Query Letter & Synopsis Workshop

Have a completed manuscript and ready to take the next step? Need to polish up your submission materials? Curious about the submission process for trad publishing? Then you'll want to join our query letter and synopsis workshop.

The meeting will run the same way as our usualy Saturday in-person meetups, but we'll be reviewing query letters and synopses instead of actual stories. Feel free to bring in a query letter, a synopsis, or both.

Not sure what any of this means? In trad publishing, with few exceptions, publishers don't accept unsolicited manuscripts (which means you can't submit to them without an agent). But before an agent will even read your full manuscript, they usually ask that you send a query letter, possibly along with a synopsis and sample pages.

A query letter is basically a one-page pitch for your book, providing all the relevant stats (genre, age category, word count), a brief summary of the premise meant to entice them into reading more, and a bio. See here for a more detailed breakdown: https://janefriedman.com/query-letters/

A synopsis outlines all the major beats/plot points of your novel, including the ending. They can range anywhere from one page to a few pages (usually on the shorter side), depending on the agent. See here for more details: https://janefriedman.com/how-to-write-a-novel-synopsis/

We'll start the session with some time for questions and then launch straight into the critique, so come prepared! Listeners are also welcome. We'll be meeting at the MaRS Building in the usual writing sprint spot (up the stairs near Teabot).

Note: This process only applies to traditional publishing, but all are welcome to attend. If there's enough demand, more of these will be scheduled in the future.