Free Query Letter & Synopsis Guide for Authors
Ready to start submitting your book to agents or publishers? Download our free Query Letter & Synopsis Guide and give your submission the best possible chance of being read.
Your query letter and synopsis are the first things a publisher or agent will see. Long before they meet your characters or fall in love with your world, they’re making a decision based on these two documents.
That’s why we’ve created a free, downloadable Query Letter & Synopsis Guide - a mini-handbook designed to help you write a clear, professional submission that opens doors instead of closing them.
What is a Query Letter – and Why Does it Matter?
Think of your query letter as a job interview for your book. In a few short paragraphs, you’re showing an agent or publisher:
- What your book is – genre, age range, and approximate word count.
- Where it sits on the shelf – your comparable titles (comps).
- What your book is about – a clear, focused story overview.
- Who you are as an author – any relevant experience or publications.
A strong query letter tells them exactly what they need to know, without overwhelming them with backstory, subplots, or a chapter-by-chapter breakdown.
In the Free Query Letter & Synopsis Guide you’ll learn:
- How to open with a sharp hook or tagline that captures your story in one line.
- What to include in a professional query letter – and what to leave out.
- How to talk about your themes and tone without sounding like an essay.
- Common query mistakes that make agents stop reading after the first paragraph.
What Makes a Good Synopsis?
If the query letter is the interview, your synopsis is the structural blueprint. It shows whether your story works from beginning to end.
Your synopsis should:
- Tell the whole story – including the ending.
- Highlight the main plot, not every subplot or side quest.
- Show how your protagonist changes over the course of the book.
- Stay clear and concise, usually around 500–800 words.
Agents and publishers use the synopsis to see if your story has a solid spine: clear stakes, rising tension, a satisfying climax, and an emotionally coherent resolution.
The free guide walks you step-by-step through the classic “story mountain” structure – opening, build up, climax, resolution, ending – and shows you how to turn it into a clean one-page synopsis that’s easy to read but still emotionally rich.
What’s Inside the Free Query Letter & Synopsis Guide?
Mini-Guide Contents1. Your Query Letter
A practical breakdown of what belongs in a professional query letter, including:
- How to introduce your book quickly (genre, age range, word count, comps).
- How to summarise your story in a couple of tight, focused paragraphs.
- How to present yourself as an author – even if you’re not yet published.
- Real-world “insider tips” from a publisher on what they look for.
2. Your Synopsis
Clear guidance to help you move from “I know my story, but I can’t summarise it” to a structured, readable synopsis:
- How to turn your full plot into a single page without losing the heart of the story.
- What to do with world-building, side characters, and subplots.
- How to show your themes through character change rather than academic language.
3. FAQs, Tips & Common Pitfalls
The guide also answers the questions most writers have when they start submitting:
- Do you really have to include the ending in a synopsis? (Yes!)
- How many characters should appear in a synopsis?
- How “voicey” should a query letter be?
- What are the easy mistakes that cause your submission to be skim-read or skipped?
How to Use This Free Guide
You don’t have to read the entire PDF in one sitting. Instead, we recommend:
- Step 1: Download the guide and skim the chapter on query letters.
- Step 2: Draft your own query alongside the examples and structure.
- Step 3: Move to the synopsis chapter and map your story using the “story mountain” prompts.
- Step 4: Edit both documents once, focusing on clarity over cleverness.
- Step 5: Proofread carefully – typos in your letter and synopsis are red flags.
Tip: Save your files with professional names (e.g. Surname_Title_Query, Surname_Title_Synopsis) so they’re easy for agents and publishers to find.
Ready to Download Your Free Query Letter & Synopsis Guide?
If you’re serious about submitting your book, this free PDF is a simple way to feel more confident and professional before you hit send.
Download the Free Query & Synopsis PDFKeep it open while you write, and use it as a checklist before submitting to agents or publishers.