When an agent or publisher request a summary, they will usually provide details about how long it should be and what degree of summarization they expect. Of the three terms we’re examining, I would say that summary is the least clearly defined, largely because it is also the least useful. Uses: Requested by some publishers or agents as part of the query package. Anyway, let’s jump in and start with the easiest one first.ĭefinition: A restatement of the major events of a story, usually in narrative ordering. If I can take you at least that far, then I’ll consider my job a success. What matters most is that you realize that the three concepts are different, and that they are intended to serve different purposes. I’m sure many people will disagree with some of the finer points of what I’m about to say, and that’s fair. This discussion is based on my own evolving interpretation, as I’ve seen the concepts applied in the publishing wild and begun to divine the importance of each of their functions.
Once you understand the differences, and their uses, both your writing and your marketing will likely improve.īefore I launch into this analysis, let me preface it by saying that there is no ultimate arbiter of what these terms mean, nor how they’re used. But take heart, in this case it will save more than just a bit of embarrassment. You wouldn’t consider submitting a sonnet to a haiku contest, would? Well, learn the difference between these encapsulation devices, or you may end up doing just that. It’s true that all three are a form of encapsulation – an effort to boil a lengthy, complex literary experience down into just a few succinct words, but because their audiences and functions are different, what goes into each of them, and how you phrase them, are completely different. When asked for their premise, they recite their blurb.
When asked for a blurb, they’ll write a summary. Many new writers treat all three more or less interchangeably. What’s the difference between a summary, a blurb, and a premise statement? If you don’t know the answer to this question, your marketing and your writing may both be suffering for it.
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