How to write a synopsis for your novel

The synopsis is the one place you tell the whole story — including the ending. Here's how to write a tight one- to two-page synopsis that shows your plot holds together, without drowning in detail.

Updated 2026-06-10 · Glass Elevator

Plenty of agents ask for a synopsis alongside the queryand sample pages. It’s the least-loved part of the package, but it has one clear job: to show that your plot holds together from beginning to end — including the resolution. Unlike a query, a synopsis spoils everything on purpose.

What a synopsis is (and isn’t)

A synopsis is a present-tense, bird’s-eye summary of the entire story: the main plot, the key turning points, and how it ends. It is not a teaser, a back-cover blurb, or a chapter-by-chapter outline. The agent already wants to be hooked by the query; the synopsis just reassures them the structure works and the ending earns itself.

Length and format

  • Aim for one to two pages (roughly 500–1,000 words) unless the agent specifies otherwise. Some ask for a one-pager; give them exactly that.
  • Present tense, third person, even if your novel is first-person past.
  • Single-spaced is fine for a synopsis; follow any formatting the agent lists.
  • Put the protagonist’s name in CAPS the first time they appear (an old but still-common convention); some writers do this for major characters too.

How to write it

  1. Open with your protagonist and their normal world, then the inciting incident that disrupts it.
  2. Follow the spine of the plot: the major turning points and the rising stakes — not every subplot. If a thread doesn’t change the main story’s direction, cut it.
  3. Show cause and effect. Each beat should happen because of the last. “And then” is a warning sign; “so” and “but” are what you want.
  4. Carry the emotional arc, not just events. Note what the protagonist learns or how they change.
  5. Spell out the climax and ending. This is the whole point — never write “you’ll have to read it to find out.”
The test of a good synopsis

A stranger should be able to read it and explain, in a sentence, what the book is about and why the ending is satisfying. If the plot sounds thin or the ending comes out of nowhere on the page, that’s feedback about the book — better to find it now than after a full request.

Common mistakes

  • Trying to preserve mystery. Tell the ending. The synopsis isn’t a sales pitch.
  • Too many characters and subplots. Name only those who drive the main plot.
  • Drowning in detail. Summarize; don’t narrate scene by scene.
  • Forgetting stakes and feeling. Events without emotion read like a parts list.

Write the query and synopsis as a pair — the query hooks, the synopsis reassures. When both are ready, follow each agent’s exact instructions and start querying agents open to submissions. New to the process? Begin with how to find a literary agent.

Keep reading

  • How to find an agent — The full path from finished manuscript to signed agent — figuring out your category, building a target list, querying in batches, and reading the responses. With the free tools that do the heavy lifting.
  • How to write a query letter — The query letter has three jobs and a tight structure: the hook, the mini-synopsis, and your bio. Here's the anatomy, a worked example, and the mistakes that trigger instant passes.
  • Do you need an agent? — An agent is essential for the Big Five and most major children's houses — but not for everything. Here's when you need one, when you don't, and the legitimate routes that skip the agent entirely.