For a writer, a book is, first and foremost, a vehicle that tells a specific story and shares a particular message that you want to share with the world. While sharing your message and story with the world is certainly paramount, if you want to have your writing published, it’s important to understand that a book is also a business. Think of it this way: the book is the business and you, the author, are the CEO of that business.
Like any other business in any other industry, a book needs to have a business plan. In the world of publishing, that plan is known as a book proposal. Successful writers realize this, and they understand just how important a good book proposal is to their success. That’s why they take the time to craft great proposals. Why? Well, to put it simply, it’s because just like with any other business, having a good plan in place increases the chances of achieving success.
As mentioned above, first and foremost, your book is a vehicle that is used to bring your thoughts, ideas, story, vision, and message with your audience. That is, after all, the entire point of writing a book, after all, isn’t it? A book also brings you, the writer, to brand new audiences, experiences, and maybe even helps you shape a new identity as a well-known and well-respected authority figure. When people discuss your book, they automatically think of you, the author, and they relate the message that your book conveyed with you, the person. Heck, if you amass a great deal of success, your book can even help you live on forever, as future generations will continue to read your writing – and recall you – posthumously.
As a business, the proposal for your book is just as important. As such, and needless to say, if you want the business that is your book to be as successful as possible, you really need to nail the proposal. In short, depending on how you craft it, a proposal can make or break the success of your book – and of you, the author.
Why are book proposals important? How can they make or break your success? To learn more, keep on reading.
What exactly is a book proposal?
Essentially, a book proposal is a document that sells your book to prospective publishers. Publishing houses use the information in your proposal to determine whether or not they should pick up your book; to determine if investing their time, energy, effort, and money into your book would be a worthwhile business venture. In short, it’s a document that highlights the key elements of your book, as well as you, the author. It includes the following information:
- An author biography, which includes any previously published titles, as well as any relevant work
- An overview of your book, including a positioning statement, summary, and a blurb
- A table of contents of your book, including chapter summaries (short blurbs of each chapter that are no longer than a paragraph long)
- A sample chapter that highlights your writing style, the content of the story, and the message you are trying to convey
- Your target audience
- Competitive titles, or published books that have been successful and that are similar in terms of the content, message, characters, plot, etc.
- Marketing ideas that publishers can use to publicize and attract readers, and sell your book
Why a book proposal is important for your success
Like a business plan tells investors whether or not they should invest in a business, a book proposal tells publishers whether or not they should invest in your book. Basically, it provides potential publishers with a first impression of your book, and just like if you were the CEO of a company who was meeting investors for the first time and you would put in the extra time to make sure that you were well-groomed, dressed-to-impress, and professional, well, the same is true with a book proposal; if you want your book to catch the attention and pique the interests of potential publishers, then you’re going to want to put in the extra effort to make sure that your proposal stands out from the crowd and really makes your book shine.
As with anything in life, if you want to achieve success, you need to put your best foot forward. The same is true with a book proposal. If you were unkempt, haggard, unorganized, and late for your meeting with prospective investors for your business, you’re going to leave a bad taste in their mouth and chances are, they aren’t going to give you the time of day. It’s the same thing with a book proposal. If it’s sloppy, unclear, lacks key information, and is just haphazardly thrown together, well, you can bet that prospective publishers aren’t just going to stick your proposal onto the bottom of the pile; they’re going to toss it right into the trash can.
How to write a successful nonfiction book proposal
The following is an overview of what a nonfiction book proposal should and should not entail.
A Good Book Proposal Does:
- Have a powerful title
- Include a clear, well-crafted, and unique concept or idea that can easily be conveyed in a couple of sentences
- Highlight why you’re the best author for the topic
- Feature a thoughtful and well-developed outline
- Include clear and engaging, yet short chapter overviews
- Include exceptional writing; anything less than stellar is unacceptable
- Highlight any relevant information; previously published books, etc.
- Feature a professional, yet friendly photo of the author
- Illustrate your unique personality and style
A Good Book Proposal Does Not:
- Feature inaccurate, over-inflated, false, or misleading information
- Have more than 50 pages; the shorter, the better
- Include rough drafts of any ideas that you may have
- Feature subpar writing, wrought with grammatical errors and typos
- Look sloppy and thrown together
- Appear rushed
If you want to achieve the success that you desire and deserve as an author, then getting your book proposal is absolutely imperative. Take the time and put in the effort and energy to create a thoughtful, unique proposal that relates to your content and that will help to attract the attention of prospective publishers and entice them to want to pick up your story.