How to Submit a Nonfiction Book Proposal

Selling a nonfiction book is often easier than selling fiction, if you have a great subject and can fill a niche in the market. You've done your research, you know your topic, and you can write. Now you have to put together a book proposal that will hook an agent or editor.

Things You'll Need

• Writers Market
• Books on query letters

Instructions

1. Write a synopsis of your book. Give a general overview of your slant on the topic, why your book will sell, and who will buy it. Understanding your audience will help you push your book idea, and give the agent or publisher a target demographic to work with.

2. Write a table of contents, commonly called a TOC. Pay attention to how the chapters flow. Are they logically arranged or grouped by sub topics? Write a one or two sentence heading with each chapter summarizing what will be covered.

3. Include a sample chapter. Ideally you should have more than one chapter written before submitting a proposal so you have an excellent grasp of your "voice" for the book and how it will be organized. Polish one chapter and include it in your proposal.

4. Include a bio and don't be shy. You are selling yourself as the perfect person to write this particular book. List all related experience, professional affiliations, education and previously published writing.

5. Write a brief cover letter (known as a query), summarizing your book topic, overview and qualifications for writing the book. It will be worth your time to buy a book or two about writing query letters--if the agent or publisher isn't grabbed by your initial query, the rest of your proposal might get dumped in the slush pile without a further glance. Your query needs to be brilliant.

6. Check, recheck, and check again for correct sentence structure, misspellings or grammatical errors. If you know someone knowledgeable enough, have them read through your entire proposal before submitting it.

7. Purchase the latest edition of Writers Market, which lists many agents and publishers so you can find a good fit for your book.

Resources

• Writers Market