A book synopsis is a summary of the plot or content. Literary agents and publishers often ask authors to provide a synopsis in order to evaluate their work. The task of fitting the contents of an entire book into a few paragraphs or pages can seem daunting, and there is no one right way to write a good synopsis. Whatever the case, you can use practical tips to write an impressive synopsis that will grab readers' attention and make them want to read the entire book.
Determine the initial conditions. Although a synopsis is a very brief overview of a larger work, you still need to take the time to define the novel's premise and include all the important information for the reader to understand the plot.
Imagine that someone reads first the synopsis and then the book. What information is critically needed? Does the reader need to know specific details about the setting of the novel or the world you created?
Keep in mind that you are trying to interest the reader, so include a couple of interesting details that will help present the time and place of the events.
Highlight the main conflict. Many puzzle over what to include in a synopsis, but the ironclad rule is to identify and delineate the main plot conflict.
What will the protagonist of the book have to face?
Perhaps you should point out specific obstacles that the characters will encounter?
What happens if the main character does not cope with the mission assigned to him?
Show character development. It will be difficult for you to fit the full character development on https://writingassignment.net/coursework-writing-service/ described in the novel into a short synopsis, but many literary agents insist that the synopsis should reflect the changes that occur to the main character during the events of the book.
Try not to describe the characters one-sidedly, show their reactions to different situations. Although you are limited in the scope of the synopsis, it is still up to the reader to understand the personalities of the characters and how they will change.
Outline the plot. Since the synopsis is a summary of the book, you need to outline the plot of the novel and give an idea of the direction of events.
It will be difficult for you not to drown in the details, but try to start by writing a short (1-2 sentence) summary of each chapter. Then try to combine these paragraphs with each other.
You won't be able to include every detail of the plot, so figure out which ones are most important to understanding the book. Consider whether the ending would make sense without that detail. If the answer is yes, then exclude it.
A clear idea of the ending. You may not want to spoil the unexpected moment, but the synopsis should give a clear picture of the ending of the novel and the global resolution of the conflict.
Literary agents want to know how you will resolve the conflict and link up the chain of events.
Do not worry. If your work is published, then the synopsis will not be printed on the cover and will not spoil the reader's sense of novelty.
Read the synopsis. It is important to re-read your synopsis yourself and get the opinion of others. The more feedback from the outside, the more logical your synopsis will be.
Reading the synopsis aloud is very helpful, as it makes it easier to spot grammatical errors and edit the wording. While reading aloud, your brain processes information in a different way, so you begin to notice previously unnoticed errors and shortcomings.
Ask friends, relatives or colleagues who have not yet read the book or are not familiar with your work to read the synopsis. They will be able to give you a more objective view, as well as tell you how coherent and interesting the synopsis is in reading the book.
The synopsis should contain answers to important questions. Before submitting a synopsis, make sure it answers the following key questions:
Who is the central character in the book?
What is he/she striving for or trying to achieve?
Who or what complicates the character's search, journey, life?
What does all this lead to?
Practice writing. Many authors complain that the synopsis is the most difficult text to write, since it has to crystallize the content of the entire book in just a few paragraphs. Fortunately, the more often you write synopses, the better you will get.
To practice, try writing synopses of classics or recently read books. Sometimes it's easier to start with a book that hasn't taken you many hours, days, or years to prepare.
Follow all available recommendations. When working with an agent or a specific publisher, be sure to check with them for specific requirements. It is important to write and format the synopsis in the way your employers want it to be.
If in doubt, check with your agent or publisher for length, layout, and style requirements.
Even if this is just homework, it is important to follow all the requirements and recommendations of the teacher.
Include a summary of the book. As with a work of art, you'll need to provide a brief description of the content.
Focus on making your case clear and explain why this book should be published. Explain the importance of your book.
Outline the structure of the work. Even if you haven't finished the book yet, the synopsis needs to clearly outline the structure. Provide a chapter breakdown with working titles that will allow the agent or publisher to grasp the direction of your thoughts.
You can also include a short description (1-2 sentences) of each chapter.
Determine the differences between the book and competitors. In the synopsis, you need to explain how the book differs from existing books on this topic. Consider the uniqueness of your contribution.
For example, do you present a fresh perspective or way of treating a subject in the book?
List major authors and publications on the subject, and then clearly explain the originality of your material.
Also describe why you are able to qualitatively cover this issue.
