Book proposals are commonly used for works of non-fiction. Excluding the memoir, a piece of non-fiction such as self-help can be pitched to an agent or publishing with just the book proposal and a handful of chapters. Think of the proposal as a resume of sorts. By using this document, you share your expertise and why you’re the best person for the job. As for the sample chapters, once you gain the interest of an agent or editor, they need to make sure you’re qualified as a writer as well. You’ll have to be a writer, marketer and expert all at once to break into the world of non-fiction.
So, how do you write a book proposal? Proposals have several parts to their anatomy and they are:
- An outline of the entire book – go section by section and list the chapters you plan on writing as well as a little blurb for each. Any key points that are added to a chapter should be shown within your outline. Remember, book proposals can be pitched before the book is done. Not only will this outline help you in finishing once you get a deal, it will also give agents and editors enough to go by to decide if your worth taking on as a client.
- Sample chapters – as stated earlier, the sample chapters are your way of proving you can deliver as far as quality writing is concerned. The amount of chapters required will depend on individual publishers and agencies, but in most cases three is the norm. Make sure these chapters are fleshed out and fully edited. Never send out first drafts.
- Competition – the next thing you’ll need to include is a list of your competitors. However, don’t just list something that sounds similar by browsing Amazon. Go to your local library and take out those books. Make sure they’re really in competition with you before added that author and their work to your proposal. You’ve already done a fair amount of research just to get to this point, so a little more shouldn’t hurt. You never know, what you read may smooth out a few rough spots you have.
- Defend yourself – while writing a book proposal shouldn’t be done on a whim in hopes of getting a quick contract, it’s still good to defend yourself and the work you plan to write. In the proposal, explain at length why you feel you’re the best person for the job. Here you can list qualifications such as being in business for so many years.
- Audience – now we’re getting somewhere. You’ll want to list who your planned audience is. How old are they? What’s their lifestyle like? What do they do for a living?
- What’s so important about this book – compared to all of the other books in your given niche, what makes yours so important? Of course, if your competition was written decades ago, yours will have the upper hand by being a little more up to date. Aside from that though, what else makes it unique? Do you have 40,000 visitors to your blog or website per month? Or perhaps you run a podcast covering the topics this book will include. Add whatever genuine qualifications you can.
Nicole Thomas - I've been writing for Suite 101 since 2010 and focus on topics such as publishing, online branding, marketing and self employment. These ...
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