Sometimes authors submit proposals that don’t reveal the ending of a novel. I’m the first to admit that a teaser will encourage a reader to buy a book. Once the reader has to know how the story ends, they’re hooked!
Yes, agents are readers. However, when evaluating a novel for representation, we are marketers. Agents must consider if editors will be interested in the book. In turn, editors must consider if their teams will approve the novel. The publisher’s sales team must decide if they can sell the story to the particular audience to whom their house caters.
To make this series of determinations, all of us must understand how the book ends. We need to know if the reader’s payoff for spending hours with the author’s characters and the story will be enough to keep them buying books from that author.
Yes, we want to see an author write a fantastic back-cover copy to tease the reader into buying the book. But as for the synopsis? Let us know how the story ends.
