So, really quickly, what is a book proposal? A book proposal is essentially the sales plan for your book – it serves to answer the questions of agents and editors before they ask them. It tells them what your book is about, why you’re the one to write it, and who is actually going to go out and purchase this book. Publishers want to invest in books, but they want to invest in authors, too, and they want to know that they will be making back their investment. (And agents want to know that the clients they are pitching are actually going to sell.)
There are five main sections of a book proposal: the Overview, the Author’s Bio, the Competitive Analysis, the Marketing Plan, and the Chapter Summary. Additionally, most authors will include a sample chapter or two at the end of the book proposal.
Today we’re talking about the Overview, which is generally viewed as the most important section of the book proposal. You want to hook the agent or editor reading your proposal, as well as answering those all-important questions: who is going to buy this book and why?
How do you know? Why are you the right person to write it?
First off, it’s always good to pull them in with something interesting – maybe a stunning statistic (e.g., “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 37% of American adults consume fast food every day”) or a shocking claim (e.g., “It’s not every day that you learn your father is a serial killer”). Then you want to get into what the book is about, and who you are. Then, as the Overview continues, you can go into more detail about what the reader can expect from your future manuscript. You want to talk about subject matter, but also how that subject matter is going to be conveyed (e.g., if it’s self-help, will there be quizzes and self-assessments, or worksheets and activities for the reader to complete?).
The agent or editor reviewing your book proposal should get a sense of your writing style (if you’re saying that your book is hilarious, the Overview should generate a few laughs, too). And it’s generally a good idea to write the Overview in the third person (e.g., “the reader will discover”) – remember the editor is NOT your market or consumer, they are your business partner. They are buying books to sell to readers. And remember, your book is a product in this scenario.
If you have a strong platform, be sure to mention it. If you do not, do you have impressive credentials you can share? And quantify your market – scrounge up the numbers and display them throughout – and especially in those first two paragraphs.
You have a lot to cover in the Overview, but as the name indicates, you should keep it short and to the point – ideally, Overviews should be three to five pages long, double-spaced.
I know you’re excited about your book – make sure that passion and enthusiasm shines through. You’ve got this!
Introducing the Author’s Roadmap, a boutique service offered to authors who are ready, really ready, to realize their long-held dreams of being published.
First we’ll begin with a 60-minute call in which we’ll get to know one another. You tell me about you and your book and what your big, audacious dreams are for getting it published (and even after that). You ask me whatever questions you have and together we identify which roadblocks are keeping you from getting to your last stop.
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