WritingTheBlockbusterBookProposal:HowToSellYourNon-Fiction
WritingTheBlockbusterBookProposal:HowToSellYourNon-FictionBook
Youdidit.Youcraftedtheperfectqueryletterforyournon-fictionbook,andasaresult,aneditoratalargepublishing househasrequestedafullbookproposal.Atthispoint,youhavea50/50chanceofseeingyourworkonabookstore shelf.Thedifferencemakerwillbeastrongbookproposalthatexhibitsknowledgeofyouraudience,whatthataudience needsandwants,andhowthataudiencecanbereachedonacost-effectivebasis.
Whenaneditormakesarequesttoseeyourbookproposal,he/shewillmostlikelysendalongabriefoverviewofthe publisher’sbookproposalguidelines.Youmightwanttomakesomesubtleadjustmentstoyourproposalinordertomeet thoseguidelines.Butundernocircumstancesshouldyouwaitforabookproposaltoberequestedbeforeactuallywriting one.Awell-written,professionalbookproposaltakesseveraldays,oftentimesseveralweeks,tocompose.Itshouldbe thefirstthingyouwritebeforeboththequeryletterandthemanuscriptitself.Despitetheguidelines,eachproposalis unique,andthequalityofyourswillbeTHEdifferencemakerindeterminingwhetherornotthepublishertakesa financialriskwithyourbook.Soputyourbesteffortintocraftingablockbusterbookproposal.Below,you’llfindalist ofthebasicelementsofabookproposalthat,ifmastered,willallbutguaranteetheofferofabookcontract.
Element#1:TheTitlePage/TableofContents:Thefirstpageofabookproposalisthetitlepage.Thetitlepagestatesthe workingtitleforthebookyouareproposingalongwithyourcontactinformation(andthatofyouragentifyouhave one).Makesuretocenterthetext.Generally,itisn’twisetousefancybordersorcutesygraphics.You’rewritinga businessproposal.Makesureitlookslikeone.Onthesecondpageofyourproposal,provideashorttableofcontentsfor thebookproposalitself.Listeachofthefollowingsectionsalongwiththeircorrespondingpagenumbers:Summary, AboutTheAuthor,Audience,Competition,Publicity&PromotionalOpportunities,Outline,andSampleChapters.Some willsaytheOutlineandSampleChaptersectionsareoptional,butremember,youretryingtosellabook.Providingthe publisherwithasampleofyourwriting,especiallyifyou’reafirst-timeauthor,mightwellmeanthedifferencebetween acceptanceandrejection.
Element#2:Summary:IntheSummarysectionofyourproposal,provideabriefoverviewoftheproposedbook.Tryto envisiontheblurbthatwillappearonthebackcoverofyourfinalproduct.Makethatblurbtheopeningparagraph.Show theeditoryoucanhookhim/heronyourproposalfromtheveryfirstsentence,andyou’llconvincethemofyourability tohookapotentialreaderaswell.Elaborateonthecontentsofyourqueryletterbyaddressingthefollowingsubjects:the content,theaudience,andtheauthor.Whatisthepremiseofyourbook?Whatdoesitpromiseitsreader?Whoisthe marketforthebook?Howlargeisthatmarket?And,finally,whyareyouthebestpersontowritethisbookatthistime?
Element#3:AboutTheAuthor:IntheAboutTheAuthorsectionofyourproposal,gointogreaterdetailaboutyourself. Ingeneral,it’sbesttousethirdperson.Butit’sokaytousefirstpersonifyoufeelmorecomfortabledoingso.Whyare youthebestqualifiedpersontowritethisbook?Whatareyourcredentials?Areyouanexpertinthefield?Hasyour previousworkbeenpublished(notjustinbooks,butnewspapers,magazines,ezines,etc.)?Areyouaprolificpublic speaker?Ifso,howmanyspeechesdoyougiveeachyear?Towhattypesofaudiencesdoyouspeak?Doyouhave mediaexperienceormediacontacts?Ifso,lettheeditorknow.Ifyouhavelimitedexperienceinanyorallofthese fields,sayso.Behonestanddirect.Experiencehelps,butlackofexperienceitselfwillnotleadtorejection. Misrepresentingyourselfwill.Neverincludeinformationaboutyourpersonallifeunlessitisessentialtoyourabilityto sellthebook.
