On Pitching
The synopsis is where you reveal everything about the novel; it is typically 1 page and covers all the main beats of the story, spoilers and all.
Your synopsis needs to convey the narrative arc, character motivations, an explanation of the problem, the characters, and the ending.
Don’t be coy and leave out the climax – the agent or publisher wants to know that you can craft a story and that you know where the book is going. The easiest example – if you’re writing a crime novel, tell them who done it!
A blurb on the back of a book and a synopsis are two different things:
a blurb is a short description of the book written to attract people’s interest.
a synopsis is a summary of the book, including a full overview of the plot, sent to publishers, editors, sales and marketing teams and agents.
Your synopsis needs to include:
logline
tagline
the three act structure (set up (external stakes), conflict (internal stakes) and resolution) + hook (philosophical/ big themes)
readership
genre
protagonist – if writing for kids, always include their (age) in brackets after their name to further clarify readership.
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