How to Make a Book Proposal to a Publishing Company
There is a standard process and etiquette involved in making a book proposal to a publishing company regardless of the genre or intended audience. Besides finding a prospective publisher, you have to pitch your idea as well as substantiate how the book will make a profit by discussing the performance of other similar books on the market. In addition, a book proposal for a nonfiction book should include about three sample chapters, while a book proposal for fiction should include the entire manuscript.
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Things You'll Need
- Author Bio
- Book Summary
- Outline of Proposed Book
- Sample Chapters
- Current Edition of "Writer's Market"
Instructions
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Consult the current edition of the "Writer's Market," which is available in print at bookstores and as an online database, to find prospective publishing companies that are receiving unsolicited submissions in your genre. You can find information in this directory about their preferred first approach: email, snail mail, query letter, proposal or full manuscript. Make sure to follow these directions to make a good first impression.
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Write a book proposal. The first section should include an overview of the book, why you are the best person to write it, who the intended reader audience is and why this book will be profitable in today's market. Next, write a detailed outline of the book formatted by chapters. Provide an author's bio that includes your previous publishing credits, the editors with whom you have worked and your subject-matter expert credentials. Include a competitive title analysis to show that there is a demand for your book now. Explain how available you will be to help market the book.
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Add three sample chapters for a nonfiction book. Usually the first chapter is one of the samples that you include with a book proposal to a publishing company. However, if yours is a work of fiction, many publishing companies expect to see the full manuscript, especially if it is your first novel.
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Follow the publisher's directions about submitting the book proposal. Some publishing companies prefer to receive electronic submissions. Others do not receive anything except printed proposals mailed or delivered to their addresses. If you are submitting a printed proposal, you should include a stamped, self-addressed envelope for the publishing company's reply. If you would like the proposal to be returned should it be rejected, also include enough postage for that. Publishing companies take anywhere from one week to six months to respond to a book proposal. Some, unfortunately, do not respond to proposals that they do not accept.
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