Surefire Ways to Get Your Book Proposal Rejected
SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) has made an important addition to their ebook offerings. How to Write a Successful Book Proposal in 8 Days or Less is available now for $12. If you are in the process of writing a book or are even thinking about writing a book, you MUST have this 32-page booklet. http://www.spawn.org/ebooks/pfry2/index.html. In the ebooklet, I've outlined everything that you need to do in order to sell a publisher on your book idea. Now here are some of the biggest mistakes to avoid when developing your book proposal.
1: Do Not tell the publisher his business. In other words, don't say, "You've really got to add this book to your list if you hope to make a success of your publishing company." Or "This book will make you rich."
2: Do Not threaten the publisher. It will do you no good to say, "If you don't buy my book, I will kill myself." Or "You're missing the book of the century if you pass on this one."
3: Do Not claim that your book contains no mistakes. Have you ever picked up a book that had no mistakes? I don't think it is humanly (or even technically) possible to produce a book without a mistake. And from what I'm told by publishers, many authors who claim to have hired a professional editor for their book, have been taken for a ride. So make sure you hire a reputable editor before submitting your book proposal or manuscript. And, of course, submit it to the publisher only when you have made it as good and error-free as you possibly can.
4: Do Not say that everyone will buy your book. This is a dead giveaway that you are an amateur. You may hope that everyone will buy your book, but this is an unrealistic expectation. A publisher will be more impressed by an author who has done his homework and is quite clear as to the segment of the population who will actually be likely to purchase a book of this sort.
5: Do Not state that this is the only book you'll ever write. Most publishers prefer working with authors who are likely to produce more than one good book. If your book is successful and you are a pleasure to work with, the publisher would just as soon accept another book from you than someone unknown to him.
6: Do Not reveal that you've been working on the book for 25 years or so. There is nothing impressive in the fact that you have not been able to complete a 12-month project in over two decades.
7: Do Not try to bribe the publisher. Unless you can offer the publisher a large sum of money or a free vacation in Tahiti, don't bother to entice his favor through bribery.
8: Do Not hire an unprofessional, unqualified agent. A bad agent is worse than no agent at all. What is a bad agent? One who charges you for her services, who either sends your manuscript to publishers who are inappropriate for this project or doesn't send it out at all and who does not maintain reasonable communication with you. You can generally get a good recommendation at the Association of Author's Representatives at http://www.aar-online.org
9: Do Not try to write a book without writing a book proposal. I tell people that the first step in writing a book is to write a book proposal. Without a book proposal, you are at risk of using the wrong slant for your book and/or writing for the wrong audience. Of course, there are two types of authors—those who have something to say and they're going to say it regardless of whether anyone ever reads the book and those who want to be widely read. Let your expectations be your guide. If you are the former, do it your way. If you are the latter, you'll have a greater chance for success if you'll follow industry protocol.
10: Do Not try to land a publishing contract without writing a book proposal. While manuscripts have been accepted without a book proposal, it is becoming less and less common. Your excellent, honest, thoroughly researched book proposal is your key to success.
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