Writing a nonfiction book proposal a primer for the firsttime nonfiction book writer by scott mendel updated february 2018 it will probably seem obvious to you that the nonfiction book proposal is a tool your agent will use to sell your work at the best possible terms, and to secure the strongest possible. The sample chapter ought to be the crown jewel of the nonfiction book proposal. I offer a comprehensive course on book proposals that takes you through the research and writing process in 10 steps agent ted weinstein outlines the necessary parts of a book proposal, and also offers an audio recording of his 90minute workshop on proposals my favorite comprehensive guide on book proposals is how to write a book proposal by agent michael. Fiction book proposal for literary agents literary agencies. In such cases, the query really ends up being a cover letter and doesnt have to be labored over that much. The literary agents guide to writing a nonfiction book proposal by andy ross.
Aug 11, 2017 writing a great nonfiction book proposal reedsy. Your nonfiction proposal should include the following items. A book publishing proposal is utilized for selling nonfiction books to publishers. That extra length gives the book more heft and can be a fatter book on the shelfthereby having more perceived value. In just a page or two, you will discover all the information necessary to research and compose the material for each of the 12 primary sections in a nonfiction book proposal. How to write a winning academic book proposal enago academy. The length of your book is the number of 250word, doublespaced. Thus far the outcome of this proposal was a contract for a second book. Dear pamela, memoir advice about your book proposal memoir. Should i talk to an editor about my book at a conference. How to write a nonfiction book proposal nathan bransford.
Im an earlycareer humanities scholar in the uk, and im putting together a book proposal for a book with a projected four long chapters plus intro and conclusion. While there are two routes you can take when publishing your nonfiction book, the focus of this guide will be on traditional publishing, i. Sometimes it is harder to capture that arc in a proposal than in a whole book. And i believe that what youre about to read is the fastest, easiest way to get the best possible editor, publisher, and deal for your book. Within those 1015 pages, you must convince an agent, editor and publishing team that you and your book deserve a place on the shelf based on several key factors. Mar 17, 2014 how to write a good nonfiction book proposal for submission 17 mar 2014 christian jennings, who is currently writing a book about the last year of wwii in northern italy, entitled if i live to see the dawn at war on the gothic line 194445. Platform is a crucial part of nonfiction book proposals.
Popular nonfiction sports books meet your next favorite book. Youre going to have to essentially sell them your book, sending them a document that contains details about your qualifications, a chapterbychapter outline, and most importantly, how your. A book proposal is the primary selling tool for nonfiction unlike fiction, you dont need to have a completed manuscript to contact an agent. Each section of a nonfiction book proposal is briefly described so you understand what content to include and how to write it effectively. Addressed to the appropriate agent with titlegenreword count and appropriate contact information in the letter, this letter should interest us in reading your proposal. In this blog post, youll find a description of the overview and introduction sections of my christian nonfiction book proposal, for blossom. If you prepare a salable proposal, you can get paid to write your book. As mentioned in my discussion on how to get published, if youre interested in writing a book length work of nonfiction, you dont need to write the entire manuscript before you make the sale.
A nonfiction book proposal is the key document that allows an agent or publisher to determine the viability of a project. Five basics of nonfiction book proposals fresh ink book editing. Apr 02, 2012 what is the ideal length for a nonfiction book proposal. Nov 06, 2019 she is the author of how to blog a book, the author training manual, and creative visualization for writers, all published by writers digest books. Most novel length nonfiction is sold on proposal rather than with a fully finished manuscript, so structuring a strong proposal is your first step to querying agents and publishers. How does it differ from a standard magazine article query. If your book proposal template convinces the publisher, then they will contract and pay you to write the book. A marketing plan is a vital element of every nonfiction book proposal. Memoirs can cover most any subject of human interest. Aug 03, 2017 nonfiction proposals competitive analysis for those joining us for the first time, weve been stepping through the various elements of a nonfiction proposal. Try to include 510 samples of the art in the electronic version of your proposal.
Nonfiction book proposal outline here is a basic template for a book proposal, which many of our clients have used successfully. Identify your novels audience the specific categories of readers your book. A variety of factors need to line up for a writer to get a yes from agents, acquisition editors, and publishing hou. How to write a successful nonfiction book proposal jeanne. Oxford university press oup welcomes submissions of book proposals in the core areas in which we publish. It is by david sanford, a published author, editor, and literary agent for more than 300 books who now serves on the leadership team at corban university. Overview, endorsements, length and delivery date, competing and complementary books, target audience, about. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure theyre useful for our readers. Sample new book proposal below is a sample of a complete and exhaustive book proposal for a christian nonfiction manuscript. A standard proposal includes a title page, overview, description of the audience for the book, an analysis of competitive titles, a plan for how the author will promote the book, an author bio, the table of contents for the book, short summaries of each chapter, and three sample chapters. What is the ideal length for a nonfiction book proposal.
