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Help for writers, how to write, writing resources and tips. Learn the art of writing, become an author.
Learn how to build your story or novel. Get the information you need to create your book or short story, and make your words sell!
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By Jill Nagle
Oh, that most coy and recalcitrant of documents! For so many of us eager to
move forward with our nonfiction projects, it looms large like a stalwart
sentinel blocking the path to publication. Its perfection eludes us yet it
stands there teasing, "Complete me, or your manuscript will never see the
light of day, mwahahahaha!"
In truth, that's a lie. Every author has the option of self-publishing.
However, there are advantages to writing a book proposal instead of a whole
book. One is, it usually takes less time. Two, it creates the possibility
of getting paid to write your book, perhaps just a few thousand dollars,
perhaps tens or even hundreds of thousands. Three, it forces you to get
clear about what you're doing with your book, on a number of levels. The
time and energy spent on research, evaluation and comparison of your ideas
at the outset pays off down the line many times over. After all, wouldn't
you rather find out now that someone else has said similar things more
eloquently and have a chance to amend your manuscript, than publish the darn
thing only to read terrible, or worse no reviews?
The process of polishing your proposal is an exercise in discipline and
focus. It will bring the purpose of your book, its scope, depth and message
into sharp relief. It will get your thinking muscles into the best shape
ever to produce the best book of which you are capable. However, you must
dedicate the necessary time and energy to educate yourself, move through
multiple drafts and polish this behemoth of a document to perfection, or
else hire someone who knows how to do just that.
Here are some answers to questions you may be asking right now:
The overview contains a hook, or means of enticement, draws the editor in,
and gives a general summary of the book's purpose. It's sort of like an
article about the book. It should make you want to read the whole thing!
The author bio puts any and all of your experience related to writing the
book, in its best light. It's different from a resume or CV. It looks a
lot like the "about the author" blurbs you see in the back of published
books, below the author's photo.
The author's marketing plan, or "what the author will do to promote the
book," shows the publisher that you know what it takes to sell your book,
and details how you plan to do it. These days, ironically, publishers don't
put much money into publicity, unless you're already famous. An author with
a well-thought-out marketing plan will stand out from most of the others who
pay far less attention to this section, thinking instead that the publisher
will take care of it.
The complementary and competing books section identifies and describes books
that both directly compete with and also that complement the proposed book.
The purpose of this section is to show the editors what has been done
before, and how your book fits in. The reason for this section is twofold:
One, many editors are too busy to keep up-to-the-minute records of what's
being done in every field, and so rely on the author to educate them about
what else is out there. Two, just as many editors know exactly what's out
there, and want to know how your work purports to compare.
There's a paradox here: On the one hand, you want to point to X, Y and Z
books as evidence that this topic you're writing on is really hot. On the
other hand, you want to make a strong case that yet another book, namely
yours is still necessary, and why. So you have to point out strongly yet
tactfully you never know what relationship the person reading your proposal
bears to your competition what yours will do that others haven't.
The market analysis is a broad view of current interests and buying patterns
in the larger culture that bode favorably for the book. It can include
recent movies, documentaries on television, facts about memberships in
organizations or clubs, social or ethnic groups whose constituents would be
likely buyers of the book. For example, a book with an exercise theme might
cite the circulation of major fitness magazines, membership in health clubs
or recent TV shows on related topics. This approach can be adapted.whatever
the subject: parenting, cancer, gardening, dogs, mental illness, business,
or entrepreneurship.
The outline tells chapter by chapter what your book contains, and the sample
chapters, usually about 30 pages worth, represent the best samples of your
writing.
A successful book proposal, on the other hand, is a specialized marketing
document that follows a particular form, and answers very specific questions
in a way that gets a "Yes!" from publishers. Unless your field is marketing,
and in particular, the marketing of books to publishers, chances are you
don't have expertise in creating a book proposal. And why should you? It's
no where near as much fun for most authors as working and playing with their
own ideas.
The majority of my clients who give me book proposals to review, even those
who have read books I've recommended and claim to have followed them, give
me proposals almost certainly slated for rejection. An excellent book
proposal is a tough document for most authors to produce on their own.
However, help abounds!
If you are determined to write your book proposal on your own, can really,
truly follow directions, and have the patience it takes to polish your work
with dozens or hundreds of revisions, I recommend Michael Larsen's book, How
to Write a Book Proposal, Elizabeth Lyon's Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody
Can Write, and Jeff Herman's Write the Perfect Book Proposal. Yes, all
three. Read them, study them, write your proposal, rewrite it several dozen
times (no, I'm not joking) and have it professionally reviewed by someone
who really knows what they are doing. Polish it to perfection in this
business, in which 99% of all proposals will get rejected, good enough
simply isn't.
Then, if you want an agent, make sure you find one with a successful track
record of selling work like yours, otherwise your polished proposal may
gleam, twinkle and shimmer for unappreciative and unqualified eyes. Unless
the agent has specified otherwise, query them first via a one- to
one-and-a-half page letter. For the query, read and study John Wood's How
to Write Attention-Grabbing Query and Cover Letters. Then have at it.
Spend at least three weeks on this query letter, and get feedback from at
least three people, at least one of whom truly knows the field.
All the best to you in your journey, and keep me posted!
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