As a hybrid author, she also has published 17 books independently. Jan 05, 2016 the appropriate length for a nonfiction query is somewhere between 1 and 1. Thus far the outcome of this proposal was a contract for a second book. How to write a nonfiction book proposal wolf literary. Mar 17, 2014 how to write a good nonfiction book proposal for submission 17 mar 2014 christian jennings, who is currently writing a book about the last year of wwii in northern italy, entitled if i live to see the dawn at war on the gothic line 194445. It is true that most nonfiction readers, librarians, and researchers will browse the index before. Now in its fifth edition, it continues to be the best resource. In case some of you might be that way, too, here is a handful of examples of things that have to do with the publishing industry. Ive seen many authors confuse the two and create extra work for themselves. This is the nittygrittythe part where you learn exactly how to get published. In an email the attached file name should be descriptive author name fiction or nonfiction proposal logline. An index enhances the ultimate value of a book the ultimate value of your book is greatly enhanced by the ability of a good index to locate all the places throughout the work that address specific interests and concerns. Your nonfiction proposal should include the following items. I could read about something for a week and not figure it out.
Madeleine morel, literary agent, 2m communications ltd. Jun 09, 2010 what ive got ready, a completed manuscript with word count and a proposal. You may also want to organize your book further into sections or parts. For example, a 300page book would have a finished typeset index of 1218. The literary agents guide to writing a nonfiction book proposal by andy ross. Memoirs can cover most any subject of human interest. Its a perk of nonfiction that you can sell a book on proposal before sitting down to the write the whole shebang, and often receiving an advance will. Use the proposal to sell your book to potential literary agents, editors, and publishers. Dear pamela, memoir advice about your book proposal. Its usually at least 20 pages long, often much longer. This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. The type of manuscript youve written will be one of the major differences reflected in how you present your proposal. Nonfiction book proposal guide creative media agency, inc.
And the publisher will want to know how well positioned you are to do it. A book proposal cannot sell itself, so you must be prepared to find a literary agent to sell it for you. How to write a nonfiction book proposal nathan bransford. That was a two book deal, admittedly, so you can divide the numbers by two to get a per book amount. Now, whether youre writing a novel, a picture book, young adult fiction, or any kind of nonfiction, plan on sending in a proposal either before or in conjunction with your manuscript. I like this one because it contains ten reallife proposals that sold. Overview, endorsements, length and delivery date, competing and complementary books, target audience, about.
When i was struggling with my own memoir proposal which seemed harder than writing the darn book, eric maisel, author of the art of the book proposal, suggested i write a miniproposal. For example, the publishing platform reedsy includes detailed explanations of. Make sure your proposal is as polished as possible by including the following. Speakup15 3 sample cover page a proposal title subtitle author contact information. But its still a good idea to name your book from the outset. How to write a nonfiction book proposal with template. Usually the deadline for index submission is three weeks from receipt of page. A checklist of book proposal essentials to go through before you. Preparing a book proposal for submission to a publisher or an agent requires you write a table of contents toc. Ive already read larsens book, and it does have some samples in it. Most book agents call this section of a nonfiction book proposal the competition section, but i prefer to call is the competitive advantages section.
My contact information makes it easy to get in touch with me and check me out online. How to write a good nonfiction book proposal for submission 17 mar 2014 christian jennings, who is currently writing a book about the last year of wwii in northern italy, entitled if i live to see the dawn at war on the gothic line 194445. Preferably, these would be proposals that resulted in actual published works. I am also curious about the actual format in which these are generally submitted ms word, pdf, etc. I also sold a book off the back of a nonfiction book proposal that had multiple publishers bidding for the rights, and ended up being sold to harpercollins for. In such cases, the query really ends up being a cover letter and doesnt have to be labored over that much.
Writing a nonfiction book proposal by scott mendel updated. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure theyre useful for our readers. If you look on the internet, you will have a very hard time finding actual book proposals. Creating a compelling book proposal is your first step to getting your book to the right publisher. Elements of a successful nonfiction book proposal dummies. If you have the time and want more detailed guidelines, get one of the many excellent books on writing proposals from the writers shelf at your library or local bookstore. It acts as a business case or business plan for your book that persuades a publisher to make an investment. Though its written in place of an actual book, it should build a complete argument for the book idea. How to write a memoir book proposal memoirs are just getting more and more popular in what i call this age of the business celebrity. Add in those samples, and youll have a complete proposal ready to be considered by a literary agent. How to write a good nonfiction book proposal for submission. This is one of the main differences between the fiction and the nonfiction book proposal. Contains the title, author byline, and contact information proposal contents. Nonfiction book proposals in the digital age to sell an agent or publisher on your nonfiction idea, its more important than ever to show where your book will fit inand what will make it stand outboth in print and online.