When youre pitching a nonfiction book to a publisher, just about everything is different. Nonfiction book proposal outline ted weinstein literary. Know your content, know your mainline pitch and some. Road swing is a travelogue that was a result of rushins realisation of his long lost dream. Instead of writing the entire book, then trying to interest an editor or agent which is how it works with novels, you write the proposal first. If you can send the book proposal along with the query, you should. When it comes to fiction, few agents or editors expect or require book proposals. Writing a nonfiction book proposal by scott mendel updated. How to write a good nonfiction book proposal for submission 17 mar 2014 christian jennings, who is currently writing a book about the last year of wwii in northern italy, entitled if i live to see the dawn at war on the gothic line 194445. Jul 29, 2011 there are several books available on writing book proposals.
Nov 23, 2015 the book takes you through the football timeline and makes correlations between how they played, then to now. A nonfiction book attractive to publishers of bestsellers starts at around 75,000 words. As much as you love writing, this is not designed to be an epic. Even more so than practical nonfiction, your narrative or memoir proposal needs to serve as a microcosm for your book as a whole, so the proposal has to be a tight and exciting read, and capture the arc of the book. It acts as a business case or business plan for your book that persuades a publisher to make an investment. A memoir is a personal story that provides a snapshot of a particular time and place in your life. Timeline for writing a nonfiction book i frequently receive emails asking to know more about the process of writing a book and acquiring a literary agent. How to write a nonfiction book proposal wolf literary services. Not counting your two to three sample chapters, your nonfiction book proposal should be no longer than 1015 pages. The appropriate length for a nonfiction query is somewhere between 1 and 1.
Everything my agent wanted to see in my proposal was there because of elizabeths book. At the age of 30 he took on a car journey to cure his obsession with sports by visiting every major american sports shrine for a year and later wrote a book on it. This book introduces the feathered residents of a suburban garden in the north east of england. This ones short and tothepoint, and the last time i. One of the things i have to explain is just how lengthy the process is from book idea to holding a published book in. Jan 28, 2011 nonfiction picture book proposals 101. As a hybrid author, she also has published 17 books independently.
What you do need is a concisely written document that conveys to the agent exactly what your nonfiction book is. Be sure to list any books that you have previously published, and any other information about yourself on why you are qualified to write this book. You are also welcome to listen to free audio recordings of teds book proposal bootcamp and other workshops and media appearances. One of these chapters has been published as a long article 12,000 words. Nonfiction book proposal guide ask yourself these questions and as you write your answers, your proposal will develop before your eyes. Thats top secret information until the book actually gets. Writing quality counts in nonfiction book proposals. A typical nonfiction book ranges between 55,000 and 80,000 words. Currently, i only have full drafts of two of these chapters, plus a less finished draft of my introduction. Aug 23, 2016 when i was struggling with my own memoir proposal which seemed harder than writing the darn book, eric maisel, author of the art of the book proposal, suggested i write a miniproposal. She is a nonfiction book editor and doctor, proposal consultant, and an author coach and trainer as well as a book and blog coach. All editors interviewed said they do want authors to talk to them at conferences. Writing an irresistible book proposal writers digest.
Nonfiction book proposals anybody can write gave me the structure i needed to produce a coherent, organized proposal. And if youve already finished your memoir, youre still going to need to write a full proposal to accompany your submission in almost every instance. Overview describe your book in two or three paragraphs 500 wo. If you think about the math it changes from 100 pages to one around 140 pages. And publishers are looking for more nonfiction authors to write e book singles, which run anywhere from 20 to 100 pages in length. How to write a good nonfiction book proposal for submission. The disadvantage is that a memoir book proposal may be up to 25 pages in length just to cover the business proposals and market research that youll need to present. A one page cover letter or query letter is sufficient.
Most book agents call this section of a nonfiction book proposal the competition section, but i prefer to call is the competitive advantages section. What is the accepted way of preparing and submitting a proposal for a nonfiction picture book, say for the middle grade market. The top ten ways science affects the game top 10 science what a great way to get a boy who loves all things football to learn a bit about science as it relates to his favorite game. In an email the attached file name should be descriptive author name fiction or nonfiction proposal logli. Aug 02, 2016 ive got you covered here are some of your best bets for nonfiction works that will be well liked by everyone in your book club. I was able to send my proposal within a week, and three months later, my agent was responding to bids from four large publishing houses. Writing a nonfiction book proposal by scott mendel.
