Congratulations! No, don’t leave, you are in the right place. I must recognize you for investing time in your writing career. Every instructional blog you read, video you watch, and class you attend, brings you closer to your writing goal. So take a moment and smile. Now, let’s get to work.
One of my clients recently expressed their disdain in creating a book synopsis.
“The thought of writing a synopsis turns my stomach, how do I condense 203 pages to 3?”
Do you feel like this? A thorough book proposal is time consuming and brain rattling. I’m here to give you basic tools to make the process less daunting. If you missed Part 1 and Part 2, the links are at the end of the post.
So, how do you get an agent or publisher to fall in love with your book and say “yes” to your proposal? Woo them with the story synopsis or chapter outline. There is a difference in format between fiction, non-fiction, and children’s books.
Let’s begin with fiction.
Fiction
A fiction synopsis begins with a strong paragraph that identifies the setting, protagonist, and main problem or conflict.
The next paragraphs reveal conflicts, major plot turns, and any necessary characters for your book summary to make sense. Outline the characters growth and reveal who changes by the end of the story.
The final paragraph reveals how major conflicts are resolved. Write the summary with enough detail about the plot to intrigue the reader or agent, but don’t give too many details. Yes, you must give away the ending of your story.
Use active voice and third person point of view. The fiction synopsis should be 1-3 pages.
Non-fiction
Non-fiction proposals require an outline of the book instead of a synopsis. This is a one paragraph summary of each chapter. Include the main idea or benefit of that chapter. Refrain from starting each chapter description with “this chapter includes.” Most agents and publishers suggest an author write a non-fiction proposal before they write the book.
The Memoir falls under non-fiction, and the submission guidelines may differ with each agent or publisher. First time writers could be required to finish the manuscript. A large platform is a must for a memoir.
Children’s
A child’s book includes 32 pages or spreads, 28 for text and pictures. List the 28 spreads separately and annotate what the reader will see on that page (text or illustration). Illustrations are not needed when submitting the proposal. Most publishers have illustrators. The entire story must be submitted.
Each agent and publisher have different submission guidelines, please take the time to read them and follow them. I’m giving you the basic outline for a professional proposal.
What part of the synopsis, chapter review, or page spread do you find difficult? Join the conversation.
Don’t Miss the Rest of the Series on Book Proposal Basics:
Part 1: Title Page, Table of Contents, and Sell Sheet
Part 3: Chapter Outline or Book Synopsis
Cherrilynn Bisbano is the founder of The Write Proposal book proposal services.
As managing editor of Almost an Author, she helped the website earn the #6 spot on the Top 100 best writing websites for 2018 by The Write Life and Top 101 Websites for writers with Writers Digest.
Cherrilynn is a speaker with Women Speakers. Her topics include leadership, book proposals, and the Bible. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.
She is a two-time winner of Flash Fiction Weekly. You can find her published in Southern Writers, More to Life (MTL), Christian Rep, Christian Voice, Refresh and other online magazines. Cherrilynn is a contributor to Selah-nominated Breaking the Chains, Heart Reno, and Chicken Soup for the Soul-Miracles books.
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