WHEN Saturday, March 24 10 am-4 pm WHO Ideal for people who have an idea for a nonfiction book (excluding memoir), but don't know where to start when it comes to getting it published. WHERE Seattle Central Community College Capitol Hill area Seattle, Wash. MORE INFO Email us, or call (310) 659-5668. PRICE $125 ($99 for ) more info

Course Details

This one-day workshop covers how to break into nonfiction publishing, with a primary focus on learning how to craft a solid book proposal to maximize your chances of selling your book and having it published. In today's tough market, having a well thought out promotional and marketing plan can make the difference between a sale and a rejection. We'll provide strategies for making your proposal stand out, as well as strengthening your own platform as an author and expert. We will focus on writing a nonfiction book proposal, and you will leave the seminar with a solid draft of your proposal for agents or publishers. There will also be a discussion of the submission process itself, including how to research and approach agents, with writing time provided for drafting a query letter to accompany the proposal.

The proposal components to be covered include:

• Book Overview
• The Market
• Competitive Review
• Promotional Plan
• About the Author
• Book Format
• Book Outline
• Sample Chapter
• Cover Query Letter

Instructor Bio

Deborah Reber's Courses

Deborah Reber learned about writing nonfiction book proposals from the ground up, researching and networking her way to selling her first nonfiction book, Run for Your Life: A Book for Beginning Women Runners (Perigee, 2002) and most recently, In Their Shoes: Amazing Women Share What It's Really Like to Do Their Job (Simon & Schuster, 2007). She also pitched the content and format for a new book series from Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul, and consequently landed a 3-book deal with the publisher, HCI for the series The Real Deal (2005-2006). Deborah is a master networker, and her experience as a development executive for Cartoon Network, where she reviewed more than 2,000 pitches a year, gives her the unique perspective of being on the other side of the desk.

Testimonials

Debbie lacks ego, which makes candid discussion of her experiences all the more useful. She is a success as an author because she is a tireless worker. She doesn't claim to have all the answers, but she does know where to find them when necessary. I would definitely take a class from her again. -- Michael Bradbury, freelance science writer