Here is a basic template for a book proposal, which many of our clients have used. How to write a book proposal that agents will love jericho. Your outline is a living, breathing document to help guide you to finish your book. Tell the publisher what she can expect to find in the guts of your book, starting with the table of contents and adding a paragraph about each specific chapters contents. Sep 01, 2012 if you write your chapter outlines with the following perspective in mind, youll avoid that problem and come up with a compelling and motivating outline for your book proposal.
You are also welcome to listen to free audio recordings of teds book proposal bootcamp and other workshops and media appearances. The basic idea is to use the book outline as a roadmap to help you know what to write in each chapter. The literary agents guide to writing a nonfiction book proposal by andy ross. Table of contents in a book proposal swenson book development. How to write a nonfiction book proposal with template. The worst chapter summaries are those that simply say, in this chapter readers will. If you write fiction, you may be asked to write a book proposalfor a short story anthology, a writing book, even a series. Even if you never plan to write a book proposal, you should be familiar with whats here, as it reveals the sort of data publishers analyze when deciding whether or not to publish a book.
There are several books available on writing book proposals. Last week, i was feeling really good about how much i had accomplished a sample chapter and prologue, an overview of the book for a book proposal until i decided to really map out what it is going to take to get this project done. Outlines help publishers view the whole book without reading every word. Writing chapter outlines for a book proposal a way with words. The following is my book proposal template you can use to write your proposal. For each chapter, you write a brief summary of the idea, information, or story presented, usually 100200 words per chapter. If you write your chapter outlines with the following perspective in mind, youll avoid that problem and come up with a compelling and motivating outline for your book proposal. That you so much for the quick and easy guidelines to writing the chapter summary. Writing a great book proposal is how to sell your book to a publisher. Oct 22, 2012 this section of a book proposal can feel intimidating both if youve finished the book and if you are just conceptualizing it. It needs to include an outline of approximately one paragraph to one page of prose larsen 6 as well as one sample chapter to showcase the style and quality of. Sample book proposal from a professional literary agency.
Narrative description 24 typescript pages of the proposed books content and scope. How to draft proposals to childrens book publishers dummies. The outline gets you started in the right direction. If writing a chapter outline seems redundant or unnecessary for your book s content, then use a table of contents. 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. The rest is the same as the nonfiction book proposal. Attach two sample chapters that best represent the book to the end of this proposal template. Editing a book proposal yesterday i observed a common problemthis author didnt know what to emphasize in her chapter outlines. Your proposal requires the consideration of the timing and potential for sale as well as its potential for subsidiary rights. This outline should include section titles, chapter titles, and a two or threesentence description of each chapters content. Click here to view a pdf of the proposal guidelines. In your chapterbychapter synopsis aka chapter summaries, you are. Chapter by chapter summaries for your book proposal in addition to a table of contents, your book proposal also needs a more detailed outline.
The final two sections of a book proposal should be the books outline then the sample chapters. The mindmap method requires you to create a brain dump based on your books topic. Sample new book proposal below is a sample of a complete and exhaustive book proposal for a christian nonfiction manuscript. How to outline a nonfiction book with free template. While you may be asked to write on a series of potential topics, there are similarities in all of the possible subjects.
The study of green grass is popular among agrostologists. This section of a book proposal can feel intimidating both if youve finished the book and if you are just conceptualizing it. As your write about whats in each chapter, keep in mind your readers biggest problems, challenges and goals. This may be the most important element of the book proposal, as it will show the potential publisher or financier that your book will be interesting, readable, and written with the highest quality. Outline for book proposal university of virginia press. Moved a topic from one chapter to another, tweaked the outline. A book proposal argues why your book idea is a salable, marketable product. With fiction, however, the synopsis is your sell so paying most attention to this will get your book sold. About the author, promotion and marketing, and sample chapter. Please include all front and backmatter apparatus, e. Nonfiction book proposal outline here is a basic template for a book proposal, which many of our clients have used successfully. Pdf writing a nonfiction book proposal a primer for the.
How to write a chapter synopsis for your book proposal. Read each chapter individually before writing the outline for that chapter. Your outline might simply consist of a list of chapter titles, or it may include summaries of each and every chapter. Apr 30, 2012 keep in mind when writing your book proposal outline that you are essentially writing the skeleton for your book to show how it is organized and how it will flow together. Agents are looking for something more specific when it comes to nonfiction. If you understand these two things, the book proposal format makes perfect sense. That was a twobook deal, admittedly, so you can divide the numbers by two to get a per book amount. Write your topic in the center of a piece of paper, then use lines and words to draw as many connections as you can. Jan 15, 20 preparing a book proposal for submission to a publisher or an agent requires you write a table of contents toc.
And if you want to use both, thats completely acceptable. How to write a nonfiction book proposal writers digest. 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. Sometimes this is merely called the outline, but i like to call it the chapterbychapter summaries. This should be an outline of the book concept you plan to propose. Time to put on a fitbit and walk the publisher through your book. Speakup15 5 secondary audiences who, in addition to the target audience, might read or purchase this book. How to write a chapter synopsis for your book proposal chad. An annotated, chapterbychapter outline tentative, of course of the book.
