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When you put together a synopsis for a novel, how long do you go? Should it be chapter by chapter, or fit it on a single page, or what? Posts: 1304 | Registered: May 2007
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There are short synopses and long synopses, and confounded synopses... okay, so I exaggerate.
I'm not sure which each is, but in general, I think the standard is up to two pages, the main drift of the story. There's lots of resources out there; any book on querying (library binge!) might have some references to help you out on that.
I think that's a long synopses. Or a standard one. A short synopses would be a few paragraphs, maybe.
*Warning* This is a post to help others give their superior knowledge countering mine. I am not personally vested in any of the statements above, nor am I publishing professional. Disagreements may be posted. I will not sue.
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I had a few agents request a synopsis, and they always asked for a one-pager. I don’t think they would freak or anything if it was a tad longer, but it really needs to be succinct—and you should include the ending.
Posts: 603 | Registered: Jan 2006
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Should the synopsis be a quick setting/story overview, or should it explicitly state the scenes involved in telling the story, and do so chronologically?
Posts: 2195 | Registered: Aug 2006
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It's a quick story overview. You might not even include some of the subplots. And it doesn't need to be a scene by scene walk-through, that's more of an outline and I've seen detailed outlines 20-30 pages. That's a different animal.
Posts: 603 | Registered: Jan 2006
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gracias, JamieFord, and congratulations again on getting an agent and publisher. You're really inspiring! Posts: 1304 | Registered: May 2007
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Congrats! That's fantastic. Even after you send the partial, don't hesitate to keep querying. (Because your query letter is working!)
Posts: 603 | Registered: Jan 2006
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My understanding is a page in length, with maybe 1 or 2 sentences per chapter at most. Maybe a short paragraph for long ones, maybe skip ones that aren't critical to the main plot.
Posts: 696 | Registered: Sep 2005
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I've got a one page synopsis ready, but I'm not sure if I'm on the right track or not. Anybody willing to take a look and give me some feedback? Should I give away the ending? Should I make like an expanded query letter/commercial? Posts: 1304 | Registered: May 2007
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Happy to take a look, if you don't mind me stealing your best ideas. You got an agent to write back! That's great.
Posts: 557 | Registered: Jun 2007
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