Your manuscript is ready, your cover is on point, your illustrations (if you have any) are amazing. Now, its time to write your book synopsis, or back cover blurb. You ask yourself, “Where do I begin?” Well friends, read on…

A synopsis is a one-page, single-spaced, summary of your book. Typically written in third person, present tense. The synopsis should give the reader a clear idea of what happens in the story. It should also be interesting to read and focus on the main characters and the driving plot. A great synopsis is compelling and will leave the reader wanting more.

Depending on your niche/genre, the type of information your synopsis will have can vary. If you are writing a children’s book blurb, you will want it to be playful or funny. Reflect the silly, adventurous, curious or loving nature of your characters. If you are writing a chapter book or novel, you will need to set up your synopsis to reflect the context throughout the story, without giving any too many spoilers. A good rule of thumb is to have a three part synopsis. Three paragraphs, pertaining to the beginning (1), middle (2) and end (3). When you read your synopsis, it should introduce us to your characters, the setting of your story/or premise of the book, and the event or circumstances that leads us into the climax. You don’t want to give away the solution, but merely get the reader excited to want more. And ultimately, buy your book to find out what happens.

When you start to write your synopsis, ask yourself these questions – Who? What? Why? When? They cut to the chase and will pull the reader into your story. Don’t get bogged down with detailed specifics, keep it moving and find ways to connect the plot points without slowing your reader down.

Try my FREE scrap sheet to help you brainstorm. Print out a bunch and just start writing down ideas. Take your favorite Who, What, Why and When and you will have the perfect points to draft your synopsis. When I was writing Champ and Nessie and Sandy the Cat I spent hours in Barnes and Noble reading the back cover of every single book in my genre. I read 100’s of blog posts, listened to pod casts. Connect with likeminded people on social media. You will be surprised where you find inspiration. I carried a notebook around with me and wrote down cute sayings, made notes about design layouts I liked, even the font and the layout of the text. Get inspired!

The number 1 tip I can give you is to try writing the synopsis before you write your book. This may go against traditional advise, but I find that it is easier to narrow down the specific points and talk about the main character. You can (and should) always go back and tweak it after you have finished writing the book.

Remember, a bad synopsis can sink your book, even if its amazing. Do your research. Read 100’s of book synopsis’s in your genre. You will be able to tell what a good synopsis is vs. a bad one very quickly.

I hope this helps you write an amazing book synopsis!

If you are looking for more tips on Writing a Children’s Book, check this out. Live your dream!