May 28, 2017 a book proposal argues why your book idea is a salable, marketable product. Sometimes this is merely called the outline, but i like to call it the chapter by chapter summaries. I know, this is simple, but its different than most book outlines. An argument for the books importance, as a rationale for publishing by the university of virginia press. The outline should include section and chapter titles or headings, and beneath each heading a paragraph or two describing what happens in the chapter, and how the action relates to the theme and moves the story along. This ones short and tothepoint, and the last time i. This can be a vital tool for understanding the entire manuscript if the book proposal reaches the stage where it. Your outline might simply consist of a list of chapter titles, or it may. With nonfiction, the most important aspect is the chapter summary and your marketing proposal. In addition to your core target audience, who might be the next most interested targets. Ive been reading a ton of your articles as i write my book proposalthanks for the great content.
Jul 29, 2011 there are several books available on writing book proposals. Aug 23, 2016 the site has all of the proper proposal sections intro, summary, competitive titles, marketing plans, bio, chapter synopsis and even sample chapters. It acts as a business case or business plan for your book that persuades a publisher to make an investment. 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.
Imagine a screenshot of how the entire book is organized. An annotated, chapterbychapter outline tentative, of course of the book, including estimates for numbers of text pages and pages of illustrations. In some ways this outline is creating an architectural design of a bridge. Jul 12, 2018 when you send a novel or nonfiction book to a publisher, you may want to send a chapter by chapter outline of your book. Apr 24, 2020 the rest is the same as the nonfiction book proposal. A thorough book proposal evaluates the audience for the work, how it will stack up against the competition, and why the book will succeed in the. 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. If the book is nonfiction, the outline should include a description of each character, including his personality traits and his relationship to the.
Outline for a book proposal university of virginia press. Chapterbychapter summaries for your book proposal in addition to a table of contents, your book proposal also needs a more detailed outline. This is the main method of outlining that we teach in selfpublishing school. Dear pamela, memoir advice about your book proposal. Whether the work is fiction or nonfiction, the outline should include the title of the book and a list of chapters, along with a brief description of what material will be covered in each chapter. Many were great, but super lengthy and time consuming to read. It takes me months to finish writing a book proposal. Reducing publishers risk by showing you will sell copies.
A book proposal has a title page also called a cover page, a table of contents for the proposal, and several sections. Youre going to have to essentially sell them your book, sending them a document that contains details about your qualifications, a chapterbychapter outline, and most importantly, how your. In fact, for my travel adventure memoir, ive been working on the proposal onandoff for the last two years, and even then, my agent is asking for a rewrite. Most publishers have guidelines for how they want your material to arrive, regardless of. To begin this document, start with a list of your chapters. Routledge handbooks online is our premium digital reference home that provides institutional access to our handbooks at chapter level, significantly expanding potential readership and discoverability. I found this advice once offered by former writers digest publisher jane friedman who. How to write a book proposal and why you should read this. I did the first chapter outline before i started writing the book. The truth is the nonfiction book proposal is an entirely different beast. Preparing a book proposal for submission to a publisher or an agent requires you write a table of contents toc. I got this term from literary agent michael larsen, and i still think its a good way. How to finally write your nonfiction book the new york times.
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. I got a lot of contradictory advice, from having to have a complete book before contacting editors to just emailing them unsolicited with a paragraph about myself. If you discover new research, new stories, and new ideas, you can always change your outline and make your book even better. Your book proposal should include the following elements. When you send a novel or nonfiction book to a publisher, you may want to send a chapter by chapter outline of your book. Our professional books bring together highlevel research with. How to write a chapter by chapter outline pen and the pad. 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. Jun 04, 2018 your book proposal will be scrutinized by everyone in the decision making process at the publisher. Include the full table of contents, with detailed summaries of each chapter. Write a chapter by chapter outline by following these hints.
Ive read various places now i cant remember where, of course that you shouldnt use this chapter explains or this chapter will cover etc. However, one thing to consider now is your book outline template. Writing chapter outlines for a book proposal a way with. Give approximate page numbers for each chapter, and provide a summary of each chapter to be included. Did you know there is a secret formula to writing a. First and foremost, the job of the chapter outline is to show your method of approach. 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. How to write a chapter synopsis for your book proposal chad r. We dont focus on story structure, theres no mention of turning points or character arcs or subplots for a main character or any of the typical devices that are used. Creating a compelling book proposal is your first step to getting your book. Keep in mind when writing your book proposal outline that you are essentially writing the skeleton for your book to show how it is organized and how it will flow together. When writing a book proposal, one of the more difficult sections to. The anatomy of a compelling book proposal the bindery. Writing a nonfiction book proposal a primer for the firsttime nonfiction book writer.
In the latter case, when you finish, youll really know what youre book is about. In addition to a table of contents, your book proposal also needs a more detailed outline. I cannot imagine what a chapterby chapter annotated outline of that novel would have looked like. An annotated, chapter by chapter outline tentative, of course of the book, including estimates for numbers of text pages and pages of illustrations. I like this one because it contains ten reallife proposals that sold.