Book Proposal
The Book Proposal: You should be prepared to have your
proposal completed in case a publisher request you to send one. They are not
easy to do and are very time consuming. Proposals are different for each genre.
For now, I will give an example for a nonfiction book proposal. The publisher
will state what they want in the proposal. Don't send more nor less.
Cover Letter
A cover letter is a formal letter that identifies your
package as a book proposal. This is where you post your title. Included with
the letter should be the Synopsis, Promotion, Marketing Ideas, Chapter
Outlines, Sample Chapters and the Bio of the author.
If your manuscript is not completed let the publisher know at
this time but make sure you give them a completion or delivery date. State if
it’s finished and especially if it has been professionally edited. That’s a
plus with publishers. They already know the book should be ninety percent clean
from errors. Publishing editors usually do another once over with the
manuscripts.
Title Page
Your title should be placed in the center of the page using a
fonts of 14-point type or larger. The authors' names go under the title in
smaller letters. A subtitle helps to describe your book. For A Healing Heart
title, I used A Spiritual Renewal as the subtitle. This made them aware that it
wasn’t a romantic story but a spiritual one. Sometimes the main title will
describe your book so you can omit a subtitle, unless they request one.
Word Count
Publishers like to know the word count for your manuscript.
This can be added under the title page. To get your count, go to the top menu
and click on the tool box. You’ll see Word Count. This is helpful when writing
any manuscript and you are limited to so many words. Again remember to read
every word in the instructions on what is needed from the publishers for the book
proposal, including how to determine the word count. They’re all different.
Synopsis or Overview
The synopsis is the seller of your manuscript. Describe your
story or memoir and give the publisher the reason or purpose for your book. It
isn’t easy describing your book in words to anyone. Agents have stated that this
is the hardest thing for an author to do. A synopsis should describe the beginning,
middle and end of your book.
An overview should cover why you wrote the book, what it’s
all about and what you’re trying to accomplish. Describe it in detail. An
overview can determine if your submission is strong enough to get the
publisher’s attention. Your book has to be different. If you say the same
things that other authors do day after to day to them, they will be bored. Think
of your first few sentences in an overview as being just as important as the first
page of your book to pull in a reader.
So many times, I would panic thinking about an agent or
publisher calling me on the phone to ask me to describe my book. I feared being
tongue-tied. They don’t want to hear you stumbling through it or jumping from
one event to another. So practice what you would say to them taking only a few
minutes to do it. Speak with confidence
in your synopsis and overview as you would if you were talking to a
publisher.
Illustrations and
Pictures
Let them know how many illustrations and pictures you have.
I had sixty-two pictures and had to cut them down to fifteen before the
printing. Don’t send any of them to the publisher with a proposal. Wait until
they request it. After all, if they’re not interested in the book proposal,
they won’t need these items. Send only what they want; no more, no less.
Your Promotional Plan
Agents or publishers want to know what you are willing to do
to promote your book. If they find that the author wants to sit back and have
them do it all, it’s not going to happen. If you’re fortunate to have others to
help you in pushing your book into the public eye, tell them. This is the
time to let them know if you have had experience with speaking in front of
people. Do you have bookstores already interested in purchasing your book? This
can be a plus. Are you willing to go to conferences and speak or travel through
the different states to book sign? They
want to know how hard you are going to work to get your name and the book out
into the public eye.
Marketing
Do you have plans on how to market your book? They want to
see how you compared your book to others out there like yours and will want you
to name them. What makes yours different? Why would readers want to read your
book when there are already ones out there like yours? What are you trying to
sell to the readers? What makes you an expert in writing the book? If it’s a
memoir, mention the experiences you had to write the book. Who will want to buy
this book?
Author’s Bio
Do you have an education in writing? Why did you write the
book? Have you had any involvement with the topic? Let them know if you have another book in the
works. They want to feel that if your first book pulls in the readers that they
will be waiting for your next book. Make them interested in you as an author.
Chapter Outline
I found this the hardest thing to do. Each chapter has to be
listed with the amount of pages and how many pictures or illustrations they
have. If you have fifty chapters, all have to be listed. Each chapter has to be
described in two to three sentences. At the same time, you have to keep the
interest of the publisher or agent so they will want to read more about it.
Sample Chapters
Most publishers requesting a proposal will request sample
chapters. Pick the ones that you feel have the most emotions and description of
the book. I believe the first chapter should be included. If they ask for three
chapters, don’t send five or one. Always send what they are asking for instead of
you trying to impress them.
As much as we fear doing a book proposal, publishers and
agents want them. They can determine by your proposal if they are interested
enough to ask for the manuscript. They consider a manuscript too long to read
at first so don’t lose them on the book proposal. Make them want to request it
from you.
Anything that we haven’t done before brings on fear. If you’re
not comfortable with doing a proposal yourself, pay someone to do it for you.
It’s good practice to try one. I think a first time writer has to see one to
understand it. Libraries have plenty of books on them so visit the nearest one.
If you don't have the time to sit and relax for an hour or so reading about
them, take copies of the sample proposals home with you. The other option is to
buy a good book about them.
There are plenty out there. There’s one by Ann Hart which is
titled Cover Letters, Follow-ups, Queries and Book Proposals. I think
that covers them all and it’s only $19.95 at most online stores or local bookstores.
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