About Book Proposals

A book proposal is a presentation of a potential book given to either an agent the writer wants to represent him or a publisher he wants to publish the book. The book proposal is a way to try to sell the book to the reader, to get her to believe in the quality and marketability of the book.

Function

There are several parts of a book proposal, and each addresses one potential concern of the agent or the editor at a publishing house. The sections of the proposal address the type of book that is being sold, what kind of credentials the writer has, what competing books are on the market and how the current book might fare against that competition. An editor or agent should be able to get a clear idea about the book's sales potential after reading the proposal.

Features

A book proposal should use concrete numbers, such as the sales of competing books and the number of books in direct competition, to make a clear case for the book. The proposal should also have an author's page that details why the writer is qualified to write and sell the book and any previous publishing experience he has. Book proposals also include chapter summaries and sample chapters to show the quality of the writing.

Considerations

Most publishers require that you send a query letter before sending in a book proposal. Agents are more likely to accept book proposals without a query letter, but many of them will not read one unless they have asked for it from the writer. Before sending a proposal to an editor or agent, know what her policy is. If she has a written policy about accepting proposals, she may also have strict guidelines about the length of the proposal and what it must include.

Benefits

If a book proposal has been requested, the agent or editor believes the book may have potential. The opportunity to submit a proposal is an opportunity to sell the book to the reader with a number of different marketing ploys. A summary that makes the book sound engaging and a well-planned marketing study that make sit sound commercially viable can get someone far more interested in a book than a simple query letter will.

Potential

A well-written proposal that accurately portrays a book that is well written and has high commercial value may interest the reader in seeing the entire manuscript or even in agreeing to a contract.