Rosecliff Literary
DC-based literary agency | where stories find their path | founder @jessicaberg.bsky.social
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- Synopses are built for speed, not scenic detours. I promise your book’s side quests, emotional beats, and cool worldbuilding still exist. Just... not here.
- If you struggle with synopses, write one badly on purpose. Seriously. Write the worst, most boring summary possible. Then go back and make it sharper, clearer, and less painful. This works better than trying to get it “perfect” from the start.
- If your synopsis is bloated, try the “AND THEN” test. Read your draft out loud. Every time you naturally want to say and then..., stop. That’s where you’re stuffing too much in. Cut where needed.
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- “But my book has twists! If I put them in the synopsis, they won’t be surprising anymore!” Right. But if you don’t put them in the synopsis, then your story won’t make sense. And that’s a bigger problem.
- If your synopsis reads like a dry book report, congratulations! You have written an extremely skippable document. Your goal isn’t to summarize your book. It’s to sell the story in a clear, compelling way.
- I know your book is good. Your synopsis doesn’t have to prove that! It just has to clearly show what happens. Editors and agents can fill in the blanks. Just give them something worth filling in.
- Biggest synopsis mistake? Too many names. If I need a seating chart to understand who’s who, I’m out. Keep it simple: main character, main antagonist, key supporting roles. Everyone else is “his friend,” “her brother,” or “the rival.”
- A synopsis is not a vibe check. “I want to show the feeling of my book.” No. That’s the job of your pages. A synopsis is what happens, and why it matters. If your book is emotional, the plot should still convey that.
- Your synopsis should pass the “personally attacked” test. Would a reader who loves your genre feel seen by the way you describe your book? Or would they squint at the page like, why does this sound like a Wikipedia summary?
- A synopsis is a movie trailer in plain text. You’re not cutting to black every two seconds for DRAMATIC EFFECT. But you are giving us the highlights in a way that makes us want to watch the full thing.
- Your book is not too complex for a one-page synopsis. You just don’t want to make decisions.
- A synopsis is a movie trailer in plain text. You’re not cutting to black every two seconds for DRAMATIC EFFECT. But you are giving us the highlights in a way that makes us want to watch the full thing.
- Writing a synopsis is just translating 90K words into 500. While keeping voice, stakes, and clarity. While not panicking. Anyway, how’s your day going?
- ‘Just summarize your book in one page!’ Babe, I haven’t even summarized my life in therapy yet.
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- Y'all know Jess always wants gothic vibes. Old houses, eerie landscapes, creeping dread. Horror? Mystery? Literary? Doesn’t matter. If your book feels like a haunted house you can’t leave, send it. #MSWL
- Not just office romance—Jessica wants workplace fiction with real stakes. Power struggles, high-pressure environments, complications that cut deep. Give her tension, drama, and narrative gold. #MSWL
- Synopses are where writers break out their worst verbs. The story follows... the character journeys… events unfold… tensions rise… No. Make it specific. Make it sharp. The way you describe the plot should sound like your book.
- Want to finally crack the code on writing synopses? 👀 Next Thurs 3/13 7pm, @jessicaberg.bsky.social is teaching a no-fluff, all-clarity class on how to write a synopsis that actually works—hosted by @thewriterscenter.bsky.social writer.org/event/40-pop...
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- Dark romance? Like…real dark? Yes. Spicy sports romance? Extra points if it’s unhinged. If your book has tension that makes people feral, Jess wants it. #MSWL
- 🖤 Tommy’s always here for crime novels with anti-heroes. Give him leads who should walk away but don’t. The ones who know better but can’t help themselves. Morally gray, ethically messy, impossible to forget. #MSWL
- Your synopsis is not a proof of concept. You don’t need to explain why the book works. You just need to show what happens in a way that makes sense. Treat it like an efficient post-game recap, not a TED Talk.
- Jess, in an interview: Publishing is a marathon, not a sprint. You have to be patient, strategic, and trust the process. also Jess, watching an email refresh wheel spin for two full seconds: This is unacceptable. I am owed answers immediately. Anyway, watch here! www.youtube.com/watch?mc_cid...
- “Should I include spoilers in my synopsis?” Yes. Yes. A thousand times yes. The synopsis is not the query. It’s not a teaser. It is the full plot. If you’re writing “But will she survive?” at the end… guess what? You just failed the test. Tell us what happens.
- 🚨 Tommy Dean’s Spring #MSWL is here. 🚨 He’s looking for crime, mystery, suspense, and thrillers that pull him under and refuse to let go. High stakes. Big consequences. Characters with pasts that won’t stay buried.
- @jessicaberg.bsky.social worked on queries today and UMMM these full requests are FLYING out of here like I’m she's running a literary Black Friday doorbuster sale (she's not … but imagine). 🚀📚
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- Spring wishlist: Jessica wants thrillers that wreck you. Domestic suspense where the walls are closing in. Social thrillers that cut deep. Psychological horror that lingers. If your story makes readers question everything, send it. #MSWL
- Writing a synopsis is like writing a dating profile. Too vague? No matches. Too detailed? No one cares. Too clever? Suspicious. You’re not trying to tell your life story ... you’re trying to get someone to say hmm, tell me more.
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- HERE FOR ALL THE WEIRD (especially all the weird horror!!)
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- Jess is craving contemporary historical (1960s-90s) with a voice. Think Demon Copperhead but for another era. Literary-leaning, immersive, and the kind of book people argue about. #MSWL
- 🌷 Jessica’s Spring 2025 MSWL: Give Me the Darkness, Give Me the Drama 🌷 Listen, Jessica’s in her era ... she wants thrillers that ruin your sleep, romances that make you question your morals, and mysteries with tension so thick you could spread it on toast.
- This month, we're making it easier for you to write your synopsis. TL;dr - you're over thinking it.
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[Not loaded yet] - DELIGHTED to welcome Tommy to the team!!
- No more secrets! I'm so excited to announce that I'm a literary agent with @roseclifflit.bsky.social and I'm open to queries on Friday! Huge thanks to @jessicaberg.bsky.social for the encouragement and mentorship! MSWL below!
- If you’ve been here a minute, you know Rosecliff thrives on seasonal MSWL drops. Sure, spring should be all about renewal ... but step outside. The world is literally on fire. So, of course, @jessicaberg.bsky.social wants books that burn.
- We’re open to everything (except AI books, obviously). But if you want to make us feral with excitement, check out our seasonal wishlist. The next one drops March 1. Think of it like a cheat code for our inbox. We’ll still read everything though :) #MSWL #AmQuerying
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- CRISIS: All my G2 pens are GONE. Just... vanished. Now it’s just me, a felt tip, and the fragile grip I have on this workday. Accepting thoughts, prayers, and emergency resupplies. 🚑✍️
- There are things agents fear. Not ghosts or even the query queue itself. But this will make a clichéd chill run down my spine every time. 📜 “My book is like nothing you’ve ever read before.” 📜 “No title yet, but trust me.” We say this w/ 🖤: Be brave. Be clear. Give us a hook, not a mystery.
