The hook
Who, what they want, and what it will cost, in the first lines.
Home/Editing/Query Letter & Synopsis
A query has one job: to make the right reader ask for pages. A synopsis has another: to show the whole story, including the ending, without turning into a list of events. We write both from the book you actually have.
Who, what they want, and what it will cost, in the first lines.
Why this book, this shelf, and not a description of the theme.
The whole plot, in order, including how it ends.
A letter aimed at a kind of agent, not at everyone.
The brief
Most query drafts bury the person and lead with the theme, or they sound like the back of a different, more famous book. We read enough of the manuscript to know what is true, then we write a letter a stranger can understand in a minute: the protagonist, the want, the obstacle, the stakes, and why you are the one writing it.
The synopsis is where writers start protecting the ending. Agents who asked for a synopsis asked for the ending. We include it, in clear prose, without a joke about spoilers. If the book cannot be summarized because the plot is still fog, we will say that. The letter cannot be better than the book.
How the work runs
We read enough to know the real stake, not the pitch you have been using.
What the book is, in the language agents already use. No invented genre.
Hook, story, bio. Cut until a stranger would keep reading.
Cause and consequence, through the last page.
Names, facts about you, and a target list if you have one. We adjust once.
Before you send the manuscript
For fiction, yes, if you are querying agents who expect a complete manuscript. We can still draft from a partial if you are testing the pitch, and we will not pretend the book is done.
A query is about one page. A synopsis is often one to two pages unless a guideline says otherwise. Send the guidelines if you have them. We do not write a synopsis that ignores the instructions of the person you are sending it to.
We write a strong base letter and show you where a sentence should change per agent. Writing fifty unique letters is a different job. The book part should not change every time.
You do. You send it under your name. We do not contact agents for you unless that is a separate, explicit arrangement.
When you are ready
If you have no letter yet, send the book and who you hope will read it. Call (833) 688-4166 or write [email protected].
The shelf
Our team has helped write, publish and market thousands of books over the past decade. Our books are well-written and finished to perfection. Have a look at some of our ghostwriters’ best works and clients’ bestsellers.
Geeks Ghostwriting’s helped me from idea refinement to publishing. I wanted a script on thriller-romance that had multiple twists and turns. I am directing a movie on the story now and our crew has fallen in love with the story!
Having a drama ghostwritten led me to gain the recognition I was seeking. I had an incomplete manuscript and Geeks Ghostwriting helped me complete it. I marketed it and it sold better than I had expected.
I thought that an illustrative self-help book was not possible! As an established designer, I have always wanted struggling designers and students to learn from my mistakes and achievements. The journey that I thought would be arduous turned out to be enjoyable and simple enough. Thank you, Geeks Ghostwriting!
Chat with an Expert