Should a query give the WHOLE plot?

[Jeffrey Pace]

It seems like some folks suggest keeping it short and leaving some plot points to be discovered in the synopsis or the manuscript, while others think that the beginning middle and end should all be revealed in the query.

What are your thoughts? My novel has a bizarre twist at the end. Should that be revealed in my query?

Thanks!

Jeff

[KTC]

Yes. Include the whole plot. No surprises.

[DocBrown]

And there you go! ;)

:welcome:

[Julie Worth]

Include the whole plot? Absolutely not--only give a feel for the book. As a marketing tool, it should read like jacket copy.

Look at the threads in share your work, esp. those at the top of the query section: http://absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=84
(The password is vista.)

[KTC]

Include the whole plot? Absolutely not--only give a feel for the book. As a marketing tool, it should read like jacket copy.

Look at the threads in share your work, esp. those at the top of the query section: http://absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=84
(The password is vista.)

Man...that post just unlearned everything I learned during the last few weeks. Maybe I am thinking synopsis...but I thought the query should tell the whole thing too. Now...back to the drawing board for me.

[Jeffrey Pace]

And yet I have had some give me constructive criticism that my query read TOO MUCH like a jacket cover and didn't give enough specifics and plot points.

It seems like some like brief and enticing, while others like full and descriptive. Is it a personal taste as to which approach is more acceptable?

And yes, I have read through all the stickies and queries on the share your work page :)

[Julie Worth]

And yet I have had some give me constructive criticism that my query read TOO MUCH like a jacket cover and didn't give enough specifics and plot points.

It seems like some like brief and enticing, while others like full and descriptive. Is it a personal taste as to which approach is more acceptable?

And yes, I have read through all the stickies and queries on the share your work page :)

A query is a marketing tool, not a book report. Its purpose is to get an agent or editor to request the MS. The synopsis is where you give the plot, but there too, the real purpose is marketing...at least, you should treat it that way.

In my experience the agency wants the synopsis so that an intern can quickly reject a book without reading it. So they can look through the synopsis for clues that you don't know what you're doing. And who can blame them? Why read 400 pages if you can reject the book by reading a single page? So I never send one unless they ask for it, because I've never written one that was as good as the book.

[Horseshoes]

It's fine for query to give away the ending. Agents and editors are not the same audience as book-buying readers of the end product in the store. Tell them there's a plot twist at the end and they're not impressed. Tell them at the end he discovers Darth Vader is his father and you've shown a plot twist.

[Del]

Man...that post just unlearned everything I learned during the last few weeks. Maybe I am thinking synopsis...but I thought the query should tell the whole thing too. Now...back to the drawing board for me.

I spent a long time asking this question and I have to concur with the NOT philosophy. The query is a teaser, supposedly designed to get them to read the synopsis which should ABSOLUTELY include everything. They don't need or want the whole story twice before they get to the book.

Admittedly, I'm having a hard time tickling anyone with my query. You see so many that claim to be successful and they are all different. There is no way to know how to tickle any one agents buttons. It is hit and miss. I do think it should be a blurb. It's whole purpose is to entice. The synopsis is to convey.

[bt_author]

Hi JP

I'm in the not camp - sort of.

The query is a professional pitch to an agency or publisher about the work you would like them to consider. It needs to tell the overall view of your story, like a blurb - but it has to have a little more nuts and bolts about it. It is your sales pitch but a professional one, not the glossy one the end reader will be reading. Break your story into the beginning, the middle and the end, and give a brief overview about each. If relevant - depending upon the intended targets likes/dislikes/etc - you could go into a little more detail about the main characters motivators and any hidden morals, etc.

The synopsis is where you go into more detail about plot points and chapters etc.

Have a search around on the net - there are some really good articles around about both. This is one good resource that I refer to a lot:

http://www.fictionfactor.com/submission.html

Hope that helps

BT

[DeleyanLee]

Queries are 20 second ads, since that's all the time I've heard most people give them. It's an enticement to read more, that's it. One pro-friend said that queries are the "TV Guide" version of the book--one sentence, maybe two, to capture the spark. In the business world, I've heard this called "the elevator pitch"--you meet the agent of your dreams in the elevator and have ONE sentence to catch their attention and make them miss their floor or invite you to walk with them. (And, FWIW, I've know this to happen to people at cons and they've made it work.)

Synopses, OTOH, need to cover all the twists and turns of the main plot. From what I've heard agents and editors say, that's where they get their first glimpse of how well you handle conflict and building stakes. At least one major agent said that he looks at the synopsis before he looks at any sample pages because without conflict and stakes, the best prose is pointless. The synopsis is also important because, once your book is sold, it is probably the ONLY part of your book that many departments are going to have time to read before making various decisions--so get it in there.

[wdweaver]

I've written queries that are 2 pages long, synoposis that are 5 pages long, I don't know if I'm coming or going with these things!

I usually say who I am, what I'm writing, and then proceed to tell who the main characters are, the struggle they're each coping with, and the problem they're trying to solve.

In the synoposis I tell a longer version of the other. I don't give away the ending. I tell them just enough to try to get them interested in reading the ms. Strange how they hate to read the ms, they want the whole nut in a shell right then and there.

