Four-point Synopsis

Self-publishing is massively popular. More and more books are being put out independently every year. Thanks to the Internet and on-demand printing, putting your own book out yourself has never been easier. This is both a good thing—so many worthy writers can still reach readers without having to go through traditional publishing’s red tape and/or get rejected solely because the firm, though having admitted the book was good, won’t get behind it because they feel they can’t move 10,000+ copies of that book—and bad—because many self-publishers, namely those who use subsidy publishing services (so not real self-publishers) end up putting out a terrible product.

Being the huge fan of the independent and self-publishing press that I am, I spend a lot of time seeking out self-published works that I think might interest me and, if they do, I add them to my bookshelf. The only avenue I do this is via the Internet. I’ve picked up great books, I’ve picked up bad books, but, regardless, I’ve picked them up.

And I only had two things to go on when choosing the titles I’ve added to my collection: the book’s cover and its plot synopsis.

I’ve come across many awesome-looking book covers, but when I read the synopsis for what the story was about, I was turned off, not because the story wasn’t my cup of tea, but because of the way the synopsis was written. It didn’t persuade me to pick up the title and, since self-publishers rely heavily on the Internet for their sales, a solid and gripping synopsis is everything.

Nine times out of ten it’s the self-publisher who has to write their own synopsis and, if that self-publisher is like me, they don’t like doing them. Writing a solid and persuading synopsis is not easy. That’s why big publishing firms have specialized folks who do them. Most of us independent authors are writers-only, in that we write stories and not ad copy. When you ask us in person what our story is about, we have no trouble giving you a short rant on the plot’s details. But when you ask us to write ad copy for our book jacket, our fingers lock up and it takes awhile for it come out smoothly (and, usually, a first draft for ad copy is terrible anyway). This difficulty in cranking out a decent synopsis is why you find many independently-published books have cheap, two-sentence “this is what the book is about” ad copy on the back. And many of them don’t really tell you what the book is about specifically.

For myself, when I both write my own ad copy and when I read others’, I find the “four-point” approach works best in hooking my interest and, from what my readers have told me, hooking theirs.

The four-point structure is this:

1.) Setup: where does the story and/or protagonist start (i.e. what are they doing or what is their life like?)
2.) The problem: what has suddenly changed which has catapulted the protagonist and supporting characters into a whole heap of trouble?
3.) The stakes: What’s at stake? What are the risks? What can be lost?
4.) The hook: give a hint of what might happen if your protagonist fails; but never, EVER end off in a question (i.e. Will Joe save the day? Will he stop the calamity in the nick of time?). Far too cliché. If a prospective customer has read thus far, then the hook is your only chance to convince them that they need to buy your book and asking a dumb question like “Will it all work out in the end?” is just another way of saying that it will.

For the sake of illustration, I’ll be using the ad copy from my last book, Axiom-man, as an example of the four-point structure.

One night Gabriel Garrison was visited by a nameless messenger who bestowed upon him great power, a power intended for good. Once discovering what this power was and what it enabled him to do, Gabriel became Axiom-man, a symbol of hope in a city that had none. (Setup: this if where my protagonist, Axiom-man, starts?)

One night after a routine patrol, a mysterious black cloud appears over the city. Flying over to investigate it, Axiom-man is stopped short when the cloud’s presence shakes him to the core. An electrifying fear emanates from the cloud and he can barely get near it. Quickly, the cloud takes flight and leads him on a wild goose chase throughout the city, only to flee from him in the end. Almost immediately after the cloud’s appearance, a new hero arises, Redsaw, clad in a black cape and cowl. The people, now enamored with this new super-powered marvel, seem to have forgotten about Axiom-man and all he’s done for them. (Problem)

Except something’s wrong. That same fear that emanated from the cloud drips off Redsaw like a foul smell and Axiom-man can barely get close to him without feeling ill. (Problem)

What is Redsaw’s agenda and who is he? And why is it every time Axiom-man gets close to him it feels as if his powers are being sucked away? (Stakes)

As if that wasn’t enough, Gabriel’s day job hasn’t gotten any easier. His co-worker and the woman he adores, Valerie Vaughan, has little interest in him, and his boss has made it clear that one more day late to work will be the day he cleans out his desk. Then there’s the new trainee, Gene Nemek. What is his fascination with Redsaw and why is he never around when Redsaw appears? (Stakes)

From flying over city streets and soaring at dizzying heights, to balancing a secret identity with destiny, Axiom-man must discover what Redsaw’s presence means and how it ties into the messenger’s life-altering visit before the city—and the world—are enamored with an evil that has haunted the cosmos since the dawn of Time. (Hook)

Most plot synopsises run about 200-250 words. I wouldn’t go over this. Axiom-man’s was a little long, but that was mainly due to my tip of the hat to comics being published nowadays where a quick origin sequence is stated before each issue. However, this approach served me well as it let the reader know Axiom-man’s starting point (setup) before introducing the main problem he has to face.

I have found the above four-point structure works well for me. Perhaps it might for you, too. Try it and see what you can come up with then bounce it off a few fellow writers and friends and see if what you wrote would make them want to buy your book (and make sure they’re objective; no favors). If it does, great. If not, then go back and try again.

A good synopsis can mean a colossal difference in book sales.