A synopsis is a detailed summary of a work, which sets out its story from start to finish. This term is often associated with the world of cinema or science, but it also concerns the field of books, writing and publishing. Many publishing houses today require that authors attach a synopsis when sending their manuscript, some even only wish to receive a synopsis in place of the manuscript. This is the reason why, on Édith & Nous, you can now add a synopsis to your manuscript from your Author space . It is therefore crucial to write a good synopsis that will convince editors to start reading your work and potentially propose publication.

A synopsis is a detailed summary of a work, which sets out its story from start to finish. This term is often associated with the world of cinema or science, but it also concerns the field of books, writing and publishing. Many publishing houses today require that authors attach a synopsis when sending their manuscript, some even only wish to receive a synopsis in place of the manuscript. This is the reason why, on Édith & Nous, you can now add a synopsis to your manuscript from your Author space . It is therefore crucial to write a good synopsis that will convince editors to start reading your work and potentially propose publication.

WHAT SHOULD A BOOK'S SYNOPSIS CONTAIN

In the case of a novel, the synopsis is different from the back cover which must explain the initial situation and create suspense in order to provoke the desire to know more in readers. The synopsis exercise is also not the same as that of the pitch, which is much shorter, which must present the work, its plot, its setting and its characters in just a few lines, in the most effective way possible. It is also not a question of the letter of intent, in which you will provide a little more context to your work, in particular the reasons that push you to present your text to this or that house, the idea that you wanted to develop in this project, etc. In addition, the synopsis systematically reveals the end of the novel, since its role is to reveal the plot in its entirety. If the back cover is more intended for readers, the pitch and the synopsis are generally addressed to the potential publisher of the book, so that he or she has a fairly precise idea of ​​the book. the story to which he/she is about to devote his reading time.

The synopsis of a book must above all present a summary in the details of the plot by exposing the different stages of the narrative arc of the novel, but it must also reveal the characters, the spatio-temporal framework and the different themes covered. in the manuscript. Unlike the pitch which only has a few lines (for example it is limited to 400 characters on Édith & Nous) and the back cover which takes one or two paragraphs, the synopsis can reach the length of a page and a half. But, contrary to what one might believe, it is also an exercise in brevity (a synopsis of two pages or more is already too long). The author must present an overview of the adventures that the characters will have to face during the plot, the influence that these will have on their development, the evolution of the story and the progression towards its resolution. The synopsis serves to explain the construction of your novel and to prove that the plot is consistent throughout the manuscript.

WHY WRITE THE SYNOPSIS OF YOUR BOOK

SO AS NOT TO GET LOST IN YOUR STORY

The synopsis is an important step in writing your novel, since it clearly defines the initial situation, the final situation and the different twists and turns to be placed in the story , to which it gives a framework. It is, therefore, a valuable tool so as not to get lost in writing your manuscript, it allows you to guide yourself from the first pages, it is therefore recommended to write it before even starting to write a book. .

TO CONVINCE EDITORS TO READ YOUR MANUSCRIPT

The synopsis of your book also plays a crucial role when sending the manuscript to a publishing house. Indeed, publishers are overwhelmed with manuscripts , and reading a manuscript takes time, not to mention that the main activities of publishers remain editorial production and the marketing of books. Editors are therefore both very selective and very demanding, particularly in their understanding of the projects proposed to them, to study them and choose or not to start reading a text. The letter of intent and the pitch must therefore attract the editor's attention to your manuscript, but the role of the synopsis is to maintain this attention by presenting a structured and thoughtful project, which will make them want to grant their attention. time and attention to read the text completely.

The synopsis is also a valuable element for editors, because it allows them, at a glance, to check the consistency of your project with its editorial line, to take note of the broad outlines of your story, the coherence of your characters and to have a first glimpse of your pen. In a synopsis, it is not expected to push the literary performance, but, within reason, you can allow yourself some stylistic effects, to add a more personal dimension. The important thing is to be clear and concise while taking care of your syntax, spelling, conjugation and grammar so that the editor only has eyes for your plot or the universe you have. created.

‍OUR ADVICE FOR WRITING A GOOD SYNOPSIS

WRITE A SYNOPSIS FOR A WORK OF FICTION

To write the synopsis of a novel, two methods are available to you: write a summary chapter by chapter, or write an overall summary of the work (the latter being rather recommended). ‍

WRITE A SYNOPSIS CHAPTER BY CHAPTER

The goal of this exercise is to show that each written chapter has its importance and brings key elements to the story. It is therefore necessary, in making this summary, to explain which character is introduced in which chapter, what twists and turns or what elements of resolution each chapter brings, to highlight the work and care taken in constructing the plot of the novel. Be careful, however, if your book has a lot of chapters, the synopsis can become very long by choosing this method.

OR VOLUME BY VOLUME

In the case of a novel belonging to the literature of the imagination, it is preferable to write a synopsis volume by volume. Indeed, fantasy sagas can be difficult to summarize due to the number of books that make them up, depending on the complexity of the world that is presented and the amount of adventures that the characters must face.

WRITE AN OVERALL SUMMARY OF THE NOVEL

This method is freer, it allows you to summarize the story of your book as you wish. It therefore requires special work on the structure of the synopsis, so that it is nevertheless clear and concise. You can therefore start by explaining in one or two sentences the initial situation of the novel, presenting the characters , then you can summarize the different adventures experienced by your characters to bring them to the resolution of the plot and the final situation .  

THE PARTICULARITIES OF THE COMIC STRIP

The synopsis of a comic strip must summarize the story in detail so that the editor can understand the entire plot (broad lines of the story, narrative arcs of the characters throughout the story, etc.). ). In most cases, projects submitted are not finished projects, but whether they are or not, the publisher needs to know the full story before offering the author a contract .

WRITE A SYNOPSIS FOR A WORK OF NON-FICTION

Writing a synopsis for a work of non-fiction is different because it must relate the text to the real elements that inspired it. You can therefore start your synopsis with the subject of the book, the historical context relating to it and the events or people who inspired it. Then you can write an overall or chapter-by-chapter summary of the story, without losing sight of the dimension of real facts behind it. The aim is to show that you have sufficiently informed yourself about the chosen subject before writing, and that your writing has been able to bring the facts covered under a new light.