How to Write a Nonfiction Book Proposal
Selling a nonfiction book can be very challenging. But a good, strong nonfiction book proposal, with all the correct elements in it, can make the task less overwhelming and can garner more attention from prospective publishers and agents.
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Instructions
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Create a title page with the name of the book, the subtitle (if any) and the author(s) name(s) and complete contact information. Do not get fancy with font or colored paper as those are signs of an amateur. These days, more often than not, you will be submitting a MS Word doc or a .PDF by e-mail.
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Create a table of contents of what is in your proposal (not your book) with accurate page references. This will be page two of your proposal, and will most likely have to be filled in last.
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Summarize the salient points of your book in one page, maximum two. Make sure you start off with why someone would want to read this book. You can pretend you are writing jacket flap copy, which is sizzling, interesting, page-turning, and does not give away the end or the conclusion, but gives a taste of your book to make readers want to read more.
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Create a bio for yourself. Bios are often written in the third person. The reader of your proposal wants to know why you are the expert and are qualified to write about this topic. What relevant training or experience do you have? Have you published other books? Give the title, publisher, and publication date and indicate if they were commercially successful or well-received critically in your field. This should be no more than one or two pages.
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Decide who your readers are. Who is your specific audience? Why will they buy this book? What does your book offer that no other book on the market offers? The audience section should be no longer than one to two pages.
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Write about the competition. Don't go overboard here. Get to a bookstore or go on-line and do some serious research into other books that are similar to yours, but which yours improves upon or outdoes in some way. If you can import the cover into your color proposal, do so. Indicate title, author, publisher, publication date, and page count --- and indicate why your book is better, or puts a fresh twist on the subject, in a sentence or two. Only list books published in the last few years. Do not include more than two pages of competition.
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Input a specific chapter outline of your book. Use the title or number of each chapter and write a paragraph about the contents of that chapter. Using headings or chapter names that indicate content are better than using just numbers as they provide a shortcut for readers who might only scan this section. This can be as long as necessary to get through the entire content of your book.
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Insert one to three sample chapters that showcase your writing ability. They do not have to be in order, but they do need to be as well-written and as fabulous as the rest of your book. Make sure your best efforts are shown.
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Tips & Warnings
Have someone good with grammar and spelling look over your book proposal before you send it out. When you do send it out, make sure you have targeted specific publishers and agents who are looking for the type of material and topic you are offering.
