How long should a synopsis be?
- Short synopsis: one page, ~500-700 words.
- Long synopsis: two to three pages, ~1,000-2,000 words.
- Present tense, omniscient POV.
- Reveal the ending — never tease.
- Names every major plot turn, not every scene.
Synopsis length depends on what an agent requests: a short synopsis is one page, single-spaced (~500-700 words); a long synopsis is two to three pages, single-spaced (~1,000-2,000 words). Both reveal the ending — never tease. The synopsis is written in present tense, omniscient point of view, and names every major plot turn.
Chapter i·Why it matters
Synopses that fail are usually too long, too vague, or coy about the ending. Agents request synopses to confirm the plot logic and ending are sound — three things they cannot see from a query alone. A poorly-written synopsis can kill a partial request from an otherwise strong query.
Chapter ii·What to include
- A one-paragraph opening that establishes protagonist, world, and stakes.
- Each major plot turn: inciting incident, first plot turn, midpoint, climax.
- The ending — including who lives, who dies, what changes.
- Present tense throughout: "she discovers" not "she discovered."
- Omniscient POV, not the protagonist’s voice.
- A character’s emotional arc, named explicitly.
Chapter iii·Example
A debut thriller author’s two-page synopsis opens with her detective’s introduction, names the four major plot turns in order, reveals that the antagonist is the detective’s mentor (the twist), and ends with the detective resigning from the force in act three. She submits the same synopsis to every agent who requests one and never has to rewrite it.
WriteLoom’s Pitch studio drafts a query-ready synopsis from your manuscript and project notes.
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