If your book proposal template convinces the publisher, then they will contract and pay you to write the book. As mentioned in my discussion on how to get published, if youre interested in writing a booklength work of nonfiction, you dont need to write the entire manuscript before you make the sale. Each header is a necessary element in a complete proposal. Hes worked as an author, editor, and literary agent for more than 20 years, and knows the most frequent mistakes authors make in their proposals. Sample new book proposal below is a sample of a complete and exhaustive book proposal for a christian nonfiction manuscript. How to write a nonfiction book proposal writers digest. In the process of writing my own nonfiction book proposal earlier this year thanks to my. This short 26 minute video presentation works its way through all the elements necessary to create a strong nonfiction book proposal. And the publisher will want to know how well positioned you are to do it. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure theyre useful for our readers.
How to write a good nonfiction book proposal for submission. It acts as a business case or business plan for your book that persuades a publisher to make an investment. Below is a sample of a complete and exhaustive book proposal for a christian nonfiction manuscript. 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. The content once an agent or editor flips past the title page, he then wants to know what the book is about. The following is a template for completing a nonfiction book proposal. All good nonfiction book proposals should contain the following, and query letters should contain concisely the relevant main points and the most compelling. How to write a book proposal that agents will love. If you are submitting a requested proposal for fiction also unusual, you may use the same elements. Nonfiction book proposal guide creative media agency, inc. I dont know why people wont post these, but it gets back to what i was talking about with elitism in publishing.
To get your nonfiction book published, put together a strong proposal. Overview describe your book in two or three paragraphs 500 wo. Writing in cyberspace, by moira allen, was submitted to allworth press in 1998, and became the book. You can best communicate this by stating the books premise, setting forth a few other details about your book. This video course is a part of mary demuths larger 16 session unlock your nonfiction writing potential. Contains the title, author byline, and contact information proposal contents.
For most acquisition editors, this is a very important part of the proposal. Following are examples of two successful book proposals. Make sure your proposal is as polished as possible by including the following. Mike discusses the most common reasons why thousands of book proposals christian and mainstream are rejected every year, and teaches writers how to make their book proposals stand out. Nonfiction book proposal outline ted weinstein literary. Add in those samples, and youll have a complete proposal ready to be considered by a literary agent. Here is the process i follow with all nonfiction book proposal clients. Nonfiction book proposals can top out around 5075 pages, not including sample chapters. Nonfiction book proposal outline here is a basic template for a book proposal, which many of our clients have used successfully. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the literary agents guide to.
I offer a selfstudy course on nonfiction book proposals. In the case of a nonfiction book, the book proposal in written first before you write the whole book. 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 nonfiction book proposal writers write. Hints for a great cover letter the steve laube agency. Below are some examples of real book proposals that have actually sold to publishers. A great nonfiction book proposal will show that you have thought through your idea, and more importantly, it will show that you know how to turn this idea into a book. This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. The truth is the nonfiction book proposal is an entirely different beast. A book proposal is an essential document used in publishing circles to describe the purpose and scope of a potential publication. This page will direct you to some examples of book proposal sections so that you can put together a winning book proposal. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. If youve had experience submitting novels to literary agents and publishersquery letter, synopsis, sample pagesyou may think you know all you need to know about submitting your selfhelp book or other nonfiction project. The 8 essential elements of a nonfiction book proposal.
A one page cover letter or query letter is sufficient. Have you got a nonfiction book idea and dream of securing a milliondollar. A book proposal argues why your book idea is a salable, marketable product. The literary agents guide to writing a nonfiction book proposal kindle edition by ross, andy. A book proposal is not much easier from writing a book, but it is necessary for both agents. Unlike a work of fiction, which must be completed before you send the query, a proposal is the correct way to approach a publisher for a nonfiction book. It is by david sanford, a published author, editor, and literary. Your nonfiction proposal should include the following items. If you have an idea for a nonfiction book, its better to write a couple of. This bears little to no relation to a nonfiction book proposal. 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. 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. During that call, well discuss your proposal and overall book concept.
That was a two book deal, admittedly, so you can divide the numbers by two to get a per book amount. Ive written and published four works of nonfiction and have been involved as a. They contain everything a prospective publisher needs to know about a book, including its contents, target market, how it will be promoted, and commercial potential. Using the form below, youll submit your proposal draft and book a onehour call. How to write a book proposal that agents will love jericho writers. Most concepts needs refinement or the proposal needs further development. 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. There are a couple instances of being able to sell a fiction book on proposal. The literary agents guide to writing a nonfiction book. However, if you want it to emerge unscathed from the slush pile, your proposal must be clear, thoroughly.
One of the hardest parts of writing a good synopsis is that it. Youll also have to include a full sample chapter, which is a topic for another day. Your business case may matter more than the writing. The most important aspect of the submission of a nonfiction book to publishers is the book proposal. Include any subhead or taglines that your books title may contain. Use the proposal to sell your book to potential literary agents, editors, and publishers. Your nonfiction proposal should include the following items and should be attached as a single file to an email with submission. The overview is typically a page or two that gives, well, an overview of the book you plan. We work very hard with our clients to help them create their proposals and because we think this part of the publishing process is so very important, we wanted to share our basic formula for putting together a nonfiction proposal. Include the first one or two chapters not the introduction, but sample chapters that offer an accurate sense of the style, substance and structure of the book.
A nonfiction book proposal is the key document that allows an agent or publisher to determine the viability of a project. Give a fairly brief summary of your book here, using a few paragraphs. So if you already have purchased that course you already have access to this one. Elements of a successful nonfiction book proposal dummies. Sample book proposal from a professional literary agency. Includes plenty of examples and a book proposal template you can follow. How to write a nonfiction book proposal nathan bransford. 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. Have you got a nonfiction book idea and dream of securing a milliondollar deal all before writing the book itself. How to write a nonfiction book proposal wolf literary. How to finally write your nonfiction book the new york times. Add the title andor subtitle separated by a colon or on a new. If you look on the internet, you will have a very hard time finding actual book proposals. We highly recommend michael larsens how to write a book proposal.
Tucker has sold over 5 million books as a 4x nyt bestselling author and. My book, book title will be a genre work which will center around the topic of book topic. Nonfiction proposal guidelines we work very hard with our clients to help them create their proposals and because we think this part of the publishing process is so very important, we wanted to share our basic formula for putting together a nonfiction proposal. How to write a nonfiction book proposal with template. In a novel, the entire book is written first, then trying to find an editor or publisher. A nonfiction book proposal most often contains some form of the following, although many publishers and agents have specific guidelines for submitting nonfiction proposals. Here is a basic template for a book proposal, which many of our clients have used successfully. Book proposals are information packs used by authors to pitch their nonfiction books to publishers and agents. Writing a nonfiction book proposal by scott mendel. 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 the nonfiction world, publishers will ask an author to submit this vital document and not the entire book. Nonfiction book proposals bookends literary agency. This begins with a brief dramatic anecdote which is meant to get.