How to write a nonfiction book proposal nathan bransford. Like a lot of things in the publishing industry, the nonfiction book proposal is a mysterious beast. 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. Also note that agents and publishers each have their own submission criteria so the format of your proposal may need to change slightly.
What is a book proposal for nonfiction writers welcome back everyone and happy new year. To get your nonfiction book published, put together a strong proposal. Book proposals are information packs used by authors to pitch their nonfiction books to publishers and agents. You are also welcome to listen to free audio recordings of teds book proposal bootcamp and other workshops and media appearances.
The literary agents guide to writing a nonfiction book proposal by andy ross. Addiction and cancer memoirs, for example, are common, and will put you on. This post is by far the most complete one, giving you pretty much everything you need to know on the subject. Nonfiction book proposal template formatting and sending your proposal important. The headings on the sample proposal template below cover the critical elements of a thorough proposal. The promotion plan is most important, followed by the overview and about the author sections. Non fiction book proposal template formatting and sending your proposal important. Make sure your proposal is as polished as possible by including the following. Why should a publisher invest in your book, and why are you the person to write it. Every single one of those books sold off the back off a simple book propo.
Too many times great authors have brilliant ideas but fail to create an outline and their idea falls apart. The book proposal templates are designed for segregating the novels into different categories hence making it easier for the readers to differentiate and choose among them the most suitable genre. In the nonfiction world, publishers will ask an author to submit this vital document and not the entire book. Cheers, at publishizer, to get started get your free onepager template. If you start writing without a good outline template, the process will take forever and your book will be haphazard and incomplete. This is where an outline is essential, and using a non fiction book outline template makes this process even easier. Book proposal template nonfiction authors association. Your nonfiction proposal should include the following items and should be attached as a single file to an email with submission. How to draft proposals to childrens book publishers. When it comes to fiction, few agents or editors expect or require book proposals, but it. A book proposal is created by a person who loves to read books, composing books, do research proposals or engaged into business of selling books.
Once you have selected the agentspublishers you wish to approach. There are outlines for fiction and nonfiction, and for short books and text books. It explains the difference in proposals between traditional nonfiction and narrative nonfiction, helps you write a strong proposal, and gives a very thorough overview of the book proposal. Therefore, were uncovering in this post what goes into a book proposaland what itll take to get an agent or publisher to notice 1 the overview. The book proposal is a 1550 or so page manuscript that a writer uses to pitch a nonfiction book to publishers. Nonfiction book proposal template speakup conference. How to write a nonfiction book proposal with examples. Though its written in place of an actual book, it should build a complete argument for the book idea.
By the end of the webinar, youll have a sharper idea of your projects marketability and how to evaluate other titles in your category, giving you an editors eye for what sells. A memoir is a personal story that provides a snapshot of a particular time and place in your life. Like a lot of things in the publishing industry, the nonfiction book proposal is. It includes information on the content, the author, the market, and the salability of the project. A book proposal is essentially a business plan for your book. After you know how your chosen publisher wants your materials submitted, youre ready to pull together your query letter andor proposal. The book outline template for a romance novel is different than the outline for a selfhelp book. Writing a winning nonfiction book proposal 32 30 from my experience, a great book proposal needs to include five distinct elements see fig. Here is a good example of a nonfiction book proposal.
Sample book proposal from a professional literary agency. Many were great, but super lengthy and time consuming to read. 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. Your book outline is the structure of your book, and thus incredibly important. Nonfiction book proposals can top out around 5075 pages, not including sample chapters.
Each heading within a book proposal answers a key question. Oct 25, 2016 a book proposal is a document most commonly associated with pitching a nonfiction book. If a word doesnt help answer one of those questions, delete it. How to write a nonfiction book proposal become a writer today. Feel free to use the headings and format of the template below. 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. My book, book title will be a genre work which will center around the topic of book topic. Book proposals are used to sell nonfiction books to publishers. What is this magic documentwhich can get you a book deal. The following is my book proposal template you can use to write your proposal. Writing an irresistible book proposal by michael larsen the golden rule of writing a book proposal is that every word in your proposal should answer one of two questions. Your fiction proposal should include the following items and should be attached as a single file to an email with submission. The following is a template for completing a nonfiction book proposal.
A one page cover letter or query letter is sufficient. 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. Includes plenty of examples and a book proposal template you can follow. Nonfiction book proposal outline ted weinstein literary. Aug 11, 2017 for nonfiction books, you usually dont begin by writing the book.
The truth is the nonfiction book proposal is an entirely different beast. They go to start writing, but find that their creative juices have stopped flowing. Youre going to have to essentially sell them your book, sending them a document that contains details about your qualifications, a. How to write a nonfiction book proposal wolf literary. I dont write nonfiction, but i have to say that this is. Whether you write fiction or non fiction it helps you figure out what really matters in making your book the best it can be. If you want to traditionally publish a nonfiction book, a completed manuscript usually isnt enough to land you a book deal. A book proposal is a document most commonly associated with pitching a nonfiction book. How to draft proposals to childrens book publishers dummies. May 28, 2017 this post is by far the most complete one, giving you pretty much everything you need to know on the subject. Betty kelly sargent, the non fiction book proposal is partblueprint,partinterview, partclosing statement at a trial. Since this guide and the book proposal template were meant to be complementary, we recommend perusing them sidebyside, or one after the other.