This should be an outline of the book concept you plan to propose. She is a nonfiction book editor and doctor, proposal consultant, and an author coach and trainer as well as a book and blog coach. I am looking for complete examples of nonfiction book proposals. Aug 11, 2017 instead, you write the proposal that describes what the book is about, why its interesting, and why it has an audience. The anatomy of a compelling book proposal the bindery.
To aid us in our presentation of your book project, we ask authors to prepare a carefully detailed and compelling proposal regardless of whether you have a completed manuscript. To get your nonfiction book published, put together a strong proposal. How to write a book proposal has been the goto resource for getting your work published for over 25 years. Include two of the chapters you feel best represents your writing style and the content of the book you are writing. Nonfiction book proposal outline here is a basic template for a book proposal, which many of our clients have used successfully.
Jan 15, 20 preparing a book proposal for submission to a publisher or an agent requires you write a table of contents toc. What ive got ready, a completed manuscript with word count and a proposal. To begin this document, start with a list of your chapters. How to finally write your nonfiction book the new york times. C 1 page with a few lines on the five most recent competing and comparable books giving author, title, publisher and date of publication together with a note on. How does it differ from a standard magazine article query. Five basics of nonfiction book proposals fresh ink book editing. Sep 10, 2017 for nonfiction book proposals, two chapters of your book will suffice.
Jul 29, 2011 there are several books available on writing book proposals. Advice that i find myself giving out again and again as an agent is guidance on how to write a nonfiction book proposal. Your average prescriptive nonfiction book runs in the neighborhood of. Give a fairly brief summary of your book here, using a few paragraphs. Youll discover how to navigate the insider world of publishing, get an agent, write a killer book proposal, finish your book on time, and leverage the power of book buying psychology. If you can send the book proposal along with the query, you should. It is up to the author working with the agent to prove that a sizeable target audience for the book exists, to sharply define this target market, and to evaluate competitive books if any in the marketplace. If you are publishing a nonfiction book such as a biography, history book, or guidebook without an index, then your book lacks one of the most important reference and sales tools available.
The most important aspect of the submission of a nonfiction book to publishers is the book proposal. Dear pamela, memoir advice about your book proposal memoir. So i explain that an index is an indispensable tool for almost every nonfiction book. There are a couple instances of being able to sell a fiction book on proposal. A memoir is a personal story that provides a snapshot of a particular time and place in your life. A 1 page minisynopsis highlighting with bullet points what makes the book new and special with proposed word count and delivery date. Of course i am looking to see if my general topics are included but i am also looking to see if it is thorough enough to tell me it includes specifics and targeted details. Nov 06, 2019 how to write a nonfiction book proposal. For a nonfiction book, create a list of chapters, where you give each chapter a catchy title possibly also a subtitle and the page on which the sample chapter can be found later in your proposal. The bukowski agency nonfiction proposal guidelines. Plenty of writers also pitch memoirs with only a proposal and sample chapters. For nonfiction book proposals, two chapters of your book will suffice. This ones short and tothepoint, and the last time i.
It breaks down what we are looking for as agents with useful examples and tips from our side of the desk. Include any subhead or taglines that your books title may contain. For fiction, include several chapters in the book proposal, and the entire manuscript in a separate file. Nonfiction book proposal is open to writers of any level. The good news is that almost every nonfiction book published is sold by a proposal. When writing about an indepth nonfiction topic, you also should consider including subheadings in your table of contents to help your readers. In contrast to conference or, to a lesser degree, chapter proposals, a book proposal. What is the accepted way of preparing and submitting a proposal for a nonfiction picture book, say for the middle grade market.
Unlike fiction, where an author must have a completed manuscript ready before they approach a publisher or agent, a nonfiction author only needs to develop a proposal to submit to publishers andor agents. Apr 30, 2012 for a nonfiction book, create a list of chapters, where you give each chapter a catchy title possibly also a subtitle and the page on which the sample chapter can be found later in your proposal. A book proposal argues why your book idea is a salable, marketable product. Mar 19, 2014 a 1 page minisynopsis highlighting with bullet points what makes the book new and special with proposed word count and delivery date.
A one page cover letter or query letter is sufficient. Instead of writing the entire book, then trying to interest an editor or agent which. The book proposal is a 1550 or so page manuscript that a writer uses to pitch a nonfiction book to publishers. Instead of writing the entire book, then trying to interest an editor or agent which is how it works with novels, you write the proposal first. There are several books available on writing book proposals. Although this is an academic textbook, the proposal demonstrates the basic requirements of a successful pitch for any nonfiction book, including an excellent chapterbychapter summary. The ultimate value of your book is greatly enhanced by the ability of a good index to locate all the places throughout the work that address specific. Dont publish a nonfiction book without an index write nonfiction. Table of contents in a book proposal swenson book development. How to write a nonfiction book proposal wolf literary services. When i use the search tool that comes with an online article or an ebook, im often disappointed. And that, fellow scribes, is the overview and introduction sections of my christian nonfiction book proposal. Instead, you write the proposal that describes what the book is about, why its interesting, and why it has an audience.
