Why is it important to write a synopsis?
You have finally finished writing your book. Terminated. You can’t be happier. You’re even willing to pop champagne with your friends. You had forgotten one of the most important marketing tools!(synopsis)
If you’ve managed to attract a potential reader to take a look at your book thanks to an eye-catching cover or a good title, you’re already over the hardest part. The synopsis is the third aspect that your potential reader will pay attention to, once the cover and the title have done a good job. If we compare the first two aspects with a resume, you could say that memoir ghostwriters a synopsis is like a job interview.
In other words, if a potential reader is bothering to read the synopsis, it’s because you’ve probably already captured their attention. Now it’s time to turn that interest into fascination. You want them to be intrigued enough to buy your book. Before going into detail, we have allowed ourselves the luxury of creating this interesting image as a summary:
Breaking down a synopsis
To really get into the nitty-gritty, let’s start with a good example. Check out the synopsis for Gillian Flynn’s best-selling Gone Girl:
On a hot summer day, Amy and Nick prepare to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary in North Carthage, on the banks of the Mississippi River. But Amy disappears that same morning without a trace. As the police investigation progresses, suspicions fall on Nick. However, he insists on his innocence. It’s true that he seems strangely evasive and cold, but is he capable of killing?
Why does this synopsis work?
As we see, the first sentence already establishes the premise of the story, direct and to the point. Sealed deal. It presents the reader with a thrilling mystery and dark secrets waiting to be discovered should the reader decide to immerse themselves in the story. The final question marks a milestone in what the synopsis itself is: “Is he capable of killing?” The inclination to know the answer to this question is what will -probably- lead us to want to open the book and start reading it.
1. Include these three elements
First, the text shocks us with the situation: Amy has disappeared on the day she and her husband were going to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary. Right after this, the problem arises: the police think that Nick is a suspect in what happened.
The first three elements should be grouped in the order listed, while atmosphere can be dropped throughout the text, and ideally, should be a natural side effect of the synopsis itself.
Leave readers wanting more
Regarding section 3 of the components of your synopsis, we have the so-called »unexpected twist». It is worth saying that in the cutthroat world of self-publishing, mystery – suspense – never fails. It is one of the most effective tools to generate interest and get people to choose your book and not another. Once an intriguing plot is established, the promise of a surprise, of a twist, is what really counts.
2 Make it short and interesting
Another very practical tip for writing a synopsis is to use short sentences. Even if you’ve gotten someone to read your synopsis, chances are they’ll only skim it. Short, powerful sentences help maintain interest while making your readers retain the message you are trying to convey to them.
How long should my synopsis be?
Most experts recommend writing a synopsis of around 250 words. Your synopsis should be like love at first sight, if you make out, readers will think you’re annoying; And if, on the other hand, it is very short, you probably won’t be able to reach the hearts of your readers.
The length must therefore be what is necessary: it includes all the elements without which the book would not make sense, but without getting bogged down. Use clear and clean language and everything will go smoothly.
What should not contain a synopsis?
- Do not use descriptions: neither hair colors, nor how blue the sky is that day in the morning, etc. These are substantial data that you should add in a synopsis. A synopsis should be exciting, and descriptions are the opposite.
- Don’t go overboard with the dialogue: if you do, it must somehow convey a fundamental twist.
- Do not give spoilers or use excerpts from the book. The latter do not count for anything in themselves: simply an isolated fact with which you will not be able to sympathize.
3. Stay true to your style and audience
The synopsis is like a window into your story. If your story uses a first-person narrator, use the same perspective in the synopsis. Don’t drastically change your tone by using completely different vocabulary either. This is simply to maintain consistency and avoid unpleasant surprises for readers.
4. Introduce at least one of the main characters
It’s a fact that your potential readers will be much more likely to pick up your book if they associate all of the emotional triggers in the synopsis with the main character. Notice how in the synopsis of “Gone Girl” the names are not only included Book Marketing Services, but are placed in a convenient way. Nick is not only the name of the book’s main character; he is Amy’s suspected murder husband.
You should strive to do the same: present one of your main characters in a succinct but interesting way so that people are interested in the story.
5. A little exaggeration never hurt anyone.
While staying true to your audience and your voice is interesting, you should also consider it vitally important to capture the reader’s attention and spark their imagination. Exaggeration or hyperbole – as the literary stylistic device is called – is a useful tool for this and, used in moderation, could create that feeling of excitement that will give your potential reader the little push they need to pick up your book.
Avoid clichés
People don’t have time to read bad books. In fact, they barely have time to read a bad synopsis. The slightest hint that your book will not be original enough will make the potential reader leave your book and move on to the next. Sadly, this happens quite a bit with self-published books, due to the misconception that they are not “good enough” to work with a traditional publisher.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t write your vampire love triangle drama, or your thriller starring a grizzled, addicted, octogenarian police officer obsessed with the case he never managed to solve. You just have to be smarter than everyone else in the way you present it. Use the synopsis to posit a twist that will trigger perceived clichés, focus on character dynamics and other unique aspects of your story.
Enter a “review” if you have one
Test read and rewrite!
This goes for anything you write: after your first sketch, sit down and reread it. If possible, have your mother, brother or friends read it too and give you their opinion.
See you soon readers!