When it comes to book reviews, the outline plays a key role in determining the final outcome of the review process. However, despite its importance, many authors struggle to deliver a well-written outline in their submissions. In most cases, outlines are either poorly structured or overly reliant on AI tools—something that often leads to rejection, as it fails to reflect the author’s own vision and chapter’s overall direction.
Given how frequently this issue occurs, we decided to hold a Q&A session with AlphaNovel’s Editorial Team. Since outlines are a critical part of the submission process, we wanted to hear directly from the editors who review them daily.
We asked the AlphaNovel Editorial Team to share their insights—what they look for, what to avoid, and how to improve.
Our hope? That this article gives you the clarity, insight, and inspiration you need to craft your next strong, editor-approved outline.
Drawing from your experience, what advice would you give authors on writing a good story outline?
Editor Jasmine: “Well for me, it was troubling to write an outline too. But later on after like 2-3 attempts, I cracked the code and wrote whatever mostly hooked my story.
Like the key points from my stories, explaining the characters in a way that also tells what they’re wanting to do and will do further
Specifically,
- First: I concentrate on how the story will start, what they feel with their first encounter, (explaining their feelings is what keeps me hooked to read further honestly)
- Secondly: Then I move onto the next line. The mid, how their chemistry rises and stuff and what complications they face, and
- Thirdly: The end.. always with either a cliffhanger, or the whole thing, (preferably, the whole thing)
For me, outline shouldn’t only explain the story, but how the characters/leads are too. That helps me understand their chemistry, how they will be in the future, what mindset they have etc”
Editor Olesia: “From my experience, the outline should include a main conflict. Like the main reason why we want to read the book further is because we want the conflict to be resolved. So, describing the main characters struggles and what conflict they are about to resolve is a must!”
What do you think is the preferred length for an outline?
Editor Ava: “I believe a good outline should be between 1,000 to 1,500 words, with 2,000 words as the absolute maximum. Once it goes beyond that, chances are the author is either repeating themselves or starting to write the actual chapters instead of outlining the story. An outline should be focused and efficient—it’s meant to map the story, not tell it in full detail.”
Editor Jasmine: “Reading long outlines often honestly confuses me. Sometimes authors write the same thing over and over again after a few twists. I don’t know why. And mostly they write dialogues in the middle of it, which definitely confuses me because they feel more like chapters instead of outlines. So yes, keeping the outline short, as simple as it can be, and only explaining what major plot twists are there in the story while maintaining the “character’s aura” is definitely a good outline.”
What are the possible reasons for an outline rejection?
Editor Jasmine: “Honestly whenever I see Ai, I reject it. I’ve read books with AI outline and human written chapters. And what the AI is saying is totally different from what the chapters are portraying, so no sense of reading it and wasting time.”
Editor Ava: “When it comes to story outlines, I’m not a fan of the vague kind—the ones that feel more like teasers than plans. I usually reject an outline if it doesn’t clearly show what the story is about from beginning to end.
To me, a good outline should be striking and complete. It should give a clear sense of the characters, the direction of the plot, and how things unfold. I want to know what to expect—not just the setup, but also the turning points and the resolution.
If an outline ends with a question like, “Will she survive?” or “Can they uncover the truth before it’s too late?”, that’s not an outline—that’s a blurb. And while blurbs are great for marketing, they don’t help much when you’re trying to understand the structure or purpose of a story. An outline should inform, not tease.
That said, ending your outline with a cliffhanger can be acceptable too—but only if you’re still unsure about how the story ends. Even then, it should be presented in a way that allows us to clearly understand the overall vision of your story:
And for this, here’s a perfectly written outline as an illustration by our editor Jasmine—one that covers the major conflict, clearly conveys the overall vision of the story, yet ends with a powerful cliffhanger.
His Throne, His Pride, All Mine!
Lyla Hale had only two things that ever belonged to her: her unwavering love for her best friend, Eli, and the hope that one day her fated mate would see her as more than just the lowborn she was born as. It worked at first. Despite being an omega, seen as an outcast, bullied and labelled a lowlife she-wolf, everything changed when her fated mate finally acknowledged her, promising her a better life.
It went so smoothly at first. No bullying, no hate comments, no physical trauma endured. Why would anyone even dare? She was soon-to-be Luna of the pack. But that night, that specific night, Lyla’s hope shatters the day Eli is found dead. With a dagger pierced through her heart, Lyla, in desperate attempts to still save her, pushed it out, and was discovered.
Now she was framed for the brutal murder of the one person who had always been there for her. It crumbled her the most when her mate, Alpha heir Stefan Thorne, turned a blind eye to her pleas and marked her a traitor and a murderer. Without a legal trial, he severed their bond with cold rejection. Banished from the only home she’s ever known, Lyla is left broken, branded a rogue, forced to wander alone.
But fate isn’t finished with her yet.
Months into exile, a hidden truth digs its way to Lyla. Revealing the only truth that could make her unalive, even when still breathing. Her mate, her supposed mate, was the one who murdered Elara. Why? Because the poor girl had discovered his dirty secret: he was cheating on Lyla with a rival pack’s daughter, someone whose pack killed thousands of their people, yet still so deep in love, Stefan decided to mate with, not her, but her beauty. Eli planned to tell Lyra the truth. She was almost there when she saw and felt the dagger piercing through her skin, leaving her breathless within seconds.
Now, Lyla returns not to plead her innocence or to reason with the pack. She’s here for vengeance, not for herself but for the one who’s been her biggest supporter.
Armed with vengeance and a new ally who no one knows of, a rogue-turned-warrior who becomes her chosen mate and fiercest protector, Lyla is no longer the soft-spoken, soft-hearted, decent and someone who would let anyone shatter her and break her into pieces, no. She was back with strength, boldness, hatred, fire, and the need to burn all those who did her and Eli wrong.
And Omega, turned into a wild hunter. She’s back, and she’s never backing down now. Because-
“He stole everything from me. Now I’ll take what he fears most!. His power, his pride, his ambitions, and the one thing he loves the most, His Throne.”
So, if your outline is presented in this manner—even if it doesn’t summarize the story from beginning to end—rest assured, it will definitely be approved by our team of editors.
Enjoy reading articles like this, written with the combined knowledge of our professional editorial team?
Then, we’ve got another one up on the blog—“How to Create the Perfect Book Title.”
We hope this blog not only answers your questions but also helps you grow on your writing journey.
Good luck, everyone,
Best wishes from the Alphanovel Editorial Team!