Then again...I might be doing something wrong and thats why they keep saying my book isn't for them at this time.

Well, I'll check in again, 'cause I'm learning a lot here--good luck,

[Jeffrey Pace]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I appreciate it! :)

Jeff

[nevada]

In the synopsis the ending must be told. the agent/editor needs to know that the whole plot will come together. You're not teasing him into buying a book. You are proving that you can deliver on your teasing. So tell the ending, all the time.

In a query, if you have a bizarre twist then yes tell them that. Show them that your story is a step above the regular stuff out there. Don't leave the impression that it's just more of the same.

Not telling the ending in a query or a synopsis is like tellling a long joke without the punchline. Nobody says "oh that's clever" tell me another incomplete joke. They'll curse you, and decide to never let you tell them another joke again because you can't deliver. Don't tease the editor/agent. Lay your cards on the table. all of them. THey see enough stuff every day that if you dont tell them the end, they wont be racing for the phone cause they've just "got" to know the ending. They'll shrug their shoulders and reach for the next manuscript.

[SinkFulloDishes]

I don't know if this helps, but in my query, I reveal the twist, but don't say how the MC resolves it. For my story, I think it makes the query even more enticing.

[aadams73]

Anne Mini over at Author! Author! (http://www.annemini.com/) has just finished up a series of posts on writing queries. There's some really fab tips there.

[maestrowork]

Synopsis for what?

For a query: book jacket marketing blurb. Talk about the premise, give them a hook, let them ask for more.

For the manuscript: all the major plot points including the ending. They want to know if you have the whole thing well thought out.

[Shady Lane]

I just make up some stuff that I think will make them request the manuscript.

Just kidding.


sort of

[Susan Gable]

In a query, no.

In a synopsis, yes.

Two very different animals here.

Susan G.

[Julie Worth]

Anne Mini over at Author! Author! (http://www.annemini.com/) has just finished up a series of posts on writing queries. There's some really fab tips there.

That's an excellent site. Thanks for posting it!

[kristie911]

Leave them wanting to read more with your query.

But the synopsis should include all (major) plot points, including twists and the ending.

[jclarkdawe]

Knowing how to write a query is a little bit like grammar. There's a right way and a wrong way of doing things, and the trick is to know when the wrong way is the right way.

As a novelist, I can guarantee you've written fragments. Now the grammar rule is that a fragment is a big no-no. However, fragments may be the best way of writing in a specific situation. As a novelist, you know when you can get away with breaking the rule and making a fragment work for you.

If there is a 'rule' about endings in query letters, then the rule would be don't include it. Save it for the synopsis. But, there are times when you want to either break the rule or bend it a bit. The trick is thinking through what the effect is and what you're trying to accomplish.

Now, for most books, the ending is fairly obvious. We might not know the details, but we pretty much know where your book is going. For example, when was the last time you read a mystery where there isn't a solution to the murder? Now I know when I start a mystery, there will be a solution. I will not be left hanging out there with no solution.

If I was pitching or querying a murder, I'd never reveal the ending. An agent or editor knows I'll have an ending where the murderer will be found and all will be made right with the world. If I don't, you know how fast the agent or editor is going to hit the reject button (and I'd probably be well advised never to contact that agent or editor ever again).

Some books, however, don't have an obvious answer. Either the twist is so bizarre that the general concept of the ending is going to cause readers problem (the murder where the murderer is never found) or the plot of the book presents some issues.

The next book of mine I'll be querying is The Next Step. The protagonist in this book is an 87-year-old widower with Alzheimer's, cancer, and thinking of suicide and what is the best way to die. Because the book is entirely about this dilemma, I decided that showing an agent that I had an ending was important, so my query has the ending.

Best of luck,

Jim Clark-Dawe

[maestrowork]

Limit your "blurb" in the query to two paragraphs or less. The common problem I see in queries is a 5-paragraph exposé. Try to condense the premise/story to a couple of paragraphs.

[J. R. Tomlin]

It seems like some folks suggest keeping it short and leaving some plot points to be discovered in the synopsis or the manuscript, while others think that the beginning middle and end should all be revealed in the query.

What are your thoughts? My novel has a bizarre twist at the end. Should that be revealed in my query?

Thanks!

JeffThe ending has to be part of the synopsis. Minor plot twists and subplots can be left out, but not the major plot elements. But no one expects all the plot to be in the query letter, if that is what you are asking. That usually contains a two or three paragraph "blurb" type description, basically a hook for the novel.

[maestrowork]

Absolutely. The ending has to be part of the synopsis. Minor plot twists and subplots can be left out, but not the major plot elements.

Not in a query.

[Monkey]

I'm with Jim on the ending thing, but as to the original question - should a query give the WHOLE plot - I'd say definitely not.

New writers often try to get every little subplot, plot twist, and semi-important character into the query. Then the query is too long, so they condense it. Then it no longer makes sense or is such an info dump that it's unreadable.

It's not pretty. Believe me, I've been there :D

So, yeah, the gist of what I'm saying is just what everyone else is saying. The whole point is to get the agent to want to see your book, not to give a book report.


