Are you satisfied with how your book proposal/query letter looks? It reads well to you. It includes all of the information you feel is important to give a publisher. Anyway, even if the formatting, writing or presentation isn’t that great, the idea is wonderful and you’re sure that the publisher will see the value in your project through any potential flaws.
Authors, if this is your first rodeo (as Dr. Phil says), don’t assume you can ride that bull to the finish line the first time out of the chute. Check your project out with a professional.
I always recommend that authors read books like the one they propose—lots of them—to make sure that they are using appropriate style, language, etc. I advise that they study query letters and book proposals as well as books and articles on how to write them. I know authors who follow this advice and still misunderstand the concepts or the process. And few of them even stop to consider what the publisher or their eventual readers want.
Too many authors write for themselves. And this is okay unless you want to publish your work and then you must write your book or article for your readers. Write your query letter or proposal for the publisher. When you shift from pleasure writer to a potentially published author, in order to succeed, you need to give up writing for yourself and start thinking about your audience.
This is not easy for most authors. And that’s why it is important to check with a professional before you finalize your query letter, book proposal and manuscript.
Are you reluctant to spend money with an editor or some other brand of publishing consultant? This could become the reason for your failure to find an agent, land a publisher or, if you go with a pay-to-publish company, to break even with your book.
Make sure that what you are presenting is well-done, not flawed. Be confident that you have a viable product and not a weak one. Check out book editors and publishing consultants before approaching an agent, a publisher or the public with your project. Get a second opinion because yours could be a bit biased. (Do ya think?)
If you are working on a query letter, book proposal or a manuscript, don’t go it alone. Reach out and get some professional feedback. It might cost you in the beginning, but you’ll be rewarded in the end.
PLFry620@yahoo.com