Have you ever walked down the aisle of your local bookstore and said to yourself, “Wow, I could have written that book?” The truth of the matter is you can. It seems like everyone has a nonfiction book idea but only a few know how to take that idea and transform it into a published book that sells. In order to sell your nonfiction book you’ll need to start with a book proposal that will get an agent or publisher to bite. Over the years, I’ve written numerous book proposals and helped countless agents and authors craft book proposals that have led to lucrative sales. After speaking with hundreds of agents, publishers, and authors about what makes a great proposal, I’ve culled their insider secrets and techniques for writing a “bulletproof” book proposal into a new book Bulletproof Book Proposals. Whether you’re in the process of writing a proposal or just starting out, here are some useful tips to help you shoot your idea into an editor’s heart.
Define your idea
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We think we know a bad idea when we hear one. It’s been done. It’s boring. It’s far-fetched. No one cares. How do you know whether your idea is a good one? The bottom line is that it needs to hook your audience. You should distill your idea into a simple hook and convey it in a few short sentences. If your idea takes too long to explain, simplify it. If you’re pitching a diet book and your diet plan is complicated with a myriad of different strategies, your hook is too long. The hook for The Reverse Diet is very simple: You eat breakfast for dinner and dinner for breakfast. That’s easy to explain and to understand, whether you’re an agent, an editor, or a reader.
Create a tell-and-sell title
Ask any agent or publisher, and they’ll say that the most critical element of selling your idea is a powerful title.It’s the first thing your audience considers when they encounter your book in a bookstore or online, and the first impression an agent or editor will have. “A title is of tremendous importance throughout the life of a book,” says agent Michael Psaltis with Culinary Cooperative/Regal Literary. “When I first call editors to pitch a book, if there’s a great title, I know that the editor will remember it and look out for the proposal when I follow up and send it along.” Clever, powerful titles go a long way in a crowded marketplace and can sell your book in just a few seconds. Some powerful titles on the shelves now include: He’s Just Not That Into You, Bad Cat, Why Do Men Have Nipples, and The 4-Hour Workweek. Brainstorm as many titles as you can and test your ideas on your friends, family, and anyone you know.
Craft a powerful opening
It’s essential that the first few paragraphs of your proposal seize the attention of your reader and make them want more. The trick is to do this without over-hyping your book. Avoid words like “super” or “fabulous.” You will have ample chance in the rest of your proposal to demonstrate the brilliance of your idea. In the overview, the idea must stand by itself. Extravagant language is a turn-off, since editors are experts at analyzing proposals, and overstatement suggests a lack of confidence. “I was always look for a pitch that accurately portrays the idea rather than overstating or hyping the concept,” says Amy Hughes, former editor at Dutton Penguin and now an agent with McCormick & Williams. “The overview should be a clear, concise way to summarize the content and main backbone of the book.”
Justify your book
If you’re self-publishing a memoir or your family history, chances are your audience will be your friends and family. But when you’re writing a book proposal, you need to spell out who is going to buy your book. When possible, give specific numbers, as editors like hard statistics. One of the easiest ways to start is Google. If your book is targeting “dog owners,” your Google search will probably lead you to the American Dog Owners Association Web site. There, you can find statistics about the number of dog owners — in other words, the number of potential buyers of your book. I consulted with Steve Greenberg, author of the upcoming book Gadget Nation: A Journey Through The Eccentric World of Invention, on his proposal. We including concrete facts about the number of inventors and people seeking patent applications, since those people would be part of the core audience buying the book.
| I write an actual press release for the book, assuming it’s about to be published. Editors and agents love this. |
Compete to win
The more competition the better. If you’re writing a joke book, it’s good news that there are a lot of joke books on the market. If you’re writing a true crime book, the fact that people are interested in reading about true crime can help sell your idea. The presence on bookstore shelves of many competitive titles means there’s a market for the general subject of your book. The hard part: ensuring your book will offer readers something different than the titles it’d be competing with.
Create a buzz
Most authors dream of being featured on Oprah or The Today Show. But let’s get real: the odds of that are slim. In your proposal, convince the publisher (specifically its publicity department) that your book can stimulate press coverage. Even if you don’t wind up on Oprah, media outlets are essential to spread the word about your book. In all of my proposals, I include a sample press release for the proposed book. I write an actual release for the book, assuming it’s about to be published. Editors and agents love this. Why? It gives them a clear idea of how the book can be sold to the media and garner publicity.
Sell yourself
The biography in your proposal is more than just a rough draft for the bio that’ll appear your book’s jacket flap. Editors and agents rely on it to establish your credibility as a source of the ideas or facts that you will present in your book. First and foremost, the bio should answer the question, “Why should the reader trust you — the author?” Your proposal’s bio should confirm that you are indeed an expert on your topic. Types of information you should include are: educational background; relevant networks or organizations you belong to; lectures, performances, or appearances you make; any previously published work (books and periodicals). Get your foot in the door as an expert by being quoted in your local newspaper. Reporters often seek local experts whom they can call on to gather information for a story. Become the expert they call, and you’ll solidify your expert status, come proposal time.
Deliver punchy chapter titles
One of the first things you’ll see in most nonfiction books is a table of contents. This is essentially a chapter outline. Editors and agents want a proposal’s chapter outline to be clear and easy to follow. What they really like to see is clever chapter titles and subtitles. In my first fitness book, The World’s Fittest You, the overall concept revolved around the word “fittest.” So, to punch up some of the chapter titles, I re-used this word: “Becoming The World’s Fittest You” and “Fit Fitter, Fittest.” Don’t be afraid to go over the top with chapter titles — it’ll help differentiate your book.
Provide a sample
Good sample chapters are critical to any proposal. Editors and agents seek a smart idea that can be sold to a targeted audience but, ultimately, it has to be executed through strong writing. In your proposals, you should submit between 35 and 75 pages of sample text. It doesn’t matter whether this comprises one, two, or three chapters. The important thing is to display what the book will read like and how good it will be. The sample must demonstrate how you write, the tone of your book, how it reads, the kinds of connections you make, how you reason, and whether (if it’s supposed to be humorous), it’s actually funny.
Hook an agent
Once you’ve written your proposal, you need to get it into the hands of a publisher who can ultimately buy it. To do that, you’ll need a literary agent to champion your proposal to a publisher. When you query agents, send them a letter that boils down your proposal into a one- or two-page letter. All the material for your letter should be pulled from your proposal. “A query letter should succinctly state the overview of the proposal and your assets as an author,” says Hughes. It’s an abbreviated version of your overview — not the entire proposal. For instance, your lead paragraph should be pulled from the opening paragraph of your proposal. If your proposal opening is strong then you’ll have no trouble hooking an agent and eventually getting your book published.
Eric Neuhaus is the author of Bulletproof Book Proposals and co-author of The World’s Fittest You and Iron Yoga. He currently consults with agents, editor authors to help craft book proposals and concepts as well as write and doctor manuscripts.
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