Maybe youve heard that a book proposal is the most professional way to present your nonfiction book idea. Writing book proposals or book proposal writing help lisa tener. Just to add a quick hopefully relevant note here, considering the name of the publisher responsible for this blog i did in fact submit what could be termed a more experimental or even slightly radical proposal for a series of readers to oxford university press a few years ago. Overview describe your book in two or three paragraphs 500 wo. You are also welcome to listen to free audio recordings of teds book proposal bootcamp and other workshops and media appearances.
The most important aspect of the submission of a nonfiction book to publishers is the book proposal. Unsure about what should be in an academic book proposal or what information academic book proposals usually contain. To aid us in our presentation of your book project, we ask authors to prepare a carefully detailed and compelling proposal regardless of whether you have a completed manuscript. The song is an excellent guide for those who want to get published. I think my next move is, after your suggestion, to write a couple of papers from my thesis, write a book proposal too, and just sit on the book proposal for six months of so, tweaking it as i go along. If the proposal has a lot of merit but is undercooked in some areas, i may spend a considerable amount of time discussing what needs to be done.
Whether your book idea is speculative or fullyformed we would be delighted to discuss it with you. Book proposals are an essential part of traditional publishing. In general, the more you can tell us about the book the better, and if your outline follows our suggestions. If properly developed and researched, a proposal can take weeks or longer to write. The book proposal queries, proposals, and multiple submissions rejections appendix. Please give a list of books with as much information on length, date of. A book proposal for an academic press has seven basic components.
A book proposal is created by a person who loves to read books, composing books, do research proposals or engaged into business of selling books. What are some examples of university press proposal guidelines. Not counting your two to three sample chapters, your nonfiction book proposal should be no longer than 1015 pages. Jul 29, 2011 you will be highly unlikely to have a winning book proposal if you try to write one based on a few blog posts you find online. Here i provide generic suggestions for what should go in an academic book proposal, and then suggest a method for writing such a proposal. Posted in book proposals and contracts, landing your tenure track job, promote yourself.
Electronic submission is preferred, but paper proposals are acceptable. Nonfiction book proposal outline ted weinstein literary. Although this is an academic textbook, the proposal demonstrates the basic requirements of a successful pitch for any nonfiction book, including an excellent chapterbychapter summary. Theyre detailed and indepth, and they show full spectrum of what a proposal can and should be.
Guidelines for a book proposal for an academic book. Writing mine helped me see more clearly what i planned to revise, reframe, and refine in my work, and that was extremely useful. Mar 16, 2020 essentially, the book proposal is the way an author sells his or her book to a potential agent or publisher. Therefore it needs to be organized in a way that provides the right information to us and to referees. An introduction or excerpt from your manuscript is not a substitute for a proposal. So, youve written some parts of the book and now must write a proposal to get a publishers attention. What is the ideal length for a nonfiction book proposal.
Academic presses are much more in tune with academic researchers and their works, and it might be easier to get on board with them instead of pursuing a large publisher. Essentially, the book proposal is the way an author sells his or her book to a potential agent or publisher. Most proposals for manuscripts range from thirty to fifty pages and, apart from the subject hook, book information length, title, selling handle, markets for your book, and the section about the author, all the other sections are optional. Hook invite the reader into your proposal with an interesting anecdote or some surprising data. When an editor presents a book proposal to the full committee at a publisher, he or she will be depending upon your analysis of competing books and why yours has the potential to capture some of the market share. In which academic departments might your book find a home. Preparing a book proposal for the history list your proposal will normally form the nucleus of the material seen by referees and will be the basis of any submission to the delegates of the press. Sure, some parts of psychology and economics and other fields are not book. Writing a nonfiction book proposal by scott mendel. Nina amirs nonfiction book proposal demystified is an excellent overview and introduction for anyone looking at writing a nonfiction book. Provide a concise description of the book 250 to 400 words, including your arguments, main topics, themes, and goals. Chapter name once youve finished writing your proposal, and before you seek feedback on it, use this list to make sure your proposal is ready for you to push the send button. Do not send a complete book manuscript instead of a book proposal.
