Book
Proposals - Getting Yours to the Head of the Stack
If
you decide a traditional publisher is right for you, then you will need
to create a world-class book proposal. The book proposal is a business
plan for your book. You are attempting to convince a
publisher of two things: that this is an idea on a topic that
will sell and that you have the credibility and marketing connections
to make the sales happen.
You may or may not need an agent; you can submit a proposal directly to
the publisher. And all publishers take unsolicited
manuscripts from people who aren’t agents—it
happens every day. It can actually be harder to get an agent
to represent you than it can be to find a publisher.
Never forget that a book proposal is a sales document.
Whether the audience for the proposal is an agent or a publisher, there
are six things you must introduce with your proposal to sell it.
1. A compelling idea—The first
paragraph of the proposal must be like the first paragraph of a great
book. If it doesn’t grab the editor, he or she
won’t read further. Use facts throughout your query
to show the magnitude of the situation the book addresses, along with
stories to demonstrate genuine human interest. Present the whole idea
crisply in no more than two or three pages.
2. A well-thought-out table of contents
or book outline—Establish your ability to think clearly and
organize your thoughts and material to which others can
relate. Show the beginning, the middle, and the end of the
story, even in a nonfiction book. You will also need to do a
synopsis of the contents of each chapter. This is just an
educated guess; there will be room for making changes later.
3. An ample market for the
book—Explain that the market is substantial enough for the
possibility of volume book sales, which means 20,000-plus copies. Who
is likely to read the book (Hint: “everyone” is not
a credible answer)? What other books will compete with yours,
and how successful have they been (Another hint: “I have no
competition” is the answer of a novice)?
4. Adequate expertise and
credibility—You must prove that you are the best person to
write this book because of the combination of your education,
expertise, life experience, background, determination, and ability to
share compelling stories. You don’t have to be the
best-educated or have a perfect background (although it helps), but you
do have to show that your unique background makes your slant new and
intriguing.
5. Sufficient marketing connections and
promotability—Show here that you know what the publisher is
up against. You must list and describe your connections to
important people or organizations that can be approached to sell you
and your book. Having important people who will write the
forward or give testimonials is important. This is the place to toot
your own horn, but be honest. Highlight any previous media or
public speaking experience that is noteworthy. Expect (and
volunteer) to do a lot of your own book promotion.
6. Presentable sample
chapters—whereby showing off our work, you exhibit your
ability to write well enough that you’ll give minimal
problems to the editors at the publishing company. It is
perfectly okay (and is advisable) to get some professional editorial
help before you submit writing samples. You need compelling
stories and a dynamic opening paragraph. You can lose an
editor in two sentences, or draw them in. Submit one or two
chapters with the proposal. Some publishers set out
guidelines on their Web sites for manuscript specifications
(double-spaced, type size, and more).
To find publishers, get the current Writer's Market. It
contains enough information about publishing to last a lifetime.
However, it’s imperative that you have the most recent
edition since some publishers could have gone out of business the
previous year and others may have changed their rules. Then choose a
particular publisher and look at their eb site to see what they expect
in a book proposal.
Let Us Help!
eWomenPublishingNetwork is the #1 resource to
help women create and promote successful nonfiction books.
This article is from our extensive members-only Knowledge
Database. Become part of our growing author community and
make your book dreams a reality. As part of membership, we
review your book proposal and your manuscript and help you attract a
publisher.
eWomenPublishingNetwork, Inc.
www.eWomenPublishingNetwork
972-620-9995 x1112
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