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Copywriting TipsBook Proposals 101.: What Publishers Want
by:
Sophfronia Scott
Lots of writers like to talk simply about writing books. You hear really few talking simply about writing book proposals. Possibly that's why it's easy to forget that a strong book proposal is the 1st step to acquiring a great deal for your non-fiction book. It's wherever
you do the big pitch and tell the editor everything that's going to do him or her want to buy.
A book proposal is besides a great time saver for you because you'll find in the course of researching your book proposal whether or not your idea is viable, or whether your category is already huddled with similar books. Here are the parts that do up a book proposal, and a few tips on how to do it actually stand out to a potential publisher.
Title Page
This is the 1st page of the book proposal. Your title should be centered and written
simply about two-thirds of the way down the page. In the bottom left hand corner you'll type in your name, address, phone number, email address and the name and contact information for your agent.
Overview
You'll want to have two to three pages explaining the overall premise of your book. You'll besides want to include a Table of Contents that shows what points wish be covered in each chapter.
Bio/Credentials
This isn't simply your usual resume stuff, this is a big chance to sell yourself as THE person to write the book. Write it in the third person starting with your education and credentials. You'll want to point out any experience that specifically relates to the subject matter of the book. Have you written articles or previous books on the topic? Note those as well. List any public speaking that you have done and wish do in the future, including television and radio interviews. Include a actually good photo. It doesn't have to be a glamour shot, but you do want to look absorbing and engaging. A 5"x7" is fine.
Competition
The publisher wish want to cognize if there are books similar to yours already out there. It wish help them to see that there is a market for such books. At the same time, you'll want to point out how your book wish be different, or better, than what's already out there. Do not trash person else's work. It's bad form. It's enough to say a competitor's book left thing
out, or doesn't cover a certain aspect. If you don't cognize what competitive books exist, you can look them up in Books in Print. Most libraries have it in the reference section.
Outline
This wish be your chapter-by-chapter outline showing what you wish cover, point-by-point, in each chapter. You can plan on allotting simply about half a page per chapter.
Sample Chapters
This is wherever
you get to show that you actually can write! You should submit at least three chapters of content. It doesn't have to be the 1st three chapters, but if you haven't written thing
yet those may be the easiest to do. Then again, several writers like to start in the middle of a book! The main key here is to be good--no typos, no misspellings and no factual errors.
Marketing
The marketing section of your book proposal is so important that galore publishers wish often see it first. So do sure you spend the time to do this the better it can be. Lay out your whole marketing plan here. Explain who your target audience is, how big it is and why they wish buy this book. How do you plan on reaching them? Are you purchasing your own advertising? If so, in what publications and what is their combined circulation? Wish you be reaching out to book clubs, corporations or college classes wherever
you book could be taught? How can you do your book stand out against the ones that are already out there? You want to do the case that there is a available ready-made audience out there and all the publisher has to do is reach out and grab them by sign language you.
Promotion
Remember, a publisher wants to acquire you and your connections, so this is another important section of the proposal. How wish you put yourself out there for your book? You'll want to explain if you'll be doing public speaking, or possibly you have a immense list you communicate with via news-sheet every month. How galore are on your list? If you plan to hire your own publicist, put that fact in as well. Do you have celebrated connections that wish help you get great blurbs? Do you have a budget? If so, how much? Yes, they do want to cognize if you plan on disbursement several of your own money!
Publishing Details
Here you'll detail the length you propose for the book (in words) and whether the book wish have any illustrations or photos. You'll besides want to give an estimate for the time you'll need to turn in the finished manuscript.
And that's it. Once
your proposal is done you mightiness want to hire an editor or a book adviser to go over it and give you several strong feedback. That way you'll cognize you have it in the better shape possible and you can feel confident once
you're causing it out.
© 2005 Sophfronia Scott
Just simply about the author:
Author and Writing Coach Sophfronia Scott is "The Book Sistah" TM. Get her FREE REPORT, "The 5 Big Mistakes Most Writers Do Once
Trying to Get Published" and her FREE online writing and publication tips at http://www.TheBookSistah.com
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