Writing a Great Non-Fiction Book Proposal
19.1 هزار بار بازدید -
7 سال پیش
-
-- Read the transcript:
-- Read the transcript: https://blog.reedsy.com/live/creating...
-- Learn more about professional book proposal services: https://reedsy.com/ghostwriting/book-...
In this webinar, best-selling ghostwriter Barry Fox focuses on a few key elements of an effective non-fiction book proposal that will grab an agent or publisher by the scruff of the neck.
I’m Barry Fox, author, ghostwriter, editor of some 50 published non-fiction books: business books, memoirs, health books, and more. I like to go beyond just ghostwriting the book or book proposal, to helping people properly conceptualize their books from the beginning to ensure that the book they write really represents them, and has a better chance of selling.
In the video above, I look at a few key components of creating and submitting a book proposal that gets agents and publishers excited about your book. I have written a lot of proposals which worked (by which I mean that publishers bought the books) — and I want to give a look at what it takes to do the same. The text below is a transcript of my speaking notes, along with some extra resources that I promised to share during the webinar.
What is a book proposal?
It is a document created by non-fiction authors. Broadly speaking, a book proposal is two things:
1) a description of the book-to-be; and
2) a suggestion of how much money the publisher stands to make.
It's a combination book blueprint and financial prospectus. The proposal has to make it clear to the acquisitions editor what your book is about, that it is interesting, and that it has a viable audience.
How Do You Use a Book Proposal?
For non-fiction books, you usually don’t begin by writing the book. Instead, you write the proposal that describes what the book is about, why it's interesting, and why it has an audience. It’s usually at least 20 pages long, often much longer.
With the proposal in hand, you will ideally start contacting literary agents. Or, to be more precise, you send a query letter that briefly describes your book idea and yourself. If they want to learn more, you send the full proposal right away. Agents have different requirements for approaching them — different information that they want in the query. I've written countless articles on this topic, so I'd suggest you check out my posts about literary agencies and publishers who accept unsolicited queries and proposal.
What Does a Proposal Consist Of?
The proposal can take numerous forms and, as mentioned, every literary agent will have their own preferences. Whatever the form, the key elements are:
-- Title Page: with your selling sentences, also known as your hook, or elevator pitch.
-- Table of Contents: for the proposal, not the book. This will help the agent navigate your proposal
-- Overview/Synopsis: this includes an overview of book, your potential markets, genre, length, and any special features
-- About the Author: a quick biography and a rundown of the author’s qualifications
-- Competition: a realistic list of competing books along with a competitive analysis
-- Marketing & Promotion: what you can do to promote the book
-- Book's Table of Contents: just as it will appear in the book. But don’t slapdash your way through this. Remember, this is part of your opportunity to impress the agent and publisher with the fact that you are a great writer who knows how to hook an audience.
-- Chapter Outlines/ Summaries: a few lines to a couple paragraphs about each chapter.
-- Sample Chapters: usually one or two chapters — usually the first chapter.
This talk won't cover each of these in details. Instead, I will focus on a few key parts.
-- Learn more about professional book proposal services: https://reedsy.com/ghostwriting/book-...
In this webinar, best-selling ghostwriter Barry Fox focuses on a few key elements of an effective non-fiction book proposal that will grab an agent or publisher by the scruff of the neck.
I’m Barry Fox, author, ghostwriter, editor of some 50 published non-fiction books: business books, memoirs, health books, and more. I like to go beyond just ghostwriting the book or book proposal, to helping people properly conceptualize their books from the beginning to ensure that the book they write really represents them, and has a better chance of selling.
In the video above, I look at a few key components of creating and submitting a book proposal that gets agents and publishers excited about your book. I have written a lot of proposals which worked (by which I mean that publishers bought the books) — and I want to give a look at what it takes to do the same. The text below is a transcript of my speaking notes, along with some extra resources that I promised to share during the webinar.
What is a book proposal?
It is a document created by non-fiction authors. Broadly speaking, a book proposal is two things:
1) a description of the book-to-be; and
2) a suggestion of how much money the publisher stands to make.
It's a combination book blueprint and financial prospectus. The proposal has to make it clear to the acquisitions editor what your book is about, that it is interesting, and that it has a viable audience.
How Do You Use a Book Proposal?
For non-fiction books, you usually don’t begin by writing the book. Instead, you write the proposal that describes what the book is about, why it's interesting, and why it has an audience. It’s usually at least 20 pages long, often much longer.
With the proposal in hand, you will ideally start contacting literary agents. Or, to be more precise, you send a query letter that briefly describes your book idea and yourself. If they want to learn more, you send the full proposal right away. Agents have different requirements for approaching them — different information that they want in the query. I've written countless articles on this topic, so I'd suggest you check out my posts about literary agencies and publishers who accept unsolicited queries and proposal.
What Does a Proposal Consist Of?
The proposal can take numerous forms and, as mentioned, every literary agent will have their own preferences. Whatever the form, the key elements are:
-- Title Page: with your selling sentences, also known as your hook, or elevator pitch.
-- Table of Contents: for the proposal, not the book. This will help the agent navigate your proposal
-- Overview/Synopsis: this includes an overview of book, your potential markets, genre, length, and any special features
-- About the Author: a quick biography and a rundown of the author’s qualifications
-- Competition: a realistic list of competing books along with a competitive analysis
-- Marketing & Promotion: what you can do to promote the book
-- Book's Table of Contents: just as it will appear in the book. But don’t slapdash your way through this. Remember, this is part of your opportunity to impress the agent and publisher with the fact that you are a great writer who knows how to hook an audience.
-- Chapter Outlines/ Summaries: a few lines to a couple paragraphs about each chapter.
-- Sample Chapters: usually one or two chapters — usually the first chapter.
This talk won't cover each of these in details. Instead, I will focus on a few key parts.
7 سال پیش
در تاریخ 1396/05/20 منتشر شده
است.
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