Nonfiction book proposal outline here is a basic template for a book proposal, which many of our clients have used successfully. The first step in any book outline is deciding which type of outline you will need. Writing a nonfiction book proposal by scott mendel updated. Guidelines for your nonfiction proposal hartline literary. If publishing a memoir is your goal, its a good idea to write a proposal to sell your work. Nonfiction book proposal guide creative media agency, inc. Write your nonfiction book proposal webinar creative. Your pitch offers the publisher the opportunity to acquire a nonfiction book, authored by you. This is a comprehensive, stepbystep, selfstudy course that teaches you how to write a compelling nonfiction book proposal, particularly in the digital era of authorship. This quick and easy guide is a musthave for every author. This is the nittygrittythe part where you learn exactly how to get published. Ted weinstein literary management is a fullservice literary agency whose clients include a wide range of journalists, academics, and other innovative, expert authors of non fiction for adults. How to write a book proposal that agents will love jericho. Below is a sample of a complete and exhaustive book proposal for a christian nonfiction manuscript.
Everything youve presented in your proposal so far has been about you, your platform, your marketing plans, and the competition for your book. Instead, you write the proposal that describes what the book is about, why its interesting, and why it has an audience. Tucker has sold over 5 million books as a 4x nyt bestselling author and is the cofounder of scribe. Such templates also contain key stuff that acquires the immediate attention of the viewers as to why such novels will be a better choice. How to write and sell the novel of true events, by peter rubie quill driver books, 2009 the proposal is a description of, and sample of a proposed book. Advice that i find myself giving out again and again as an agent is guidance on how to write a nonfiction book proposal.
Ted weinstein literary management is a fullservice literary agency whose clients include a wide range of journalists, academics, and other innovative, expert authors of nonfiction for adults. If youre writing your book proposal, hopefully youve already nailed down the. Quite likely you reach that publisher via a literary agent, so the first pair of eyes on your work will be those of an agent, but either way, your final target is a publisher. Submitting an already written nonfiction book as a proposal is a great way to almost guarantee you will not get a book deal. Use the proposal to sell your book to potential literary agents, editors, and publishers. How to outline a nonfiction book with free template.
A marketing plan is a vital element of every non fiction book proposal. Writing a winning nonfiction book proposal 32 30 now with that in mind, lets get to work. I can tell by my inbox that many of you have made a new years resolution to get your book out on submission this year and for that reason i think todays post and tomorrows are awfully timely. A book proposal is an essential document used in publishing circles to describe the purpose and scope of a potential publication. Use these guidelines as your template, with each section on their own pages. A book proposal samples will explain the purposes and objectives for creating a book. Add in those samples, and youll have a complete proposal ready to be considered by a literary agent. This ones short and tothepoint, and the last time i. Consult a written or online guide to childrens book publishers. In the process of writing my own nonfiction book proposal earlier this year thanks to my year of amazing pledge, i searched everywhere i could for tips and advice on how to write a nonfiction book proposal. Nonfiction book proposal template scrivener or word. Non fiction book proposal template this template is designed to cover up all the significant elements that are needed when it comes to making a non fictional book proposal. I like this one because it contains ten reallife proposals that sold.
Book proposals are information packs used by authors to pitch their non fiction books to publishers and agents. Its primarily a sales and marketing tool for you, and for your book. As a parting gift, we created this book proposal template so that you can visualize it. Take your time creating your promotion and when possible, ask others for feedbackespecially fellow authors who have been through this process before. How to write a book proposal that sells publishizer medium. 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. 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. You would never do a proposal for a board book, for example unless for. Your nonfiction proposal should include the following items. With our deep expertise in all aspects of the publishing process, our extensive network of subsidiary righ.
This is where an outline is essential, and using a nonfiction book outline template makes this process even easier. It needs to be focused, accompanied by supporting materials, and. Jul 29, 2011 there are several books available on writing book proposals. For the sake of illustration, lets assume that you are a financial planner. Memoirs can cover most any subject of human interest. Worse, having no outline often leads to not finishing your book at all. Nov 27, 2016 how to write a book proposal that sells. Ive written and published four works of nonfiction and have been involved as a ghost or behindthescenes editor on a couple of other things too. Agents are looking for something more specific when it comes to nonfiction.
How to write a nonfiction book proposal wolf literary services. How to write a nonfiction book proposal with template. This template is designed to cover up all the significant elements that are needed when it comes to making a nonfictional book proposal. Elements of a successful nonfiction book proposal dummies.
Your book idea is fantastic, and its time to prove that to the people who can actually publish it. With all of this information, youll likely end up with a book proposal thats dozens of pages long. When it comes to fiction, few agents or editors expect or require book proposals, but its an incredibly useful tool. How to write a book proposal that agents will love jericho writers. It explains the difference in proposals between traditional non fiction and narrative non fiction, helps you write a strong proposal, and gives a very thorough overview of the book proposal. Publishers require prospective authors to submit either a proposal a longer document providing additional editorial and marketing information about your book or a query letter a onepage letter of introduction inviting the publisher to ask for more details about your project. 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 help fund research. Here is a basic template for a book proposal, which many of our clients have used successfully. Guidelines for your fiction proposal hartline literary. A nonfiction book proposal is a required document if you want to land a traditional book publishing deal. Each header is a necessary element in a complete proposal. Overview describe your book in two or three paragraphs 500 wo. However, some agents andor publishers may have variations in requirements. Give a fairly brief summary of your book here, using a few paragraphs.
Contains the title, author byline, and contact information proposal contents. A book proposal has a title page also called a cover page, a table of contents for the proposal, and several sections. Get clarity, create a detailed book outline, andor pitch to traditional publishing houses. Cover page with great title, your name and address, or agents name and address. Andy warhol, saint apollonia suite 1984 for all of these reasons, quite a mouthful will make a perfect gift for any general interest non fiction reader.
1578 804 57 244 687 1224 1532 132 1360 1464 1609 343 623 1520 1558 489 770 1476 49 1393 1596 1264 413 1397 1358 109 17 297 1416 457 871 1268