A book proposal is essentially a pitch you're making to an editor, agent, or publisher in an attempt to get them to pick up your book. Typically, a book proposal is for a nonfiction book, and it is crafted and sent before you actually write the book. The proposal will tell who you are, show how well you write, and tell why and how a book needs to be written and published on the subject you are choosing. It is a critical document. You will be accepted or rejected based on the strength of your book proposal. On this web page, I give you resources and advice on how to write a book proposal.
Here are the elements a great book proposal should contain:
- Describe Your Book. Do it concisely. Give a description that is easy to understand, as well as why your subject or theme is important.
- Identify the target reader. Explain who your audience will be for this book.
- Show Your Plans for Developing the Book. Show the planned chapters, the outline of the content, the resources you plan to use. Also, explain why your book will be different from the competition.
- Detail Your Credentials. Editors, agents, and publishers want to know what qualifies you to write about this subject; why should they listen to you?
- Include a Sample of Your Text. Send a chapter or two that best reflects your competence as a writer and the tone of the proposed book.
- Express Your Passion about the Subject. You can sell yourself here, let them feel your excitement.
If you want to learn to write a book proposal, I highly recommend these outstanding books:
Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write: How to Get a Contract and Advance Before Writing Your Book. In this comprehensive yet accessible guide, you will learn exactly what a book proposal is, what it must contain, and how to pull yours together into an informative, persuasive selling package. Already a favorite for thousands of aspiring writers, this book makes the often overwhelming task of writing a book proposal clear, manageable, and successful.
Write the Perfect Book Proposal: 10 That Sold and Why, 2nd Edition. Written by literary guru Jeff Herman, this guide takes readers step-by-step through ten proposals that really sold to major American publishers, explaining the strengths and weaknesses of each. He also explains how to position the book to make it stand apart from the competition, what editors are looking for, how to write an effective sample chapter, author biography, and query letter, and much more.
How to Write a Book Proposal. This book takes you through every step of writing a nonfiction book proposal: test your idea's market potential and effectively relate that idea in your proposal, prepare an introduction that conveys your book's purpose and audience, as it compels the editor to read on, pick the best editors and publishers to pitch your proposal to, create a professional-looking proposal package, and predispose publishers to make you their best offer.