Nonfiction Book Proposal Writing

Complete a polished proposal that will make it out of the slush pile

Nonfiction Book Proposal Writing
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WHEN 8 weeks, Wednesdays, January 21 - March 11, 7-10 pm

WHERE New York (Midtown East)

LEVEL
Intro

PRICE
$499 ($475 for )
more info

Course Details

Got a great idea for a nonfiction book but don't know what to do with it? You'll need a professional and powerfully-written book proposal to gain the attention of busy agents and editors.

During this workshop we'll take that idea that's in your head, develop it, and turn it into something you can sell. There is a basic formula for nonfiction book proposals and when broken down into parts, this formula can be easy to learn. By workshop's end, you'll be armed with a fully realized proposal that you can take to agents and start selling your book.

In this class, you will learn:

  • How to tell if there's a market for your book
  • The parts and pieces of a successful nonfiction book proposal
  • The right voice and writing style for your proposal
  • What your final product should look like
  • What to do with your proposal once its finished
  • How the publishing industry works and how you might fit in

By the end of this class, you will have:
A complete draft of a proposal

Students who have taken this class have published:
The Unlikely Lavender Queen: A Memoir of Unexpected Blossoming (Broadway), Cheer! Three Teams on a Quest for College Cheerleading's Ultimate Prize (Simon and Schuster), Something New: Wedding Etiquette for Rule Breakers, Traditionalists, and Everyone In Between (Simon Spotlight), The Hudson Rediscovered (Free Press), Read My Hips (Harmony), and more.

Admission Requirements:
Please submit a one to two page description of your book idea as well as a brief work history.

Nonfiction Book Proposal Writing (PDF)
View a sample syllabus for this class here

Related Courses

Tell me when courses like this are scheduled.
Memoir Writing – New York (Class starts January 8)

Instructor Bio

Ryan Fischer-Harbage's Courses

How to Write a Nonfiction Book Proposal that Sells – New York (Seminar on January 20)
Nonfiction Book Proposal Writing – New York (Class starts January 21)

Ryan Fischer-Harbage
Ryan Fischer-Harbage edited books for Little, Brown & Company and the Penguin Group before joining Simon & Schuster to help create and launch a new imprint, Simon Spotlight Entertainment. Ryan edited Peter Singer's New York Times bestseller, The President of Good & Evil: The Ethics of George W. Bush, Farah Ahmedi's New York Times bestseller, The Story of My Life: An Afghan Girl on the Other Side of the Sky, and the Pulitzer Prize winning Boston Globe Spotlight Team's Betrayal: The Crisis in the Catholic Church, among others. His opinions on books and writing have appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Poets & Writers, Publisher's Weekly, and many others. He attended Kalamazoo College, The Radcliffe Publishing Course, and the writing and literature program at Bennington College.

Testimonials


I went home from Ryan's class feeling pumped, and spent hours polishing up my proposal. I wrote a pitch letter and by morning, all of the agents had responded. I now have a book deal and the perfect editor who completely gets my vision. -- Kate Torgovnick, author

"Ryan combines wit, honesty and old-fashioned know-how to deliver practical tools for anyone serious about writing a book. I am more focused and determined. Only regret -- it ended too soon." -- Tania Fuentez

"Ryan was quite inspirational. Any aspiring writer should sign up for this class. He gives great insight into the do's and don'ts in dealing with agents and editors in a variety of genres." -- Mercedes Vizcaino, Photo Editor, All You Magazine

"I have nothing but compliments about Ryan's seminar -- it was fantastic! I came away enthused about the industry, about my prospects as a future author, and jazzed to have been surrounded by so many bright, creative peers." -- Emma Johnson

"Ryan presented a most thoughtful and in-depth lecture on writing book proposals, and my questions and more were definitely answered during the Q & A period." -- Taylor Ashley

"Ryan was great! He's clearly very experienced and knowledgeable. He also has an intelligent, straightforward, and lovely way about him. I left feeling much clearer about exactly what I need to do in order to complete my proposal and get it out to agents." -- Lisa Zamosky

"Ryan is incredibly knowledgeable and creates a supportive environment. With the help of Ryan and this class I was able to finish my nonfiction book proposal and signed with a fantastic agent!" -- Katie Sweeney
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