How to write a winning academic book proposal enago academy. Guilford press is interested in considering professional books from clinicians, researchers, and scholars in psychology, psychiatry, social work, mental health, school psychology, special education, literacy, research methods, and geography, plus trade books for the general public in mental health, psychology, parenting, and selfhelp. If the book is stellar and ready to leap onto the presses, then not much needs to be said. Well, like all of the answers to lifes big questions, this one can be found in the lyrics of the beatles. Discover my awardwinning technique to getting your book proposal out of the slush pile and into an editors hands.
Have your book proposal written for you, but you can write the sample chapters and possibly chapter outlines. Speakup15 5 secondary audiences who, in addition to the target audience, might read or purchase this book. A nonfiction book proposal is a required document if you want to land a traditional book publishing deal. How to write a book proposal for an academic press get a life, phd. Crafting a convincing book proposal chroniclevitae. The reality of writing a good book proposal the chronicle of. A sample query letter translators are often called upon to write a proposal for a book length translation, particularly when the translator is initiating the project. The promotion section tells how you and your publisher can promote and publicize your book.
Academic and trade presses have far different requirements with respect to writing style e. May 28, 2017 the most common book proposal sections. The advantage to the nonfiction book proposal is that an author doesnt need to. However, an author, editor, or agent may request this kind of proposal as well. Rakesh belwal, associate professor, faculty of business, sohar university, sohar. Since these proposals are of greater length, the publisher will require you to delve into greater detail as wellfor instance, regarding the organization of the. Mar 06, 2014 10 point guide to dodging publishing pitfalls. In the world of book publishing, it is difficult enough for known authors to get their books published, but even. A sample query letter translators are often called upon to write a proposal for a booklength translation, particularly when the translator is initiating the project. What follows is a brief description of what the editors in the higher education department might expect of a proposal for a new textbook and how they will consider it for publication. Dec 04, 2014 a book proposal for an academic press has seven basic components. At times, a book proposal doesnt work because an editor may have published something similar in the past, or is. In this post i answer all these questions and more. How to submit a scholarly book proposal, from university of minnesota press.
Had i submitted a proposal to one of the highly respected university presses in my field, i might have had to do more work to score the. Why should a publisher invest in your book, and why are you the person to write it. Here you say that the estimated length of the final manuscript will be anywhere from 70,000 to 150,000 words. Ok, having established the necessity of writing a book proposal from early. If you want to know how to write a book proposal, simply turn on paperback writer, sit back, and enjoy the wisdom of john, paul, george, and ringo okay, mostly just john and paul. Its not out of the question for a proposal to reach 50 pages or more for complex projects once sample materials are included. In addition to your core target audience, who might be the next most interested targets. Feb 25, 2016 im proud of the book i published from my doctoral dissertation, really i am. Keep in mind that even academic publishers expect you to adhere to several basic elements of a book proposal guidelines as follows. Submitting a proposal baker academic welcomes book proposals from prospective authors holding relevant academic credentials which usually means a phd or similar degree in the field of the proposed book and a teaching position at a recognized institution of higher learning. If a word doesnt help answer one of those questions, delete it. Research monographs the proposal you submit will be the basis on which we judge the books suitability for publication.
