Tag Archives: Jim Arnold Communications

Five Tips on How to Write a Book Synopsis

Five Tips on How to Write a Book Synopsis*

Before you market your self-published book, you need to have a piece that encapsulates the essence of your work into a form that’s sharable. This is usually called a book synopsis.

Tip One: You Need Three.

Or better put, three versions of your synopsis. First: a logline, (for fiction) which is one or two sentences which should inform us of the title, the genre, who the protagonist is, and what sort of struggle or conflict they encounter in the story. For non-fiction self-publishing, one or two sentences which include the title, genre, and what the lesson/argument is.

Second, a slightly longer version, about the length of one paragraph, which will include more details a buyer needs to know; and finally, a one-page version of your story or message that includes the plot, main characters and themes if it’s fiction, and your argument/lesson if it’s non-fiction.

Tip Two: Break it Down, Chapter by Chapter.

Where to start! Do you have a table of contents, if it’s a non-fiction book? This can provide an easy way to break down the essence of your message. If it’s fiction, try summarizing each chapter into a short paragraph and then combine, edit, then merge some more.

Tip Three: Tell a Story (arc).

Think along the lines of classic story structure. Start with your main character, and the problem or issue that character is presented with. There’s an opposing force, which is often another character. Your hero or heroine is beset with increasing complications and setbacks, ending with a climax, before ultimately achieving a goal of some kind. This kind of “spine” works just as well with a non-fiction book.

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Jimbolaya merged with Jim Arnold Communications!

Jim Arnold

If you’re a repeat visitor to Jimbolaya you may have noticed a change over the past couple of weeks. I’ve been in the process of merging the blogsite for Jim Arnold Communications into Jimbolaya, and, except for relocating a few of the posts, it’s all here.

Mainly, the other blogsite was composed of pages describing the Jim Arnold Communications consulting business and what it offers to prospective clients and why, in the two areas of business copywriting and book marketing. It finally just made sense to me to put the two blogs together, and have all my writing in one virtual place.

I recently took a series of seminars offered by Mediabistro on Job Hunting skills, which I adapted to mean, in my case, self-employment skills. There was a lot of emphasis on social media, strategies for both marketing oneself and looking for opportunities via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and through blogging. I had at the time two of most everything – personal Facebook and business page; Twitter again for both; and the two blogs (Jimbolaya and Jim Arnold Communications). It was suggested to me that I combine the Twitter accounts and the two blogs, for two reasons: 1) using just one Twitter and one Blog would be more impactful, and 2) having fewer social media accounts to keep current would give me a lot more time to do my actual work!

My work as a Los Angeles-based communications specialist now focuses on freelance copywriting. That center of attention is informed by my 20-plus years in public relations and the several years prior to that where I worked in book publishing.

One of the more common complaints I’ve heard from PR pros is that there’s a lack of writing skills in the profession, so the need is there – and not just for PR agencies, but for businesses in general, all of which have many needs to communicate in writing – whether it’s to their customers, to other businesses or even internally.

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What kinds of companies am I looking to help, specifically? Having worked in the entertainment industry for quite a few years, that’s a definite area of interest and expertise. There’s a particular need in entertainment technology, where an explosion of new firms, new products and delivery platforms are being invented and launched at what often seems a dizzying pace.

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Writer? Motivating tips . . .

I was gone (in San Francisco) for a long weekend. Now I’m back, and, as often happens, I’m finding it (somewhat) hard to get going full-speed again.

These tips may seem obvious, but I know a lot of writers who’ve used them to great effect.

Take classes: even the most seasoned writers can always learn something new. Whether it’s a university, the extension, online or a community center, having a teacher, classmates and assignments with a hard due date is a great way to stay motivated.
Read: One writer I know doesn’t like to read other authors while she’s writing something because she doesn’t want it to “affect her style.” But as a writer, you must read the literature to which you aspire, whether it’s fiction or non. I’m of the opinion that art, or craft, builds on what came before, and nothing springs from nothing.

Use a dictionary/thesaurus: take enough time when writing something to find the absolute perfect word, and believe me, there is one. Online tools have made it extremely easy for modern writers to be perfect spellers with amazing vocabularies.
Ruthlessly edit: Never turn in a first or second draft of something. Take time away from your project to get a fresh feel for it. Ask yourself, is this the best this can possibly be? Trust your instinct on this. If you feel it still could be better, it most certainly can be. Wait a little while and edit again.

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Proofread: There’s nothing that screams “amateur” louder than a manuscript or piece of “printed” material with common, very fixable errors. Sorry, spell check doesn’t quite cut it here. You need to actually read your writing, over and over, to make sure it’s perfect. Even better, hire a professional proofreader (best) or trade this task with another writer (good).
Encourage Constructive Criticism and Really Listen to It: The truth is you’re not writing for yourself, you’re writing for an audience. Feedback on your writing is invaluable for you to gauge how effective your communication is. Sometimes it smarts to hear someone’s subjective take on what you’ve done, but rarely does it result in a worse piece of writing. Tip: get more than one opinion!
Make it a business: Most of us don’t make a living entirely out of our writing efforts, thus finding the time to actually write can be challenging. Solution? Change your mindset, and make it a business. You’ll set regular business hours when you’re at your desk, working on your project, milestones and deadlines, even if they’re only yours. Treat it as you would any job you take seriously.

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