Read Lovely Books
You read the submission criteria on the agent or publisher website
Here are five things I think about when I’m building the synopsis
Agents and publishers will state the ideal length of synopsis they want to see
This varies from one page to 500 words to two A4 side to 2000 words
If you establish an average across everyone you are submitting to, you can write a master document
You need to mention the main characters at the beginning of the synopsis
You can use a quote from the novel if it helps to tell the story
The story ending (unless the agent or publisher specifically says they don’t want to see it)
Don’t use quirky font, or handwrite your synopsis in coloured pens
You need to situate the tone of your novel by using some phrases from the novel and
Getting the whole plot of a novel onto one page might seem a daunting task, but here
While the synopsis is important, it is only part of the submission package
Make sure it says what you want it to say about your work and don’t get
I had several offers for it but chose a publisher who wouldn’t ask me to change
I’m not telling you the ending here — but I will tell you where it goes!
It’s 1978 and Kaye Macey is a groupie of pub band Stella and the Kicks
She concealed her pregnancy and their mother, Imelda, took the baby away
Fifty-somethings — reluctantly sensible Kaye and drugs-casualty Janet — are still friends
Kaye’s terminally boring marriage to Barry has broken down and she is living in the room
Imelda has died and Kaye’s mounting existential angst has made her delay dealing with her mother’
Now Imelda has gone, Kaye has a second chance to look for her sister
They put out a notice of Imelda’s funeral hoping she will turn up
Sally is Stella’s granddaughter; the daughter of the baby Imelda took away
Investigative journalism graduate Sally whips Kaye and Janet into shape and organises an almost military plan to
Kaye and Janet resurrect their never-really-abandoned channelling of Debbie Harry and Kate Bush and set off in
Along the way they find much more than they bargained for in the shape of past love,
Each band member gives and receives a gift to resolve past hurt and move on
Kaye has held a flame for him all through her marriage to Barry, imagining that Davie has
The night of the reunion comes, and everyone assembles in their old haunt, The Castle
In this comedy/tragedy about love and friendship, Kaye and Janet reaffirm their lifelong bond and find