How To Write a Book Proposal
Writing a proposal is often the most enjoyable component to penning a book because at this stage, everything is open to change and you need to use your full creativeness to shape and organize the book however you wish. You will find, however, some things a proposal must consists of-and that job is to sell your concept first to a literary agent after which to an acquiring editor.
The fundamental elements of a book proposal include the following sections:
o Overview o Marketing o Promotion o Competing Books o About the Author o List of Chapters o Chapter-by-Chapter Summaries o Sample Chapters
Your overview starts the book proposal by introducing us to your subject matter in a appealing way, making us desire to read more. The marketing section describes who you believe will want to buy your book. The promotion section summarizes how you can help a publisher promote the title. The competing books section provides additional books on your subject and quickly makes clear why yours will be better, newer, or very salable regardless of comparable books available. The about the author section explains, in more depth than your query letter, why you are the best person on the planet to write this book. The list of chapters is really a table of contents for the book, and it is followed by the chapter-by-chapter summaries in which you summarize each chapter so that an editor can get a better feel for how your book covers the material. Finally the sample chapters illustrate your ability to write, and so they give an editor a sample of your style.
When you finish your book proposal you will be beaming. Now you are all set to market that proposal for an advance which could range anywhere from around $10,000 to... well, the sky's the limit nowadays - depending on just just how good your concept is, a six-figure advance for a first book isn't out of the question.
