If a new writer’s manuscript can be seen as mere goods for sale at the market rather than a precious masterpiece, then the analogy can be extended to suggest that the synopsis, a mandatory part of an author’s approach to a publisher, is the equivalent of that slice of cheese or wedge of pineapple that the stall holder extends to the customer to demonstrate the quality of his or her produce. Let’s face it: if the sample is really awful – the pineapple so tart that the tester pulls faces – what are the chances that he’ll say:”Great! I’ll have three of those, thanks!”
How to Get a Book Published
Similarly, if a writer cannot produce a synopsis that truly represents his or her book – its characters, tone, theme, pace and plot in miniature – so that it prove a tasty morsel, what hope is there of fiction publishers buying the entire work?
“It’s hard!" everyone yells. It certainly is – and the bigger and more complex the story, the greater the task of condensing it into a few paragraphs. But, consider this: how many of those oversized volumes currently on bookstore shelves have no back cover blurb because they are just too complex to categorize? Not one.
Every book must greet its potential buyer as a pretty front cover and a blurb on the back. The author gets one shot… and, prior to publication, one shot to dodge the editor’s slush pile. Thus, a superb manuscript synopsis is crucial to getting published.
Manuscript Submission Guidelines
- Give the customer what he or she wants. Seek guidance from the publishing house and follow the guidelines slavishly. Some publishers might generously allow the prospective author 10 double-spaced pages to complete his or her synopsis; others may want a 1-2 page single-spaced offering.
- If there are no guidelines, the writer can be certain that less is more. Try for a one page summary – two at most, and paperclip it to a simple one-page query letter.
- Don’t send a synopsis on spec. Have a finished, thoroughly edited, perfect manuscript ready if called for. This is not a book proposal – that’s for the ‘big names’ with long- established relationships with their publishers and a proven track record.
Writing a Synopsis
A manuscript synopsis cannot hope to record every element and subplot of a major novel. By its nature, it must extract the best and the heart of what that novel is about.
- Read a number of book blurbs and attempt that style…with one exception – NO cliff hangers! Do not end with: “Will Bodelia manage to crush the Borgons and win Glug’s heart for saving his planet? You’ll have to read the book to find out.” They won’t.
- Use present tense for the narrative and keep it character-focused. Eg: When stylish business mogul Macho Berk buys a retreat in the backwoods near Sylvia Twills’ farmlet, his presence disturbs more than the family moonshine operation.” As with a newspaper article, get the main point first and expand on it …until you run into your set word limit.
- Repeat: stay character-focused and spell out what the protagonist wants, and the source of conflict that thwarts that desire. No conflict – no book. Show the prospective publisher the central tussle.
- Don’t bother with pretty physical descriptions of characters… encapsulate them by their chief personality or psychological trait and perhaps role. … “Timid airline captain Peter Walsh; stubborn dog-handler Julia Marrow; arrogant general Markus Glorius; etc.”
- Try to capture the setting, tone and pace. Eg: “In his first and only day as undertaker’s assistant, Jeremy Sneeth boxed up Mr Stevens and sent him off to Lady Arbuthnot’s funeral, managed to drop Mr Wallace unceremoniously on the way out of the church, and got a very noisy bout of hay fever from the flowers on old Mrs Brand’s coffin.” No reader would mistake the humorous, tongue-in-cheek tone of this narration for a serious take on the life of an undertaker. There is also a rapid pace evident that suggests there will be a snappy delivery.
Submitting Manuscripts
It is not a writers market and never will be. Too many new writers, thrilled with what they have produced, presume that the world is waiting for their offering. Any writer who confronts a publisher with the equivalent of the demand: “Publish my book!” is certain to be refused with gusto. Publisher requirements have changed little over the recent past – they want well-edited, quality, material that suits their regular oeuvre and adherence to their own protocols. Indeed, so important is it that many publishing houses now leave the first weeding of new manuscripts to agents and refuse to deal directly with the writer.
The novice writer’s best chance of getting a publisher to look at his or her work is tied to speed of perusal. A succinct summary of what is on offer might get a reading – a 120,000 tome is unlikely to.
