Turn the Page Blog
Thoughts, Musings & Advice on All Things Writing
I’ve got to be honest with you – the vast majority of the authors I meet have no interest in building their platform. They will resist delving into that world with every fiber of their being. I’m going to be honest again – I get it. I do. I am an introvert, and a writer myself, and nothing makes me happier than helping people from the privacy of my own office, doors closed, camera off, comfort food close at hand.
The COVID pandemic has changed everything, and the world of writer’s conferences are no exception. With that being said, many conferences have pivoted to doing things online, and they can still be a terrific resource for authors at all stages of their writing and publishing journeys. (Poets & Writers Magazine has a great database of conferences and residencies – check them out.)
We’re at the tail end of our series on book proposals! So far we’ve talked about the five main parts of the book proposal - the Overview, the Author’s Bio, the Competitive Analysis, the Marketing Plan and the Chapter Summary. So, what do you need to know about choosing your sample chapter? Let’s get into it. First of all, it’s always a good idea to include your first chapter/introduction, as well as a later chapter. If you’re writing a self-help or guidebook, you want to make sure that one of the chapters is prescriptive – this is where you’re teaching them something, or detailing a particular step they need to take.
The Chapter Summaries section is basically an annotated outline of the structure of your book. The point of the Chapter Summary section is to give the editor an idea of your content and your method of presenting that information, AND to make sure you are organized and know what you are writing about. Most books are around 60,000 words, and most have 12 chapters (each chapter is usually about 5,000 words long, including 2,000 words in stories/anecdotes/case studies).
The point of the Competitive Analysis is to show agents and editors that you are savvy, and to illustrate that there is already a market for a book like yours – and then illustrate for them why your book deserves a spot on bookstore shelves. There is a good chance that you are already pretty familiar with other successful books in your genre/subject area.
How are you doing? Are you hanging in there? This is one crazy (scary/frustrating/sad) time to be alive, huh? There have definitely been some adjustments here - two parents are working from home now, we have a stir-crazy toddler, and another baby is due just next month. Of course I am thinking about you and your book projects. Have you made any progress? Or have you been focused on other things? The editor in me wants to say, "WHY ARE YOU READING THIS EMAIL? USE THIS EXTRA TIME AT HOME TO WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!" Turn off Netflix and get busy churning out those pages!
Being rejected based on your platform (or lack thereof) does not mean that the literary agent or editor thinks your career path isn’t impressive, you’re not greatly respected in your field, that you’ve accomplished nothing, or that you do not have anything substantive to say. They don’t even think you are lacking in talent, that you should keep your day job, or that there is no hope for you and your book in the wide world of publishing.
You have signed with a literary agent. You are one HUGE step closer to achieving your publishing dream. But what happens after everything is signed and made official Hopefully your book proposal is in good shape. If it needs some work, your agent will likely tell you what additional information or rewrites they need before moving forward. Once you both agree the proposal and/or manuscript is in the best condition possible, your agent will then start pitching you to editors at various publishing houses. These are editors who have been carefully selected because they acquire books that are similar to yours.
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