Nonfiction Book Proposals—Is Yours Irresistible?

Don’t underestimate the importance of a well-crafted, thoughtful book proposal for your nonfiction project!

There is no more useful tool for attracting the attention of a literary agent or publisher than a strong, professional book proposal. It gives the agent a way to show prospective publishers that you don’t just have an “idea” for a book—you see the entire cycle of the business side of the industry and are prepared to be a full partner in creating a successful project.

sWhen a publishing house editor becomes interested in acquiring your book, she or he has a tough job ahead. They are competing with other projects under consideration, all of which will be presented to and vetted by colleagues such as the editorial director, other editors, and people in the sales, marketing, and publicity ends of the business. Those in the latter departments have other agendas that extend beyond your storyline. Your proposal can be the deciding factor that will sway them in your favor.

A complete book proposal contains at least 8 important components (although this can vary depending on the book and the writer) and will usually average about 50 pages. This comes as a surprise to many of the writers I work with and some, at first, just don’t want to dig in and do the heavy lifting. But if they commit to working with me, we develop each section together. My background and experience helps them to create an irresistible showcase that is much more comprehensive than a simple outline. By the time the proposal is finished, they are the experts on everything their idea has to offer, from a timely, highly polished manuscript to why they are the person best positioned to write it and to enthusiastically present it to the public and influence sales.

Here are the sections your book proposal should contain at a minimum:

• Cover letter

• Overview of the project

• Book specifications

• Author bio

• Readership analysis

• Competitive analysis

• Marketing plan

• Chapter outline

• 1 or 2 Sample chapters

If you’d like to discuss the specifics of your project and learn more about how I can help you, please go to my contact page and send me an email. If the project seems like a good match, we’ll set up a telephone consultation as a good first step, which will result in some concrete suggestions. It is not a sales pitch, but simply a conversation to help you sort through what you should do next. If you think you’d like to work together on a complete book proposal, or only a section or two, we can discuss whether I’m the right person for your project, your goals and how to achieve them.

Wishing you the best of luck—may all the right words flow forth and your road to publication run smoothly!

— Rosemary Carstens