On the other hand, sometimes it's really hard to separate the necessaries from the extraneous stuff when it's your own work...too close to the material and all that.

I wish you luck with it!

[melaniehoo]

Anne Mini over at Author! Author! (http://www.annemini.com/) has just finished up a series of posts on writing queries. There's some really fab tips there.

This is very helpful. Thanks for mentioning it!

[Queen of Swords]

My queries are structured along the lines of :

1. Heroine meets hero in a conflict-charged, unusual way.
2. They discover a secret which shapes the rest of the plot.
3. The Very Powerful Antagonist doesn't like this and tries to kill them (in an unusual way).
4. They work together to stop the VPA, but the odds are against them and their faith in the gods/love for each other will be put to the test.

I don't say how they managed to defeat the antagonist or how they kissed and made out up at the end. I want to end the book-description part of the query on a cliffhanger high note.

[amber_grosjean]

A query letter should be one page, two at the most, pages long. You give information about your book to intice them to read more, information about yourself and your experience as a writer. Number of pages or word count should be included, your audience, and what you would do to promote your book if it gets published. Publishers and agents like to know that you would help with that part of the book. Of course, you really should do it anyway.

The synopsis is a more detailed informative 3-4 pages. That should only give a look into the book, beginning to end describing what happens in the story. If there is a twist in the end, that would be where you give that.

Hope it goes well, good luck!
Amber

[wayndom]

And yet I have had some give me constructive criticism that my query read TOO MUCH like a jacket cover and didn't give enough specifics and plot points.

It seems like some like brief and enticing, while others like full and descriptive. Is it a personal taste as to which approach is more acceptable?



Did these conflicting pieces of advice come from agents or published authors? No matter what specifics anyone says, one thing is unarguable: a query letter is a sales pitch. If what you say sells your book, it's correct; if it doesn't, it doesn't belong in your query.

You want to whet an agent's interest and persuade her that the general public will also be interested. That's it. I can't imagine how including the entire plot would do that, since most complete plot summaries are inherently boring.

I don't want to show my current query right now, because of a personal superstition that to do so would jinx the project, but if/when I get representation, I'll post it.

In the meantime, I've gotten a request for a partial and one for a full submission (from the agent I want the most) so far. Not only does my query not contain the whole plot, the second-most major character in the book (both in importance and word-count) is referred to only as, "a visiting Chinese official, who's somehow connected to her situation."

Your query letter should make anyone who reads it want to read your book. That's its one and only purpose.

[Prawn]

Yep. Query has the hook. The synopsis has the line and sinker.

[Julie Worth]

Yep. Query has the hook. The synopsis has the line and sinker.

You hope so, but often it just has the sinker. In the end the MS sells the book, so if you can avoid the synopsis step, you're better off.

[Jeffrey Pace]

Thank you everyone. Fantastic info!

Jeff

[Prawn]

I am sorry to disagree Julie, but I think writing the synopsis is a helpful tool. After writing the synopsis, I usually learn something about my own book, such as which themes are important, which characters are the most expendable, etc. I go back and revise based on what I have discovered from writing the synopsis.

[Jamesaritchie]

I don't even tell the entire story, or all the plot points, in a synopsis, let alone a query, but I always tell something about the ending in either. Telling the ending should take no more than a sentence or three, tops. Too much detail is far worse than too little.

The real problem with query letters and synopses is that they're both usually boring. Or, better, BORING.

Really, an agent or editor doesn't know whether you've included every plot point or not. They do know whether what you do include is exciting or boring. And the most exciting story in the world can come across as boring, if you use boring language, or too much detail, to describe it.

There is, of course, a necessary balance between boring and over the top, but a boring query letter or a boring synopsis is just bad.

As for jacket copy, I write all my synopses to sound exactly like jacket copy, and I do so for two reasons. 1. A long time ago, two book editors told me they liked synopses that read like jacket copy. So I went with it, and it's always worked. 2. Because jacket copy IS a synopsis of a novel, and it's a synopsis publishers believe will sell the book to readers. The only difference is that I do include the ending in my synopsis.

I also know I greatly prefer reading synopses that have the same excitement and vibrancy that good jacket copy contains.

[Jamesaritchie]

You hope so, but often it just has the sinker. In the end the MS sells the book, so if you can avoid the synopsis step, you're better off.

I agree to a point, but even if you find an agent, the agent may well need a synopsis to use on editors, and the editor often uses the synopsis you write to deal with the acquisition board.

But on principle, I agree. The entire point of a query or a synopsis is to convince someone to read your writing, and if you can get a good agent or editor to read your writing without the need of a synopsis, or even a query letter, you're one step ahead of the game.

[Scrawler]

Anne Mini over at Author! Author! (http://www.annemini.com/) has just finished up a series of posts on writing queries. There's some really fab tips there.
That's a good article. I didn't know about CAPITALIZING CHARACTER NAMES.

As for the original question, my query is a couple of paragraphs and reads like a jacket blurb- neat, quick, exciting and intriguing. The synopsis is 4-5 pages, written in present tense, and succinctly explains the entire novel while still striving for neat, quick, exciting and intriguing.