What is a synopsis?

A synopsis is a summary of a book that familiarizes the reader with the plot and how it unfolds.
Although these kinds of summaries also appear on the pages of school book reports and
Wikipedia, this guide will focus on constructing one that you can send out to agents (and
eventually publishers).

Your novel synopsis should achieve two things: firstly, it should convey the contents of your
book, and secondly, it should be intriguing!

While you don’t need to pull out all the marketing stops at this stage, you should have a brief
hook at the beginning and a sense of urgency underlying the text that will keep your reader going.
It should make potential agents want to devour your whole manuscript — even though they’ll
already know what happens.

While writing your synopsis, make sure that it includes:

 A complete narrative arc
 Your own voice and unique elements of your story
 The ending or resolution (unlike in a blurb)

As for the ideal length for this piece, it varies from project to project. Some authors recommend
keeping it to 500 words, while others might write thousands. However, the standard range is
about one to two single-spaced pages (or two to five double-spaced pages). 

You may also want to have an additional “brief” summary prepared for agents who specifically
request a single page or less. Remember: as hard as it will be to distill all your hard work into that
minimal space, it’s crucial to keep your synopsis digestible and agent-friendly.