Element#4:Audience:IntheAudiencesectionofyourproposal,clearlydefinethemarketforyourbook.First,identify thedemographicsegmentyouhopetotarget.Examplesofdemographiccharacteristicsaregender,age,political ideology,religion,nationality,educationlevel,economicstatus,etc.Bespecific.Researchthesizeoftheaudienceand backupyourclaimscorrectivereadingwithrealnumbers.Avoidbroadclaimssuchas“everyonewilllovethisbook,” andinsteadusesuchstatementsas“4.5millioncollege-educatedChristianmenbetweentheagesof21and29willbe drawntothisbookbecauseofitsunique…”Atthispoint,definethepsychographicsofyouraudience.Whatisthe motivationofthisdemographictobuyyourbook?Whatunmetneedsandwantsdotheyharborthatyourbookissureto satisfy?Inshort,makecertainyourAudiencesectionclearlyindicates1)whowillbuyyourbook,and2)whytheywill buyit.
Element#5:Competition:IntheCompetitionsectionofyourproposal,provideexamplesofwell-knownpublishedbooks similartoyours(or,ifyourbookcoversanewnicheinapopularsubject,listthosebooksthattargetasimilaraudience). Itsalwaysbesttocitebestsellers.Ifyoucantrackdownthesalesfiguresforthesebooks,providethenumberofcopies eachtitlesold.Thelargerthesalesfigures,themoreyoustrengthenyourcasethatalargemarketexistsforyoursubject matter.Onceyou’veestablishedthatalargemarketexists,explainwhyyourbookwillbedifferent.Inwhatwaywillyou positionyourbookinordertodifferentiateitfromitspeers?Doanydemographictrendsaidyourcaseforcontinued
demandinthismarket?Stateexplicitlywhyyourbookisuniqueandwhythemarketisripeforitsrelease.However,be waryofaboldstatementsuchas“nothinglikemybookhaseverbeenwrittenbefore”.Youmayhaveuncoveredaunique angleforyoursubject,butinalllikelihood,youhaventinventedanewgenreorfieldofstudy
Element#6:PublicityandPromotionalOpportunities:Inthissectionofyourproposal,outlinethepromotionalavenues opentoyourbook.Ifyou’vealreadyestablishedthatamarketexists,thissectionwillbethemakeitorbreakitsectionof yourproposal.Thepublishermustknowhowyouintendtoreachtheaudienceyou’veidentified.Dospecificgroups existwithahighlikelihoodofbeingreceptivetoyourbook?Goodexamplesaretheaudiencemembersofaspecific radioortelevisionshow,readersofspecificmagazinesornewsletters,bookclubs,non-profitorganizations,ortrade groups.Identifythegroupsrelevanttoyourbookandpointoutthevehiclesapublishercanusetoreachthosegroupsina cost-effectivemanner.Doyouhavemediaconnectionsorexperience?Potentialexposureonnationallysyndicatedradio andtelevisionshowsisthebestwaytocaptureapublishersattention.Bookingtheauthoronsuchshowsisfree,andthe resultingsalescanbeastronomical.Sopublishersarealwayslookingforauthorswithamediaplatform.Doyouhave one?Whatangleorhookcanyouprovideaproduceroreditorthatwilllandyouacovetedintervieworfeaturestory?If youdevelopastrongenoughhook,youmightlandabookcontractbasedonthisaspectofyourproposalalone.
Element#7:Outline:Forthissectionofyourproposal,providealistoftheproposedchaptertitles,alongwithabrief overviewofthecontentstherein.
Element#8:SampleChapters:Inthissectionofyourproposal,simplyattachthefirsttwoorthreechaptersofyour proposedmanuscript.Providingsamplechaptersisessentialforafirst-timeauthor.Ifyourchaptersareofhighquality, theygivethepublisherconfidenceyoucanproduceapublishablemanuscriptinatimelymanner
Element#9:Presentation:Thepresentationofyourbookproposalisasinstrumentaltoitssuccessasthecontent.Make suretoproofreadzealously.Ifyouthinkyou’vefinished,proofreaditagain.Read,correct,andrewriteyourproposalat leasttwentytimessoastobeconfidentthatit’sthebestitcanpossiblybe.Whenitcomestimetoprintthefinaldraft,the bodyoftheproposalshouldbedouble-spacedandprintedinblackinkoncleanwhitepaperusingaLaserJetprinter. Finally,justaswithanybusinessdocument,sendyourbookproposalviaFedEx.Thiswillcreatetheimmediate impressionyouareaprofessionalwhowillbebusinesslikeinhisday-to-daydealingswiththepublisher.
Onceyou’veincorporatedthesenineelementsintoyourbookproposal,youwillbeleftwithafinishedproductworthyof commandingtherespectofanyeditor.Butinordertocreateatrueblockbusterbookproposal,makesuretoDefinethe booksconcept.Identifythebooksaudience.Andoutlineexactlyhowtoreachthataudience.Dothesethreethingswell, andyourecertaintoobtainabookcontract.Sodon’twasteanytime.Gettoworkonyourblockbusterbookproposal today!