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Ten Basic Steps to Writing a Non Fiction Book Proposal 1. Before submitting your book proposal, you should first send a pitch letter to an agent or small press in order to discover if they are interested in your manuscript. The more research you do on finding suitable agents or independent publishers for your book, the more likely you are to receive a formal response. Make sure your letter is personalized to the agent or publisher, does not exceed 2 pages, and be very careful that it has no spelling or grammatical mistakes. In your letter, you should develop a one-paragraph hook for your book, starting either with the most compelling reason people have for reading your book, or by posing an intriguing question. Continue your letter by explaining why you have contacted that agent in particular. Then describe your audience and marketing plan as clearly and specifically as possible. Finally, include your credentials and explain why you are the right person to be writing this book, offer to send a complete proposal and manuscript, and thank the agent. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope so that it will be easy for the agent to respond. If you have been waiting longer than 2 months, follow up with an e-mail or letter. 2. After receiving interest from either an agent or a small press, it is time to draft your book proposal, which will help the agent or the small press get a better idea of both your book and the marketing strategies that you will use. Make sure that your proposal, like your pitch letter, is short, tight, and professional; experts advise between 30 and 80 pages. Write in the third person and be positive but also upfront about your manuscript, because if the agent chooses to represent you, he or she will read the actual manuscript. If you want your proposal to be returned to you, include a self-addressed stamped envelope. 3. The book proposal will start with a cover letter, which you can base on your pitch letter. The main difference is that your cover letter is written in response to an agent's interest, so be sure to remind them or thank them for showing interest in your book. Include the title, hook, full description, expected number of words, and illustrations, along with why people need your book, why you are the expert to write it, and when you can deliver it (even though it may already be complete). 4. The next step of your book proposal should include a list of the documents in the rest of the submission, along with page numbers. It should include an overview of the book, cover text, market analysis, promotion plan, author bio, table of contents, chapter descriptions, and sample chapters. The key to a good outline is not to write about the subject itself, but to write about the chapter. 5. After the list of documents comes the overview, which will prove to the agent that your idea is marketable. It should include a 1 to 2 line summary, followed by an extended description, beginning with the paragraph hook followed by bullets of what you intend to include in the book, the expected word count, reviewers and endorsers you have enlisted, and a mini biography which you will expand on later. Next, include your cover text with the proposal. 6. The next pieces of your proposal that need to be included are a market analysis and promotion plan, which are considered by some to be the most critical aspects of your book proposal. The market analysis should include an in-depth description of the audience your book will generate, how many people will make up this audience, and why they will be interested in your book. Also, discuss the other books that exist on your book's topic, including how many printings they have gone into, how many they have sold, and how your book is better than, or at least different from the others, without running down the competing books. 7. In your promotion plan, explain specifically what you will do to promote your book, including mailings, articles, and speaking tours. Also, quantify the sales you may expect to have from special sales, describe the subsidiary rights possibilities, and include the names of any noteworthy individuals who have agreed to give you an endorsement for the book cover. Mention any of your own resources you will be able to put towards the book's publicity, and, if applicable, any ideas for a sequel or a series that may grow from your book. You may also want to include a sample press release. 8. The next section is your author biography, which should be written in third person and should establish your credibility both in your field and as a writer. Include your advanced degrees, professional and speaking experience, articles you've published, and media experience. Be sure to express the passion and enthusiasm you have for the topic on which you have written. 9. The next section to include is your table of contents, which will show what the book will contain and how it will be organized. Include not only the chapter titles but also descriptive subtitles. Use the same tone in the table of contents that you used for your book. 10. The final aspects of your book proposal are your chapter descriptions and sample chapters. Depending on how complex your material is, the descriptions should be between 1 line and 2 pages and should be in the second or third person. You should include a descriptions for each chapter listed in your table of contents. Between 1 and 3 sample chapters should also be included. You may choose either to send your strongest chapters or the first chapters. Use subheadings and bullet lists throughout the proposal. After finishing this step, your book proposal is complete. For more in depth information on writing a book proposal, go to the sources for this guide: Larsen, Michael. How to Write a Book Proposal, Cincinnati, OH: Writer's Digest Books, 2003. Reiss, Fern. The Publishing Game, Boston, MA: Peanut Butter and Jelly Press, 2003. PublishingGame.com
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