9 elements of a successful book proposal for
storytellers
When you are considering writing a book, one of
the first steps involves writing a book proposal. You should never wait until a
publisher asks for it before writing one. You should have a book proposal ready
which only needs to be tweaked to suit the publisher’s guidelines. Each and
every book proposal is different. Still, to make yours a successful one, you
need to look at it from the publisher's point of view; you see, a publisher has
to take a financial risk with your book and you need to convince a publisher
that your book is worth the risk. Below, you will find a list of the basic
elements of a book proposal that, if mastered, will probably guarantee the offer
of a book contract.
Element # 1 : The Title Page and the Table of
Contents
The title page states the title of your book, your
contact information. Centre the text and do not use fancy text or borders. The
most common font is Times New Roman and the size is 12. The Table of Contents
appears on the 2nd page and here, you should provide a short table of
contents for the book proposal itself. This list should contain the following
sections with their corresponding page numbers:
Other authors have told me that the Outline and
Sample Chapters sections are usually redundant. However, these are established
authors speaking. If you’re a new author, I suggest you include these; it might
well mean the difference between acceptance and rejection.
Element # 2 : Summary
The easiest way to explain what this includes is
to imagine what a customer will read on the blurb that will appear on the jacket
cover of your book. It should provide a brief overview of the proposed book. It
should be no more than 300 words, the less the better. A useful technique to
write a successful blurb is to write the opening paragraph of your book. In this
way, you’ll show a potential editor that by your very first sentence, you’ve
convinced them of your ability to hook a potential reader. Here is a list of
questions you can use to help prepare this section of your book proposal:
-
What is the premise of your book?
-
What can a reader get out of reading your book?
-
Who
is the market for the book?
-
Why
are you the best person to write this book at this time?
Element # 3 : Outline
This is nothing more than the part of your
proposal which provides a list of the suggested titles for each chapter and a
brief overview of the contents in these chapters.
Element # 4 : About the Author
In this section, go into greater detail about
yourself. Ask yourself this question: “Why am I the best person to write this
book?” What are your credentials? Are you an expert in this field? Do you have
much experience in this section? Do you have media contacts? Have you been
published before? If you’re a first time author and have never been published,
there is no need to worry. If you lack experience, it does not necessarily mean
your work will be rejected immediately. However, if you lie and misrepresent
yourself, you will certainly be rejected … time and again.
Element # 5 : Audience
In short, ask yourself these 2 questions:
-
Who
will buy this book?
-
Why
will they buy it?
The incorrect answer is surely, “Everyone.” You
have to be more specific about who the market of your proposal is. Clearly
define the market audience of your book. What do you need to know about your
intended audience? Well, here's a list to help you:
-
Age
-
Gender
-
Religion
-
Nationality
-
Educational level
-
Economic status
If you can, do go further and determine
issues like what a probable motivation a person might have to buy your
book. What unmet needs and wants do readers in your target market have
which your book can satisfy? What problems do they have that your book
can offer solutions to?
Element # 6 : Competition
In this section, start by compiling examples of
works by established authors. If you’re really market savvy and can provide a
rough estimate of how many books like these have sold, it is even better. This
shows the editor how large a market exists for your subject matter. Once this is
established, write down what makes your book unique and different from the
others. It is unwise to say, “Nothing like this has ever been heard of.” Chances
are, most people have heard of this particular topic but the angle from which
you are coming may be unique.
Element # 7 : Publicity and Promotional
Opportunities
If you’ve not realised it for now, let me say it
for you – the publishing industry is an industry. It is driven by the need to
make profit; therefore, in any profit-making industry, one of the most important
elements is publicity. Whatever assistance you can provide a publisher with
regard to this will go a long way to helping your book proposal succeed.
Element # 8 : Sample Chapters
This is a must for new authors. The industry
standard is to attach the first 3 chapters of your book to your book proposal.
However, if each chapter runs into hundreds of pages then do not do this – stick
with the first 50 pages or so. What is important is that an editor needs to see
the quality of your writing rather than quantity.
Element # 9 – Presentation
Remember the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its
cover”? Well, in the publishing industry, it’s the exact opposite – a book is
judged by its cover and to be more precise, a book proposal is judged by its
presentation. Proofread your book proposal over and over again. The final
version of the book proposal should be printed on clean, white paper using a
LaserJet printer. If you can afford it and to enhance the impression that you
mean business, send the book proposal off via courier service. These little
things count and will only serve to further the chances of your book proposal
being successful.
Once you’ve incorporated all of the
elements stated above, you will no doubt have a book proposal that is good and
presentable. Don’t be too surprised if you obtain that book contract in record
time!
Aneeta Sundararaj is the
editor-in-chief of 'How To Tell A Great Story' (http://www.howtotellagreatstory.com
). Visit the website to learn more about her work.
howtotellagreatstory.com