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When you write your synopsis remember that you are trying to reveal the most concentrated taste of your book. This includes the ending. A synopsis is not the place to hold back on that. I also think it's good to avoid pat phrasing like 'a heartfelt coming of age novel', 'an epic fantasy in the tradition of Tolkien, Rowling or Lewis', or 'a seductive vampire love story like Twilight." Standing out from the crowd is paramount so no comparisons to other novels. Your synopsis should show and never tell that your story is heartfelt, epic, or seductive. Strike any 'generalzation phrasing' out of the sypnosis. Instead, reveal youself as a unique voice. This will be achieved by bold vision, succint words, and specific content.
My last bit of advice involves some research. Take that synopsis into critique group. Listen to the advice of your critiquers. If they have issues, address those issues. If they love it, read it to a few people outside that circle. I would find a children's librarian or someone who is a true bookophile.
These are the words you are hoping for, "I would read that book." Now, this is not something that you put in a query letter, but it something that will feed your confidence when you write that letter.
You want to make sure the copy is absolutely clean. You should be ready to go. Best of luck!
I'm continuing my series about synopsis writing. I build an arsenal of synopses for each project. I write the "one line sound byte" version. I write the one paragraph "single piece of fine chocolate" version. I write the one page "slice of cake" version. I write the three page "full course version". And I write the "I'm not counting calories" ten page version.
I usually start with at big version. I write a short one to five line description of each chapter. Then I stick them all together. This has added benefits because you might notice that there is something fishy or messed up about your plot. So yay! Bonus. My next job is to half that document. I stick to the main plot points and leave out most of the sub-plots unless it's big and important. Then I look at each sentence and ask, "Can I say this with fewer words?" I almost always can.
Here's is an example:
The Iblis is a raving madness that destroys all order and ultimately brings death. becomes The Iblis, a raving madness, destroys order and brings death. (See, shorter!)
