Why is a synopsis important

Whether it is a necessity or a luxury, the market has varied products to offer. Before the touch and feel or even word-of-mouth, there are the requirements of catching the eyeballs and of having the presence felt in the market.

A synopsis is one such important tool, which is used for marketing a product with the help of synopsis writers. Image source: www. Here, I am referring to synopsis writing as a marketing tool in a generalized context. To limit synopses to just the written word or films or television and online content would be narrowing down the potential and the need for synopsis writing. To my mind, even a tagline in an advertisement of a product is a form of a synopsis which in itself tells a story.

Normally, a synopsis is used in the context of storytelling, be it the written word or an audiovisual. Before I decide to buy a book, I look at the cover and immediately turn the book around to read the few lines on the back of the book, which decides, for me, whether or not I am interested in reading the book.

Similarly, with a film, a television show or an online product, reading the synopsis gives me a fair idea of the content and then the decision to either watch the content or skip it occurs.

The longer synopsis should also reconfirm when the story is set i. The longer synopsis should also highlight the dramatic turning points and tell the reader of any other salient information which will help convey what kind of work it is, how well imagined are the characters involved and how well thought through and alluring is the plot. Alongside the synopsis should also be an excellent, economically written and confident sounding cover letter. It does not matter if this is repeated on the synopsis page.

You may also wish to refer to writers you feel you are similar to, although do be careful not to have misplaced arrogance in this. Otherwise, let the agent decide and they will help market you to the publisher, and the publisher then help market you to the public. If you admire an agent for a particular reason, such as they publish a hero or heroine of yours, let them know.

If you have something interesting to say about yourself, such as that you have won a writing competition or published before in relevant publications, do include this briefly in the cover letter. It is for you to judge what is of particular interest about you, and how much to say, but you should also provide a fuller biographical note which sits well at the bottom of the synopsis page.

This should be between 50 and words as a guide. If you have been published provide a summarised list of publications here. If you have not, or are trying to hide a career you think has gone off track and want to appear fresh, keep it brief and mention what you do, your age and anything that makes you sound interesting.

If your career is related to your subject matter, then do say this. Do avoid listing technical publications as evidence of writing ability if you are submitting fiction. This is different for non-fiction. As a rule, err on the side of brevity if necessary. If the reader loves your work they will be in touch to find out more about you.

NB: If the work is literary, there may be less emphasis on plot and more on the quality of the prose. Due to current climates and publishing trends, this is a difficult time to publish literary fiction without strong plots, although things undoubtedly will change. A synopsis for a work of non-fiction performs a different function.

The consideration of whether a non-fiction book has a potential market is generally more straightforward than for new fiction. In the case of non-fiction you should certainly have carefully researched your market before submission and ideally list the competitors in the field, outlining why your project is different and why you are the writer best positioned to write the book you have.

Also, you should be able to list any marketing opportunities you believe your book may have, such as identifiable, or even guaranteed readers such as students if you teach a course, anniversary tie-ins and so on. A literary agent is often prepared to sell a non-fiction work on synopsis and chapters only. This is an extreme rarity in the case of fiction. This is because it is easier for people to see if there is a market gap that can be filled by the project, before the work is finished.

You may not need an agent for certain, more niche types of non-fiction book. In these cases publishers may well be prepared to take direct submissions from you. Again, this is because in the area of self-help or business books for example, a list will know clearly what its gaps are. It may have a standard format it is looking to sell books in.

You should certainly research these formats and contact editors specialised lists to find out if they do have space for your idea, and so that they can let you know exactly how they like work to be presented before forming the project in your mind. I think it best in general for the non-fiction writer to prepare two different types of proposal. The first would form an initial pitch and the second the follow-up proposal if the editor or literary agent asks to see more.

Both documents need to be thoroughly persuasive as these may go directly towards securing a book deal. This should be no more than one to two pages. Include a brief summary e. Ideally, you should also include an overview of other work in the field, and argue why yours fills an important gap. A single study design or a combination can be selected e.

A mention about the research setting should be made. This includes information about the institution, facilities available, time of study, and population of study. Sampling Sampling is selecting a sample of appropriate size for the study. The sample size depends on the study design. The study population can be population of cases, population of people, or population of recipients of certain treatment.

There are many methods for sampling like simple random, systemic and stratified sampling, cluster sampling, etc. Care should be taken to ensure that the sample size is adequate to produce meaningful results. The sample size should be adequate to apply all relevant tests of statistical significance.

The samples should be representative of the population and should be reliable. This minimizes sampling errors. Variables Variables are the factors that can change. These changes can affect the outcome of a research project. Thus, it is important to identify the variables at the planning stage. They should be quantified with a measurable unit.

Knowledge of the various variables in a research project will assist in refining the objectives. Usually, objectives of a research will be to see the effect of independent variables on dependent variables. There are four types of variables. These are the variables that can be manipulated by the researcher and the effects of that are observed on the other variables.

For example, predisposing factors, risk factors and cause. These may influence the effect of independent variables on the dependent variables. These are changes that are relevant in the groups or population under study. These need to be included in the study. For example, age, sex, and ethnic origin. Controls Control groups increase the validity of the research project.

They usually consist of units of same population but differ in some respects. Controls are not necessary for all research projects. As far as possible they should be used in all analytical studies, drug trials, and intervention programs.

Study methods Here the researcher will have to describe the method of data collection, which may be in the form of:. A sample of the proforma should be prepared and attached. The possible cost involved and any financial assistance received must be mentioned.

Data collection A brief note on how data are collected should be included. The information should be about:. Data analysis Data analysis is an important part of a research project. A good analysis leads to good results. The plans for data analysis should be mentioned under the following heads Statistical methods, Computer program used, and Data sorting method. A general statement "appropriate statistical methods will be used. Ethical clearance Wherever necessary, ethical committee clearance from the institute should be obtained.

The certificate must be attached. Ethical clearance is required in all human and animal studies. References All references quoted in review of literature and anywhere else in the synopsis should be listed here. There are two styles for writing references, Vancouver style and Harvard style. Vancouver style is easy to follow as it depends on the numbers as quoted in text. Official requirements A synopsis is incomplete if it does not contain the following information:.

Synopsis writing is an important step in a research project. A good synopsis will give maximum information in minimum words.

A well-conceived synopsis will go a long way in convincing the reviewer about the ability of the researcher to conduct the project.

In cases of need for financial assistance, the request will be considered favorably. Thus, all research workers should make efforts to prepare a well-structured synopsis. Translate this page into: English. Buy Reprints PDF. Guidelines for writing a research project synopsis or protocol. How to cite this article: Betkerur J.

Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol ; A synopsis can be structured in the following manner: Title Statement of the problem and hypothesis Aims and objectives Review of literature Research methodology References Official requirements Title The title of the research project should be brief but informative; sensationalization of the title is best avoided.

Examples: a. It achieves the following: Familiarizes the reader to the problem under study. It describes the work done by others either at local or international level on it or similar subject.