A book is a powerful marketing tool for thought leaders, executives, speakers, and influencers, and it’s a beautiful way to preserve and celebrate stories that have something important to teach readers. But when it comes to seeking an agent who can sell your nonfiction book to a publisher—or often even seeking a hybrid publisher—the process is a little different than with fiction in that it doesn’t start with a manuscript, but with a book proposal.
What Is a Book Proposal?
Think of a book proposal as a business plan for your book. It demonstrates the book’s value, who will read it, why you should be the one to write it, and how you plan to market it. Like a business plan, it even highlights competitors on the market and provides a product demo (here, an outline and sample chapters.)
Why Write a Book Proposal?
Agents sell, and publishers buy, nonfiction based on proposals instead of full manuscripts because, for many nonfiction books, especially of the prescriptive variety, artistry isn’t as important as marketability. That doesn’t mean quality writing isn’t important—it always is—but when it comes to nonfiction, agents and publishers need to see in advance whether a book’s going to have legs. The proposal gives a good sense of how well your book is likely to sell given its subject matter, its target market, and the writer’s platform.
There’s another good reason to write a book proposal, though, that has nothing to do with securing an agent: if you’re on the fence about whether you’re ready to commit to writing a book, the experience of writing the proposal will help you get into the weeds with your intended project and determine whether it’s a path you want to take.
Even if You Plan to Self-Publish, a Book Proposal Is a Good Idea.
Remember that a proposal is like a business plan for your book. If you’re planning to self-publish, you’ll need that plan if you want readers. Writing the book proposal upfront forces you to really think through what your book will look like, who will read it, and how you’ll promote it. Tackling that early will help you identify and build up any weak spots—from your author platform to your ideal audience—before you ever put pen to paper.
(Not sure which type of publishing is right for you? This blog post breaks down the pros and cons of several models.)
How Do You Write a Book Proposal?
Generally, a book proposal consists of eight sections: the book overview, author bio, target market, competitive titles, marketing plan, book outline, chapter descriptions, and sample material.
I dig deep into how to approach each section and write a book proposal that sells in my free e-book. Take a look, and when you’re ready, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’d love to know what you’re working on, and I’d be more than happy to help.