That reinforces the idea in your mind and in the mind of publishing agents that your book is different and in some ways better than similar titles in your genre. Soon, ill post and link to the book proposals other sections. I dont know why people wont post these, but it gets back to what i was talking about with elitism in publishing. Nonfiction book proposals in the digital age to sell an agent or publisher on your nonfiction idea, its more important. If publishing a memoir is your goal, its a good idea to write a proposal to sell your work. The appropriate length for a nonfiction query is somewhere between 1 and 1. Aug 23, 2016 when i was struggling with my own memoir proposal which seemed harder than writing the darn book, eric maisel, author of the art of the book proposal, suggested i write a mini proposal. Jan 12, 2009 the index is the first thing i read when i pick up a book. How to make an index having made an index for several different nonfiction print books over the years, i have a set of suggestions for how to create an index. For my best advice, check out my guide to writing a novel now available in audio and my guide to publishing a book. A marketing plan is a vital element of every nonfiction book proposal.
The fifth edition of how to write a book proposal sets a new gold standard for aspiring authors. Hi shamrock838, when i submitted the proposal for my middle grade nonfic cryptic canada, i sent a cover letter explaining the focusslant of my book, the projected word count and my writing credentials. I offer a selfstudy course on nonfiction book proposals. Nonfiction book proposals can top out around 5075 pages, not including sample chapters.
So when it comes to nonfiction especially, the book proposal is a happy. Nonfiction book chapter outlines a way with words writing. Sample new book proposal below is a sample of a complete and exhaustive book proposal for a christian nonfiction manuscript. Nonfiction book proposal guide ask yourself these questions and as you write your answers, your proposal will develop before your eyes. Addressed to the appropriate agent with titlegenreword count and appropriate contact information in the letter, this letter should interest us in reading your proposal. Andy warhol, saint apollonia suite 1984 for all of these reasons, quite a mouthful will make a perfect gift for any general interest nonfiction reader. Your nonfiction proposal should include the following items and should be attached as a single file to an email with submission. Im available for manuscript edits, query critiques, and coaching. Nonfiction book proposal classes in nyc and online.
The index is the first thing i read when i pick up a book. Michael larsens how to write a book proposal has been the respected standard in the field ever since it was first published. Its this time that allows those of us who have achieved a level of success in our chosen field of practice to accelerate our success on an ongoing basis through the creation of a book. Nonfiction book proposal classes in nyc and online gotham. I also had a onepage overview which included other similar books already in the marketplace and how mine was different. How to write a book proposal, 4th edition writers digest. It is by david sanford, a published author, editor, and literary agent for more than 300 books who now serves on the leadership team at corban university. Nonfiction book proposal outline ted weinstein literary. Below are some examples of real book proposals that have actually sold to publishers.
By jane friedman if you wrote a nonfiction book 20 years ago, your greatest competition. My book, book title will be a genre work which will center around the topic of book topic. Example of a good nonfiction query letter nathan bransford. Since we recently discussed the role of a synopsis in a fiction proposal i thought it important that we address what the nonfiction author needs to provide. May 28, 2017 a book proposal argues why your book idea is a salable, marketable product. Writing a nonfiction book proposal a primer for the firsttime nonfiction book writer by scott mendel updated february 2018 it will probably seem obvious to you that the nonfiction book proposal is a tool your agent will use to sell your work at the best possible terms, and to secure the strongest possible.
In this comprehensive yet accessible guide, you will learn exactly what a proposal is, what it must contain, and how to pull yours together into an informative, persuasive selling package. You can find downloadable book proposal templates online. A book proposal isnt more difficult to write than a magazine article or a short story, so if youre already writing articles or stories, maybe its time for you to consider writing a book proposal and becoming a published author of a book. Its this time that allows those of us who have achieved a level of success in our chosen field of practice to accelerate our success on. Sample book proposal from a professional literary agency. How to write a nonfiction book proposal with examples. A nonfiction book proposal is the key document that allows an agent or publisher to determine the viability of a project. With timeless advice and cutting edge updates on a changing industry, this newly revised edition is a musthave for every nonfiction book writer. You are also welcome to listen to free audio recordings of teds book proposal bootcamp and other workshops and media appearances. How to write a book proposal is the resource for aspiring nonfiction authors. Writing a nonfiction book proposal by scott mendel. It also subtly says im on twitter, which shows im building platform.
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