Pitching your Novel: Part II
Out of the trenches and onto the battlefield: it’s time for the all-important synopsis.
For this part, you’ll need to look closely at your agent/publisher’s submission guidelines. Some may want a 500 word summary. Some may want 2,000. You’ll need to tailor your response to suit. Sending 5,000 words when they ask for 500 is a sure way to demonstrate that you’re either too lazy to read, or think the rules don’t apply to you. If you’re Stephen King, that may be true, but if you’re a first-time author, don’t give them any reason to reject you up-front. Plenty of time for rejection later!
So here’s the synopsis that got me my deal. In the right-hand column, I break down why I’ve constructed it this way, and what you should be looking for in your own synopsis.
Important: I know not everybody has read The Ninth Sorceress yet. A synopsis isn’t like a blurb: it should give away your ending. So, because I don’t want to spoil my book for people who haven’t read it, I’ve redacted the sentences that give away major plot points. There are some mild spoilers below, but basically just what you would find in the blurb, or guess within the first few chapters.
The Synopsis
Who is the prisoner, chained in the blackest dungeon of the Clockwork City—and why are the wizards so afraid of her?
Sixteen-year-old Gwyn traverses the snow-blasted High Country in a peddler’s wagon, hawking potions and alchemical cures. Her guardian hides her from the world like a dark secret, and cowed from years of stern discipline, she knows better than to push for answers. But with the arrival of a Syndicate wizard, Gwyn is propelled into a desperate struggle for survival. The goddess Beheret has marked her out, and her mysterious uncle, Idris, may be the only one who knows why.
Aided by new allies—the exiled shapeshifter Lucian, and Faolan, a capricious necromancer who once loved her uncle—Gwyn heads north, to Idris’s hidden stronghold. She is pursued by Syndicate wizards, their magic-sniffing hounds, and a stranger in a silver mask who calls her Yennevere—but what really frightens her is the secret Faolan reveals. Gwyn has a dark magic of her own, if she dares harness it. Now she must discover the line between seeking safety and seeking power, in a world that hates her for what she is.
Ensconced in Idris’s home, Gwyn’s life and decisions are finally her own. While researching the secrets of her past and her link with Beheret, she uncovers a secret buried for millennia. REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED Unless she is stopped, Beheret will REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED
Gwyn has only one chance: REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED
When REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED. Although she is able to REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED only to be REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED. REDACTED means finally embracing the blood magic that terrifies her—even if the price is her own soul.
Opening with a question is a good bet, because it makes the reader automatically feel invested in the outcome. They’ll probably read the whole synopsis, at least.
Age and gender of protagonist = who the book will be marketed towards.
Describing the setup before the INCITING INCIDENT. The ordinary world – the character’s mindset and motivation before everything changes.
And this is the inciting incident. What destroys the ordinary world and propels the protagonist into the world of the story?
What’s at stake in the early conflict of the book? In this case, Gwyn’s survival. Bigger-picture conflict and stakes come later.
Setting up the larger conflict – antagonist, central mystery, character goals.
Describing the other important characters in a few words. If they’re not POV characters, don’t spend too long on them – just something memorable/pertinent. TNS readers will note that I don’t mention Severine or Alcide. They don’t have major plot roles in Book 1, so there’s no need to talk about them.
Obstacles, conflicts, high and low points. Don’t need to go into huge detail with every battle, capture, escape etc. – just the meat of the story.
Describe the internal struggle of the novel in one or two sentences. What does your character want? Remember: your synopsis is not just a dry recitation of things that happen. What is it ABOUT? What’s the key theme?
Stakes – Why should we care? What happens if the protagonist fails?
Establishing a sense of urgency and peril. One chance to the save the world!
End on a high note. Big drama, big stakes. You want the reader to go “ooo, that sounds exciting.”
So that’s it: your synopsis. Actually, that was my synopsis. Yours will be different.
If you haven’t read The Ninth Sorceress yet, why not pick up a copy? It’s also available on audiobook, so my story of twisted blood magic can lull you into a gentle sleep every night.
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