How to write a novel synopsis and query letter
- Course Code: HW469
- Dates: 23/06/24 - 23/06/24
- Time: 10:30 - 16:30
- Taught: Sun, Daytime
- Duration: 1 session
- Location: Keeley Street
- Tutor: Rosie Chard
Course Code: HW469
Duration: 1 session
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
What is the course about?
Agents and publishers don't have time to read through all the manuscripts they receive and consequently almost all ask for a query letter and synopsis. There is a lot of conflicting information about how to write these, but on this one-day workshop students will be guided by an industry expert to make sure their query letter and synopsis are exactly what publishing professionals are looking for.
What will we cover?
- What is the purpose of a query letter?
- What is the purpose of a synopsis?
- Which key details should I include in my query letter and synopsis?
- What kind of language should I use in my query letter and synopsis?
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Understand the purpose of a query letter to publishing professionals.
- Understand how to best present your synopsis to publishing professionals.
- Write part of your query letter and synopsis, and receive feedback.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This course is aimed at experienced writers who have completed a manuscript they wish to send to agents and publishers.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
You will be taught through a mix of group work, pair work, class discussion and formal instruction from the tutor.
All writing courses at City Lit will involve an element of workshop. This means that students will produce work which will be discussed in an open and constructive environment with the tutor and other students. The college operates a policy of constructive criticism, and all feedback on another student’s work by the tutor and other students should be delivered in that spirit.
For classes longer than one day, regular reading and writing exercises will be set for completion at home to set deadlines.
City Lit Writing endeavours to create a safe and welcoming space for all and we strongly support the use of content notes in our classes. This means that learners are encouraged to make their tutor and classmates aware in advance if any writing they wish to share contains material that may be deemed sensitive. If you are unsure about what might constitute sensitive content, please ask your tutor for further clarification and read our expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Writing materials.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
City Lit offer a range of courses for aspiring authors. Browse the writing section of our website to find the perfect course for you.
All students are invited to join us at Late Lines, our regular performance night for City Lit writers. Students are also encouraged to submit their work to Between the Lines, our annual anthology of creative writing. For the latest news, courses and events, stay in touch with the Department on Facebook and Twitter.
Rosie Chard is a novelist, writing tutor, freelance editor, writing mentor and English language teacher. After qualifying as a landscape architect, she lived and worked in Denmark and Canada for several years, designing gardens, parks, and urban spaces. Inspired by the enormous skies and harsh winters of the Prairies she wrote her first novel Seal Intestine Raincoat, published in 2009 by NeWest Press. It won the 2010 Alberta Trade Fiction Book Award and received an honourable mention for the Sunburst Fiction Award the same year. She was also shortlisted for the 2010 John Hirsch award for the Most Promising Manitoba writer. Her second novel The Insistent Garden, also published by NeWest Press, was the recipient of the Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction in Canada in 2014. The Eavesdroppers, her third novel was published by NeWest Press in September 2018. She is currently writing her fifth novel. Www.rosiechard.org.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
