Writing a novel synopsis
A synopsis is a plain summary of a novel from first page to last, ending included. It is not a tease. It is not marketing. It exists so an agent can confirm — quickly — that the book has a functioning plot and that you, the writer, know how the story ends. Most writers find the synopsis harder than the query, because there is nowhere to hide structural problems.
What a synopsis is for
Agents ask for a synopsis for one reason: they want to see that the book actually ends, and that the ending makes structural sense. A query pitches the opening. Sample pages demonstrate the voice. The synopsis is the place to demonstrate the third act — the thing you can't judge from a first chapter alone. An agent reading your synopsis is looking for three things: is there a clear protagonist with a goal; does the middle do meaningful work; does the ending resolve the central conflict without feeling arbitrary.
One page or two
Most agents ask for a one-page single-spaced synopsis or a two-page double-spaced one, which are roughly equivalent in word count (500–700 words). Some ask for longer — two to three pages single-spaced, or up to five double-spaced — for complex or genre-crossing books. Always match the specific agent's guidelines. If no length is specified, write a one-page version and a two-page version, then use the shorter one by default and the longer one when requested.
The ending goes on the page
This is the part writers resist most. A synopsis that trails off with "Will Anna find the truth in time?" is useless. Spell out what Anna does, what it costs her, who dies, who stays, and what the final image is. Agents don't want to be surprised by the book; they want to know that you can deliver a resolution. Ending withheld is a signal that the writer either hasn't finished thinking through the book or doesn't trust their own third act. Neither is what a busy agent wants to infer.
Voice and tense
Write in third person, present tense, regardless of the novel's own point of view and tense. A first-person novel's synopsis is still written in third. "Anna receives the letter and decides to drive back." A synopsis is not a miniature novel. It is administrative prose about a novel. Clean, functional, free of stylistic flourish.
The first time each major character appears, put their name in SMALL CAPS or all caps. This gives the reader a quick roster. After that, regular capitalization. Minor characters don't need the treatment.
What to include
A functioning synopsis moves through the book in roughly the order of the book itself. A simple spine to lean on:
- Who the protagonist is and what they want at the start. A sentence, maybe two.
- The inciting incident that forces them into the central conflict. What changes.
- The first major turn — a complication that reveals the real shape of the problem.
- The midpoint shift — a revelation, betrayal, or decision that raises the stakes.
- The darkest-moment low point — where the protagonist comes closest to failing.
- The climax — the decision or action that resolves the central conflict.
- The aftermath — what the world looks like afterward, including who the protagonist has become.
You do not have to hit these beats in mechanical order, and not every book has all seven. Use them as a checklist during a first draft. If your synopsis skips straight from "Anna receives the letter" to "Anna solves the mystery," the beats in the middle of the book aren't pulling their weight — on the page, or possibly in the manuscript itself.
What to cut
Everything that does not drive the plot forward. In particular:
- Subplots that don't intersect the main conflict. If the romantic subplot doesn't change how the central problem resolves, it does not need to be in the synopsis. It can still be in the book.
- Secondary characters who don't change the protagonist's decisions. The best friend who is a good best friend can be cut from the synopsis entirely. If the friend's betrayal is the midpoint shift, they stay.
- Backstory and worldbuilding. Establish the setting in a phrase. A fantasy synopsis can waste three hundred words on geography; the three hundred words are better spent on plot.
- Dialogue. Almost never belongs in a synopsis. Describe what a conversation accomplishes, not what is said.
- Thematic commentary. A synopsis is not the place to explain what the book is about thematically. The plot, told clearly, makes the themes visible on its own.
Format and mechanics
- One-inch margins. Times New Roman or Courier, 12-point. Page number and your surname in the header on each page.
- If the guidelines don't specify, single-spaced is the safer default for a one-page synopsis; double-spaced for a two-page version.
- The title of the novel appears at the top, either as a header ("Synopsis: THE LAST LIGHT") or in a small block with your contact info.
- Paste it into the body of an email when the query guidelines request it in-email. Attach as .doc or .docx when asked for an attachment. Never as a PDF unless specifically requested.
A synopsis is the part of the packet that most reveals whether you have the distance from your book to see it as a whole. That is exactly what an agent wants to know. Write it after you finish the novel, not during the final revision — doing it after gives you a structural audit you can use to rewrite.