Discuss the book's place in the market. Looking at your book, the publisher will try to find its place in the market and the target audience. Select a paragraph in the synopsis to address this issue.
Include information about the section of the bookstore where you see the book. This will help the publisher assess potential demand and ways to market the book.
Which groups of people do you think would be interested in the material? For example, the book could be used in training courses or online assignment help, or at events marking the anniversary of a historic event. If your book is related to this event, it will be possible to build an advertising campaign on this.
Share your plans. Many books of scientific content are approved for publication while they are being written, but in the synopsis, you should clearly state your deadlines for completion.
Indicate how much is already completed, then estimate the time required to complete the work.
Provide additional details. Include other pertinent details in the synopsis, such as the scope of the finished work and the possible need for illustrations. The more information about the structure and format of the book is provided, the easier it is for the publisher to determine whether they are ready to take on a project.
Tell us about your qualifications and achievements. To add weight to the synopsis, include your accomplishments and experiences that contributed to the writing of the book.
It is important not only to provide information about your education and scientific background, but also to determine what details of your biography may be of interest to the publisher and readers.
Get other people's opinions. As with any writing activity, feedback from others about your synopsis helps improve the style of the text, making it more intriguing and understandable. Ask your friends, relatives or colleagues to read the text and give their opinion.
You don't have to be an expert to understand how interesting and well-written the synopsis is. Don't worry - you don't have to look for experts in this matter.
Don't write the synopsis as the main character. The synopsis is written in the third person, not the protagonist. It is also preferable to use the present rather than the past tense.
Reduce volume. The synopsis should be concise, while verbosity is a fairly common mistake. You may not want to cut out the dialogue and shorten the description, but this way the synopsis will turn out to be more harmonious and competent.
Consider whether all of these details are important to the synopsis, or whether some of them can be omitted. If the reader can grasp the essence of the book without any details, then it is better to omit them.
As a rule, dialogues in the synopsis are not needed. If you choose to include dialogue, keep it as short as possible and relevant to a major turning point in the plot.
Do not try to make the text elegant or lyrical. This requires volume, and you should focus on conciseness and a clear presentation of your book. Read the synopsis several times. Consider where clearer or more precise words can be used.
You should not reveal too many details about the characters and introduce secondary characters. It is possible that you have spent a lot of time developing your characters and the events of their lives, but there is no place in the synopsis for all these events, as well as for secondary characters.
Include just enough detail so that your characters look interesting and the connection between them isn't blurry. A few phrases are usually enough to give an idea of the character.
No need to analyze and interpret the plot. A synopsis is only meant to be a brief description or a glimpse of the book on https://writingassignment.net/write-my-speech/ ,so don't include literary analysis or interpretation of the plot and hidden meanings. For such research, completely different works are written.
Avoid rhetorical and unanswered questions. Contrary to the temptation, do not try to build up tension and leave questions unanswered, as they will only distract the reader from the essence.
Do not write a synopsis that will be a simple retelling of the plot. It should attract the attention of readers, interest them in reading the book. A direct retelling of events will create the impression that the reader is facing a dry technical manual.
It is better to add emotions and details, hinting at the feelings and experiences of the characters.
Some writers suggest imagining that you are describing a book to your friends in the same way that you describe an interesting movie to them. Skip the boring details and focus on the highlights.
Use double spacing. If the synopsis is longer than one page, then use double spacing in the document. This makes it easier to read.
Don't forget to include the title of the book and your name. In a hurry, you can easily forget to give both the title of the book and your name. Specify this information in the upper left corner of each page.
Use a standard font. While you may want to use some more interesting font, it's best to stick with standard options.
Use the same font in your synopsis as your book. Perhaps, along with the synopsis, you will attach examples of some chapters, then uniformity will be traced in your documents.
Start paragraphs with an indent. Despite the brevity of the synopsis, it should not be taken as a stream of consciousness. To prevent this, structure your text by indenting at the beginning of paragraphs.
Stick to volume guidelines. Different literary agents or publishers may have different requirements for synopsis length. Be sure to comply with the stated requirements or clarify your wishes on this issue.
Some writers recommend that you first write about 5 pages of text, and then shrink the document and cut it to the required length.
Be prepared for different requirements ahead of time by writing different one- and three-page versions of the synopsis. Even if the requirements turn out to be slightly different, you can easily adjust the document to the desired volume.
More Resources:
Formatting and Quoting for Coursework
Tips for Correct Scientific Writing
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