Your Essential Synopsis Checklist

From Writer’s Digest, February 01, 2010

Here are the essential specs for a successful synopsis:

• Use a 1-inch margin on all sides; justify the left margin only.
• Put your name and contact information on the top left corner of the first page.
• Type the novel’s genre, word count and the word “Synopsis” in the top right corner of the first page. Don’t number the first page.
• Put the novel’s title, centered and in all caps, about one-third of the way down the page.
• Begin the synopsis text four lines below the title.
• The text throughout the synopsis should be double-spaced (unless you plan to keep it to one or two pages, in which case single-spaced is OK).
• Use all caps the first time you introduce a character.
• After the first page, use a header on every page that contains your last name/your novel’s title in all caps/the word “Synopsis”:Name/TITLE/Synopsis.
• After the first page, number the pages in the top right corner on the same line as the header.
• The first line of text on each page after the first page should be three lines below the header.