What Is a Book Prospectus?
A book prospectus or proposal is the summary of your manuscript or idea. Thousands of book proposals cross a publisher's desk every day. While each book genre requires a different format; all book proposals have common elements.
Other People Are Reading
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Creating Interest
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In your general overview, you need to hook the reader. Why would someone want to read your book?
Marketing
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In this section, you explain how you plan to help promote your masterpiece. You also describe your ideal reading audience.
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Opposing Views
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Acknowledge your competition, but make the pitch for why your book will be better or present a different perspective.
All About Me
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Fill the author section with information about you. Give your qualifications as a writer, list any of your publications, and describe your education and what made you write this book.
Structured Content
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Include a table of contents. This shows the publisher or literary agent you are organized and have a plan for how the book will look when finished.
Showing What You Can Do
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A well-done book prospectus includes summaries of each chapter. You also should include two sample chapters so the publisher can get to know your writing style.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Hash Milhan
