How long should a novel synopsis be?

500–800 words (1–2 pages) unless an agent's guidelines specify otherwise. Never exceed two pages.

Do you reveal the ending in a synopsis?

Yes — always, including any twist. Agents use the synopsis to verify the story's structure works, and hiding the ending is the most common synopsis mistake.

What tense should a synopsis be written in?

Present tense, third person — regardless of the novel's own tense and POV. Capitalize each main character's name on first appearance.

Is a synopsis the same as a query letter?

No. The query letter is a ~300-word pitch that stops at the central dilemma; the synopsis is a 1–2 page summary of the complete plot arc, ending included.

How to Write a Novel Synopsis Agents Actually Want (1–2 Pages)

The short version: a synopsis is a 500–800 word (1–2 page) summary of your novel's complete plot arc — written in present tense, third person, with the ending included. Unlike the query letter, which seduces, the synopsis informs. Agents use it to check that your story works: that the middle doesn't sag, the climax follows from the setup, and the ending lands.

Synopsis vs. query: different jobs

Writers conflate these constantly, and it costs them. The query's description (~150 words) pitches the situation and stops at the dilemma. The synopsis walks the whole arc — inciting incident, escalating complications, dark moment, climax, resolution — and absolutely reveals the ending. Holding back your twist in a synopsis is the single most common mistake we see; agents read it as either coyness or a sign the writer doesn't trust their own ending. The agent is your business partner, not your reader.

The mechanics

Length: 500–800 words unless the agent's guidelines say otherwise. Some ask for one page; never exceed two. (Always check the agent's specific guidelines — they're linked from each profile in our agent database.)
Tense and person: present tense, third person, even if the novel is past-tense first-person. "NORA discovers the key" — not "Nora discovered" or "I discover."
Names: CAPITALIZE each main character's name on first appearance. Limit named characters to four or five; everyone else is "her partner," "the detective."
Formatting: single-spaced is fine for 1 page, 12pt standard font, no headers or sub-sections, no dialogue quotes except a crucial line or two.
Voice: clean and energetic but informational. A flash of your book's tone helps; jokes-per-line does not.

A paragraph-by-paragraph template

Paragraph 1 — Setup + inciting incident. Who the protagonist is (one clause of context: occupation, wound, want), the world they occupy, and the event that breaks their normal. End with the choice that launches the story.

Paragraphs 2–3 — Rising complications. The protagonist's plan, what it costs, the antagonist or counter-force, and the midpoint reversal that changes what they think they're doing. Keep cause-and-effect explicit: "because X, she must Y."

Paragraph 4 — The dark moment. The plan fails, the secret comes out, the ally is lost. Name what the protagonist now stands to lose — this is where stakes live.

Paragraph 5 — Climax + resolution. The final confrontation, the choice that resolves the internal arc, and the actual ending — including the twist. One or two sentences of aftermath: who the protagonist is now.

Subplots earn a sentence only if they affect the main arc's outcome. Worldbuilding earns a clause only when a plot turn depends on it. If you can delete a sentence and the chain of cause-and-effect still holds, delete it.

Common synopsis mistakes

Hiding the ending ("you'll have to read to find out!") — the one unforgivable.
Scene-by-scene retelling. A synopsis summarizes movements, not chapters. "After three failed attempts, she finally..." compresses 80 pages legally.
Name soup. Eight named characters in 600 words is unreadable.
Explaining theme. "This story explores trauma and redemption" — show the arc; let the agent name the theme.
Inconsistent stakes. If your dark moment doesn't connect to what paragraph one said the protagonist wants, agents notice — that's precisely what the synopsis exists to test. (If writing the synopsis exposes a real structural gap, that's valuable news. Fix the book, not the summary.)

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When you'll actually need it

Not every agent requests a synopsis up front — many ask only for the query plus opening pages, then request the synopsis with a full or partial. Write it before you start querying anyway: you'll need it on short notice, and the discipline of compressing your plot to 700 words is the best structural diagnostic a self-editing writer has. Pair it with the query letter guide and check each agent's exact requirements in the database before submitting.

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