Line spacing and synopses

Having reviewed every 'submission guidelines' page of every Australian agency--even the ones currently 'closed due to backlog'--I can't find any line-spacing specifications for the synopsis. Is there an unwritten standard that I missed regarding the spacing in a synopsis?

The query letter, I assume, is to be set in the standard single, and the chapters are to be double, of course. The synopsis, however, which the agencies request as being anywhere from 1-3 pages in length ... well, they ain't specified line-spacin' nowheres.

I'm concerned because one page of double-spaced plot-extract doesn't seem adequate to recount a day in the life of a brick, let alone an entire novel.

Do I need to cinch the proverbial belt again, or can I single-space my synopsis?

I'm going to start by referring you to this post in which I state that I kinda don't care what the formatting is because if the submsision is electronic I can change it, and in which I also state that many writers get far too caught up in the formatting and not caught up enough in the actual writing (or words to that effect).

So you can read that post in conjunction with what I'm about to say: use 1.5 line spacing if in doubt. It's not windy enough to suggest that you believe the agent or publisher has problems with their sight; it's not close enough to be annoying (as I personally find single spacing annoying if the paragraphs are long).

I'll also let you in on a little secret: a lot of people in publishing don't put a lot of weight on the synopsis, but it's useful to have it so you can see that the story is going somewhere. A synopsis is a tool, not an opportunity to display your writing skill. The query letter or hello letter or just-read-my-damn-manuscript letter is, however, a place where you can play. In short: don't kvetch, just write. Keep the synopsis as concise as possible and spend most of your energy on the manuscript. If your manuscript is brilliant and your synopsis is not, which do you think I'll pay more attention to? I'll happily overlook a dodgy synopsis to get my hands on a great piece of writing.

Structuring the synopsis

I have a novel which I am submitting to an agent. It is ready to go except for one thing - the dreaded synopsis. I am having a lot of trouble with the specifics of it. Is is an outline of the plot or an examination of the themes in the novel? Do you have to explain who all the characters are? I've been told to keep it one page and am struggling. Please help. Thank you so much.

The synopsis is a very important document, so it's worth working away till you get it right (or right enough). The synopsis will form the basis for the publisher's proposal to their Acquisitions meeting and also, later, for the blurb on the back on the book. It will also, in the first instance, tell an agent whether they want to read the rest of your manuscript. However, the synopsis is different to the pitch - the pitch is the one- or two-paragraph outline that tells the agent/publisher why they should snap up your novel. The synopsis is the the follow-up document to the pitch, giving detail about plot and characters.

The most effective synopsis I have seen told the story of the novel (through to the end) in one page, and gave minimal character explanation. The characters were mentioned as needed, when they popped up in the story, and this worked well. Themes were touched on in the context of the storyline, not as a separate note. I've never decided to read a full manuscript based on character explanations or descriptions of themes, but I have decided to read on based on a synopsis that told me where the story was going.