How to Create an Eye-Catching Novel Summary
- 1). Write the summary in the same voice that the novel is written to keep things uniform. If the novel is written in the first person and the tone is sarcastic or satirical, the novel summary should be written in the same way. This gives agents a feel for the novel and the characters.
- 2). Limit the summary to between three and five pages. This is enough to transfer the feel of the novel to the summary, but it's still brief enough for an agent to read in a few minutes. The summary should follow the entire course of the novel from beginning to end, describing major characters and plot points.
- 3). Include any important events, dialogue or narrative that makes the novel unique. For instance, your character may be chasing a dream that began in childhood throughout the whole book. Including the narrative that discusses the character's desires from the beginning of the book may make the summary stronger. While the summary should be a small taste of the book, including the most important events and dialogue can capture the interest of the agent.
- 4). Double-check to ensure that your summary represents the main ideas of your novel, is seasoned with interesting information and the most charming parts of your characters (or least charming, in some cases), and is essentially your novel condensed.