It doesn't matter if you are a laid-off stockbroker or a washed-up actor or a deposed leader, you'll have a hard time selling your nonfiction book without a great proposal.

Polish your idea with a professional at MediaBistro's eight week nonfiction proposal class, running on Mondays from October 27 until December 15, lasting from 6:45-9:45 pm each night. The class is hosted by Mollie Glick (pictured), an agent at Foundry Literary + Media. Her recent sales include: Gregory Levey's Shut Up, I'm Talking, Ames Holbrook's The Deporter, and R. M. Kinder's The Murder of Romance.

"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."

The class costs $499 ($475 for AvantGuild members). GalleyCat readers get $50 off if they use the promo code "GALLEYCAT50" on the application.