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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 2^nd 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:

• Summary

• Outline

• About the Author

• Audience

• Competition

• Publicity & Promotional Opportunities

• Sample Chapters

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:

1. What is the premise of your book?

2. What can a reader get out of reading your book?

3. Who is the market for the book?

4. 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:

1. Who will buy this book?

2. 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.