How to Write a Synopsis • Reedsy

📚 Overview

A synopsis is an important part of your pitch package that literary agents and publishers use to quickly assess whether your manuscript has a solid structure and is ready for the market.

In this workshop, editor Meg Toth will break down exactly what agents and publishers want to see in a synopsis, what you shouldn’t include, and how to get this important summary just right. You’ll get practical tips and examples, guided writing time to apply what you’ve learned, and plenty of time to ask questions.

If you’re planning to reach out to literary agents or currently working on your query package, sign up today and learn how to write an effective synopsis that will convince literary agents and publishers to take a chance on your novel.

Please note that this masterclass is for fiction authors only.

🎓 What You’ll Learn

The differences between a synopsis, a blurb, and a query letter

A step-by-step guide to writing your synopsis

How to clearly summarize your novel’s key plot points, stakes, and character motivations

The do’s and don’ts when writing and submitting your synopsis

Schedule

EVENT

3pm - 5pm EDT

How to Write a Synopsis with Meg Toth

In this two-hour masterclass, Meg Toth will guide you through each part of writing a synopsis, one step at a time. From the inciting incident to the climax and resolution, you’ll learn to identify what to include, what to leave out, and how to clearly summarize your novel’s narrative arc without running out of page-space.

The second half of the workshop will include active writing time and writing exercises to set you on the right track, as well as a live Q&A with Meg where you can ask questions about writing a synopsis and putting together your query package.

Speakers

Meg Toth

Writer & Editor

Meg Toth is a writer, an Assistant Editor/Reader for Conjunctions Magazine, and the founder of Birchwood Editing. Her short fiction — which has appeared in such venues as The Massachusetts Review, The Idaho Review, Pithead Chapel, and Barrelhouse — was nominated for the 2025 & 2024 Pushcart Prize and the 2024 PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers. You can hire her as an editor on Reedsy.