And, its not just a strong book proposal that increases your chances of getting a publishing contract and a literary agent. If you have the time and want more detailed guidelines, get one of the many excellent books on writing proposals from the writers shelf at your library or local bookstore. If publishing a memoir is your goal, its a good idea to write a proposal to sell your work. How to write a nonfiction book proposal wolf literary. May 28, 2017 a book proposal argues why your book idea is a salable, marketable product. Particularly, a book proposal asserts with your book, that is it actually salable and marketable product. Nonfiction book proposals can top out around 5075 pages, not including sample chapters.
I offer a comprehensive course on book proposals that takes you through the research and writing process in 10 steps agent ted weinstein outlines the necessary parts of a book proposal, and also offers an audio recording of his 90minute workshop on proposals my favorite comprehensive guide on book proposals is how to write a book proposal by. This page will direct you to some examples of book proposal sections so that you can put together a winning book proposal. Nonfiction book proposal guide creative media agency, inc. Unlike fiction, where an author must have a completed manuscript ready before they approach a publisher or agent, a nonfiction author only needs to develop a proposal to submit to publishers andor agents. Example of nonfiction book proposal keeping up with the jackdaws. Footballteen fiction, sports teen fiction, books barnes. It is up to the author working with the agent to prove that a sizeable target audience for the book exists, to sharply define this target market, and to evaluate competitive books if any in the marketplace. Writing an irresistible book proposal by michael larsen.
If you are interested in submitting a proposal, please follow these guidelines. Add in those samples, and youll have a complete proposal ready to be considered by a literary agent. Each heading within a book proposal answers a key question. However, many self published authors treat it like the hellstrip in front of. Discover the best childrens nonfiction sports books in best sellers. The truth is the nonfiction book proposal is an entirely different beast. Andy warhol, saint apollonia suite 1984 for all of these reasons, quite a mouthful will make a perfect gift for any general interest nonfiction reader. Timeline for writing a nonfiction book guide my brand. In the case of a nonfiction book, the book proposal in written first before you write the whole book. The art of the nonfiction book proposal writers relief. I like this one because it contains ten reallife proposals that sold. It is like a business plan for your book which forces the publisher to invest in your book. That reinforces the idea in your mind and in the mind of publishing agents that your book is different and in some ways better than similar titles in your genre.
Although this is an academic textbook, the proposal demonstrates the basic requirements of a successful pitch for any nonfiction book, including an excellent chapterbychapter summary. In it we will meet the blackbirds, the grey tits and the robins who share the. The truth is that getting a literary agent and signing a book contract doesnt usually happen that fast. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon kindle store best sellers. In an email the attached file name should be descriptive author name fiction or nonfiction proposal logline. To help you cast this vision, let me tell you that most standard 192page paperback books are about 40,000 to 50,000 words. Here is a basic template for a book proposal, which many of our clients have used successfully. And the publisher will want to know how well positioned you are to do it. It includes information on the content, the author, the market, and the salability of the project. However, if you create a proposal thats divided into the following four sections, in the following order, every agent or publisher that you submit fiction book proposal to will be happy. In addition to your core target audience, who might be the next most interested targets. But, most nonfiction publishers want to be sold the concept, and therefore be able to discuss the direction of the project, before you write the book. Nonfiction proposals competitive analysis sub it club.
Your guide to publishing a nonfiction book ny book editors. Speakup15 5 secondary audiences who, in addition to the target audience, might read or purchase this book. There are a couple instances of being able to sell a fiction book on proposal. Nonfiction book proposal literary agents and literary agencies. The inspiring story of one of football s greatest quarterbacks football biography books clayton geoffreys. What you do need is a concisely written document that conveys to the agent exactly what your nonfiction book is about, why you are qualified to write it, and who will buy it. Your nonfiction proposal should include the following items and should be attached as a single file to an email with submission. Sample book proposal from a professional literary agency. Many, if not most nonfiction books are sold to publishers as book proposals. Finding hope and healing for your heart after loss. Keep in mind that even academic publishers expect you to adhere to several basic elements of a book proposal guidelines as follows. And if youve already finished your memoir, youre still going to need to write a full proposal to accompany your submission in. Walewski the back cover of your book is prime real estate for promoting your book. A book proposal is a document most commonly associated with pitching a nonfiction book.
Agents are looking for something more specific when it comes to nonfiction. Proposal submission policy oxford university press. There are several books available on writing book proposals. Book publishing proposal templates proposal templates. Thats reason for nonfiction writers to pausebut not for too long. Tweets that mention the art of the nonfiction book proposal says. In a novel, the entire book is written first, then trying to find an editor or publisher. Jan 05, 2016 the appropriate length for a nonfiction query is somewhere between 1 and 1. You want to demonstrate that you know your stuff and that you are the right person to be writing and promoting books like this. Nonfiction book proposal outline the following are some guidelines to help you.
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