The HEA Cafe

Good morning, everyone.

This week, we’re trying something new at the HEA Cafe - an online workshop taught through the blog. I’ve volunteered to do the first one, so bear with me/us if there’s tweaking to be done to the format.

This entire workshop is, of course, ©Claire Delacroix, Inc. and cannot be reproduced elswhere without explicit written permission.

I. INTRODUCTION

One of the necessary ingredients in any fiction submission is the synopsis. It also tends to be the hardest part of the submission package for a new author to tame. I believe this is because new authors don’t understand the purpose of the synopsis - no one talks about that, after all.

More than that, many new authors don’t realize that a synopsis can be a useful tool, in and of itself.

First, a tiny digression. A typical submission package from a new author to a publisher includes a cover letter, three sample chapters and a synopsis. (It may include a complete manuscript from the outset, or you may need to be asked to submit the complete. A sale for a new author is usually contingent upon a complete manuscript being done, and being marketable.)

The good news is that of all the elements in this package, the synopsis does NOT have the power to act alone. A synopsis is neither going to condemn your work or make the sale all by its lonesome: the chapters are the only part of the package that have the power to do that. If you must choose where to invest your time, ALWAYS, invest it in the chapters. This is the “product” that you are trying to sell, and the same product that the publisher ultimately will be selling. As a result, the chapters are the most critical part of your submission. Publishers routinely overlook any weaknesses in an author’s synopsis, because it is not nearly as important as the work itself.

Now, we’ve all heard of authors selling “on synopsis” and some of you might protest that those synopses must not only be important but possess that power to make the sale alone. Pause for a moment to think about this. You never hear about new authors selling on synopsis. It just doesn’t happen and that’s not because new authors are necessarily less talented at writing a synopsis. Established authors may appear to sell on synopsis, but what they’re really selling on is their track record. Their publisher knows that this author can tell a story, can deliver a full manuscript and that his or her work sells at a certain volume in the marketplace. The synopsis is just a tool used to generate the contract paperwork - an indicator of the truth of this is the fact that most authors who do “sell on synopsis” will readily admit that the finished manuscript rarely resembles the synopsis that made the sale. And it seldom matters - the finished product is saleable and that’s all the publisher cares about, not whether the order of events or people’s names changed.

So, although the synopsis isn’t critical, it’s still important. At the very least, it’s better to have a strong synopsis than a weak one. We’ll talk about what a synopsis does, what elements it includes, then how you can use the synopsis to troubleshoot a plot (there’s a great image) before you begin to write.

Many new authors think that the synopsis is exactly the same as the book, just much much shorter. This is not true. A synopsis is an entirely different kind of document - although it tells the story that is in the book, it tells that story at a higher level. It’s more like an executive summary or an overview.

If the sample chapters show that you are a writer, the synopsis shows that you are a storyteller. There is no dialogue in the synopsis and little atmosphere. There is no foreshadowing and there are no surprises. The synopsis lays out the bones of the story and shows that the author knows how to arrange story elements in a coherent fashion.

Clear as mud?

Here’s another one of my analogies for this difference: Houses and Blueprints

Tomorrow, we’ll look at exactly what elements should be included in a synopsis, as well as a few more that shouldn’t be there at all.

I always worry about reviews until they start to come in - always have, so it seems that won’t be changing anytime soon. It’s great when the first review across the threshold is a really good one, as this one is, so I had to share.

This is from CoffeeTime Romance, and will be posted on their site for April when ALL OR NOTHING is released. The reviewer Jenn gave the book their highest ranking - 5 cups! - and I’m just a little bit excited. Here’s a sneak peek:

“Jen Maitland has put her life on hold for reasons of her own which she does not share. The walls around her heart are built to withstand the strongest of assaults, or so she thinks, until she meets a man who is willing to give his all to break them down.

Zachary Coxwell is the black sheep of his illustrious family, content to float through life without gathering much in the way of possessions, or anything else for that matter. Then he sees Jen and all that changes, for the better, he thinks. But she remains aloof and mysterious, and for the first time in his life, he has to work hard at something.

Jen’s first impression of Zach is not so favorable simply because of his old college buddies and the way they act around her. She and her sister hatch a scheme to use him to stop her mother’s matchmaking in its tracks, since he is a vain, conservative yuppie, something her hippy family is sure to hate. However, Zach is much more than he seems, and she finds out much too late to change her plans or to save her heart. Soon he is much too close for comfort because Jen is hiding a secret, and she thinks once she lets him know about it, he will be gone just like her last boyfriend. But Zach has surprised her once before, and he could just do it again.

Jen and Zach were both so wounded that you rooted for them to get themselves straight and then get it together. When they finally start to, you bite your nails, hoping that nothing will happen to mess it up. I loved this story because it was so heartwarming. I ended up crying quite a few times, but I am really glad that the hero and heroine, flawed and all, gave me what I wanted in the end, and that is a happy and realistic ever after. The secondary characters were so vivid, and funny, but never intruded; only supported as they were supposed to do. However, I was delighted to find out that All or Nothing is part of a series of books based on the Coxwell family, so I can find out about them too. Ms. Cross writes a romance the way it should be done, in a book and, if you are lucky, in real life too, beautifully.”

Hi everyone -

The interview that I did with Linda at Fallen Angels Reviews has been posted HERE.

With all this snow blowing around, I’m thinking about that dream vacation…!

So, I’m curious - what makes the holiday season special for each of you?

One thing I love is the Christmas tree and all its sparkly lights. The ornaments, which have been collected over the years, remind me of people and places. The lights are magical, like fairy lights. I can sit by the tree and daydream for hours, watching the tinsel spin and the lights sparkle, remembering old times and imagining new ones. This is private musing time, unlike the (equally wonderful) busy times with family and friends. I think it’s the introspection at a hectic time of year that makes it special.
What about you?

Claire

Do you have a question you’ve always wanted to ask an author - about publishing, about the romance genre, about writing?

If so, post it here. Our Blog Diva may choose your question as a weekly discussion topic at the HEA Cafe.

Claire