Use this list alongside how to write a book proposal, 4th edition by michael larsen to create strongest possible proposal for your book. Tell us why your book is important, what makes it unique, and why it matters at this time. Writing a nonfiction book proposal by scott mendel updated. Thats why i listed the jeff herman and mary demuth resources. Write the majority of the book proposal, but have lisa write challenging parts of it, such as the marketing plan or the competitive analysis. While theres no single best way to write and assemble a book proposalit will depend on the category, the author, and the publishers submission guidelinesthe following sections appear in almost every book proposal. Here is a basic template for a book proposal, which many of our clients have used successfully. To get a better understanding of where your book will fit, read our text type descriptions and download their proposal guidelines below. The oup editor will invite comments on your outline from a number of academic advisers. How to write a winning academic book proposal last updated jul 20, 2019 0 in the world of book publishing, it is difficult enough for known authors to get their books published, but even harder for researchers. First and foremost, a good book begins with a good idea and a clear sense of who you are writing it for. The length of your book is the number of 250word, doublespaced. This is a comprehensive, stepbystep, selfstudy course that teaches you how to write a compelling nonfiction book proposal, particularly in the digital era of authorship. How to submit a professional book proposal guilford press.
A medical history textbook was proposed by robin anderson to prenticehall in january 2003. Writing a book proposal may not be exactly like appearing on a realitytv show. Publishing a book is a long and bumpy road, but tackling the proposal is an important first step that can help clear some mental obstacles out of your path. How to write a winning academic book proposal enago. Ready to prepare your first academic book proposal, but confused about where to start. Please understand that it can take two months or more to evaluate your book proposal.
It is a difficult task and one most writers wonder the purpose of. How to write a book proposal for an academic press. Whether you plan on selfpublishing or working with an agent, this book will help you get organized and create a business plan for your book. Within those 1015 pages, you must convince an agent, editor and publishing team that you and your book deserve a place on the shelf based on several key factors. Write the book proposal with guidance, feedback and editing by lisa. Writing an irresistible book proposal by michael larsen the golden rule of writing a book proposal is that every word in your proposal should answer one of two questions. In this insightful video workshop, youll find stepbystep examples on how to create a book proposal that will get an editors attentionand keep it. How to write the competing books section of a book proposal. While proposal length varies tremendously, most are somewhere around 10 to 25 pages doublespaced, not including sample chapters. Your proposal will discuss your subject qualifications and why they exceed others in the same field, so before you begin writing it, ask yourself the following.
After the project is delivered for publication, production usually takes about nine months, though largescale contributory volumes can take a bit longer. Submitting a textbook proposal to oxford university press guidelines for authors we are very pleased that you are considering writing for oxford university press. Dont try to write a book proposal based on just blogs. Im proud of the book i published from my doctoral dissertation, really i am. Learning to give a formalized elevator proposal for your project and for yourself, will help you to stand out in the minds of editors, leaving.
Breakdown of the proposed book, which will give a basic word length for. Crafting a convincing book proposal the chronicle of higher. Maybe youve wondered how to write a book proposal and what to include. Always anticipate and answer as many questions by editors as possible, however. Her clients have appeared on the oprah winfrey show, cbs early show, the montel williams show, cnn, fox news, new morning and much more. You all know that the book proposal is the cornerstone to a successful tenure track career in most areas of the humanities and social sciences. Lisa tener is an awardwinning book writing coach who assists writers in all aspects of the writing processfrom writing a book proposal and getting published to finding ones creative voice. The most important aspect of this onepage description is the argument you will set forth. Writing a nonfiction book proposal a primer for the firsttime nonfiction book writer by scott mendel updated february 2018 it will probably seem obvious to you that the nonfiction book proposal is a tool your agent will use to sell your work at the best possible terms, and to secure the strongest possible. A book proposal samples will explain the purposes and objectives for creating a book.
Aug 02, 2012 lisa tener is an awardwinning book writing coach who assists writers in all aspects of the writing processfrom writing a book proposal and getting published to finding ones creative voice. The bukowski agency nonfiction proposal guidelines. You will be highly unlikely to have a winning book proposal if you try to write one based on a few blog posts you find online. It will ask you for a covercopylength description 250 or so words, which. A good book proposal includes the following elements. I personally vary the response length depending on how promising the book proposal is. Manuscript specifics, such as estimated word length including notes and citations, delivery date, and number and type of illustrations if.