Book Proposal

Agent?…Publisher?…Agent?
I feel like I’ve yanked out the last daisy petal … Its PUBLISHER!!

Well if I’m proceeding to the Publishers DIRECT, then I’ll need a strong Book Proposal. Something that will convince the Publishers to take me on.

A BOOK PROPOSAL is similar to the Agent’s one-page Query letter but is far more detailed, utilising market research to sell your book.

It could be up to 10 pages long and that’s without the sample chapters!

I’ve researched the Net and found a common structure.

1.    Short Cover Letter to Publisher

2.    Summary and Overview … What you’ll read on the BACKCOVER

3.    The Market  … Your target audience

4.    Marketing Strategies … How you’ll broadcast your book

5.    The Competition … Cross-market comparisons with similar books.

6.    Synopsis

7.    Sample Chapters

8.    About the Author … a detailed writer’s resume.

My Book Proposal is now completed. All it needs now is a bit of magic!
(The last 3 stories I wrote were Fantasy! Forgive me if I sound lyrical.)

… I imagine my Book Proposal as a winged creature, lifting up my manuscript, soaring over the Publishing World, encircling it until finally perching at its true home … my new publisher!

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6 comments to Book Proposal

  • Robbo

    Karen, I didn’t know you could submit direct to the Publishers like that! All the Best.

  • Sounds complicated, Karen! Having only ever written fiction, I’ve never had to do a proposal. Good on you for doing the research – I know it will make yours stand out from the crowd. I’ll be wishing a gentle breeze under the wings of your manuscript as it journeys to find a home…

  • Andrew

    Hmm 4. Marketing Strategies … How you’ll broadcast your book – isn’t that what the publisher is taking a bloody big chunk of the price tag to do?

  • Publishers these days rely on Writers to be pro-active in spreading the news about their upcoming book ie websites, blogging, local radio + newspapers, speaking to various groups etc

  • Hi Karen,

    Sounds like you have done the hard yards and lots of homework about what’s required. What a great learning curve and opportunity to grow as a writer. Don’t forget – it already has a home – it’s just waiting for you to catch up:) Keeping everything crossed for you!

  • Researching and finding the structure of what has to be done does make life a lot easier. All the best

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