Most authors are intimidated by the thought of preparing a book proposal. Many of them bypass this opportunity all together. Others struggle through the process hating (and pretty much feeling confused) by the whole procedure.
If you’re an author or you’re gearing up to become one, you may have already tackled the book proposal, at least to the best of your ability. Some of you are still shaking in your boots just thinking about writing one. And you wonder, why bother? You might reason, “A book proposal is for a publisher; why do I need one if I’m going to self-publish?”
The reality is that a well-researched book proposal will give you the information you need to make the best decisions on behalf of your project. When you decide to become published, you are no longer just a writer existing in creative mode for the pleasure you derive from it. You have shifted to a place worlds away and you will not survive in this world unless you adjust and adapt. Now, you must shift from writer to potentially published author—from the pleasure of creating to serious business mode. And the book proposal will help with this process.
You’ve heard it before, a book proposal is your business plan for your book. It will help you to determine whether you have a valid product at all and how to effectively market the thing. There are scads of books, courses and articles on writing a book proposal. I offer several myself. But here are a few things that you might not know about writing a book proposal. If you want to benefit from your book proposal so that you can land a traditional publisher or realize your dream of succeeding in the marketplace with your book, do not make the following mistakes:
1: Inexperienced authors tend to write awkward, lengthy, ineffective story or manuscript summaries. Some would-be authors try to tease publishers by keeping aspects of the story secret. The synopsis should describe your manuscript succinctly and clearly without rambling or withholding. Some experts say that if you can’t describe your story or your nonfiction book in one or two sentences, you may need to rethink your project. A synopsis should run between 1.5 to 3 pages.
2: The competition section is not designed to be a book bashing. Herein, you are only required to locate books similar to yours and seriously examine them. You need to know whether your book, as planned, is actually needed and why? If you discover several books similar to yours and your audience is relatively small, you may need to consider changing aspects of your project so that it does fill a need among a large enough audience.
3: Don’t skimp on chapter summaries (the chapter outline). This section is designed to help you (as the author) and the publisher to see how the book flows, whether it is well organized or not, what is missing, which chapters are too full and need to be split, etc. It takes some skill to encapsulate the material in each chapter, but this is an extremely worthwhile exercise for the author and a most welcome addition to any book proposal for the publisher.
4: Few authors know how to think like a publisher. And this is an important practice even if you don’t plan to approach publishers. If you self-publish (establish your own publishing company) or go with a pay-to-publish company, you become either totally or in essence the publisher. You need to consider your bottom line. If you want a successful publishing experience—you want your book to sell and to make a difference—you must be clear as to who your audience is, how extensive they are and the best way to reach them. Is there a large enough audience to warrant producing this book? Do you know how you will reach them? These are important questions you must explore through your book proposal. Use honesty here—NOT wishful thinking.
5: Authors tend to slough off the importance of their own credentials. Part of the book proposal involves YOU. Who are you? Do you have a platform—a following, a way of reaching your particular audience? Or have you been sitting in your writing room for years producing this manuscript with no thought as to why anyone would read what you have written? If you are paying close attention, a book proposal could teach you that you need to start now establishing a platform. The truth is, and many authors will not accept this until it is too late, your book will probably not be available in bookstores nationwide. People will have no way of finding your book or learning about it unless you lead the charge. You are responsible for promoting and selling your own book. You are the primary marketing agent for your book. Think long and hard about this as you prepare to enter the highly competitive world of bookselling.
For more about writing a book proposal, establishing a platform, promoting your book and so much more, read the book I wrote expressly for you: The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html
Sign up today for my online, on demand Book Proposal Workshop. http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookproposal.htm