Despite having written six novels in three years I have yet to submit one of them to a publisher, prefering to e-publish myself. E-publishing certainly gives me greater control as a writer, from the cover to staying true to the stories I wish to tell. However, with a limited budget of pretty much nothing you rely on word of mouth to get your book noticed. I have done quite well - but I would like to do better and so decided perhaps it was time to look at more conventional routes into publishing.
There has been one major barrier to my submitting to a mainstream publisher - writing a synopsis. I have never been able to master the art of putting the whole story in such a condensed form and making it sound good! However, a synopsis is a must to get a publisher or agent. From what I've read it helps reassure them you know how to plot.
I turned to my old friend Google to help me and read a few websites offering synopsis writing advice. This is the one I found the most useful and I have adapted the fourth option:
Paragraph 1: describe the background to the novel
Paragraphs 2 - 4: tell the beginning, middle and end of each thread of the novel in a separate paragraph (once sentence for each part)
Paragraph 5: the resolution to the story
Using this concept I found it much easier to create a synopsis and stick to the one page rule. I don't know whether it is good enough to attract a publisher, but it is better than anything else I have managed thus far!
Wish me luck!
There has been one major barrier to my submitting to a mainstream publisher - writing a synopsis. I have never been able to master the art of putting the whole story in such a condensed form and making it sound good! However, a synopsis is a must to get a publisher or agent. From what I've read it helps reassure them you know how to plot.
I turned to my old friend Google to help me and read a few websites offering synopsis writing advice. This is the one I found the most useful and I have adapted the fourth option:
Paragraph 1: describe the background to the novel
Paragraphs 2 - 4: tell the beginning, middle and end of each thread of the novel in a separate paragraph (once sentence for each part)
Paragraph 5: the resolution to the story
Using this concept I found it much easier to create a synopsis and stick to the one page rule. I don't know whether it is good enough to attract a publisher, but it is better than anything else I have managed thus far!
Wish me luck!
