A: Michael
Lennie, Authoring Attorney and Literary Agent, Lennie Literary and Authors'
Attorneys:
Download 'Writing
a Non-Fiction Book Proposal' from Lennie Literary Agency and for further
information, see the books referenced therein. Click
to download PDF
"A
proposal should be as good as or better than the book itself because
publishers sign non-fiction books based on the proposal and one or
two sample chapters, not based on the completed book itself. Do not
short change yourself by slapping together a generalized proposal.
Read the book(s) and relevant articles, and do your best work!"
A: Kären
Hess, the author or co-author of more than 30 trade books and college-level
textbooks on a variety of topics including financial planning, dental
marketing, art, literature, engineering, hospice care, reading, management
and report writing:
"A
cover page; an overview including what the book is about, the need,
that is why the book is useful or necessary; the audience, that is
who the book is for and who will buy it; the competition, that is,
what makes the book different from or better than other books on the
subject and a list of competing titles if any; author qualification;
an outline with detailed subheads (can be narrative paragraphs, bulleted
list of key points or a formal outline); and a sample chapter (not
necessarily the first chapter, but what is considered the strongest
chapter). Conclude with an offer to provide any additional information
desired and contact information.
It should be
obvious, but the proposal must be well written (clear, concise, forceful,
error-free and nicely formatted). If it is an unsolicited proposal,
a strong cover letter is a must.
Some proposals
include an appendix with letters of endorsement, copies of articles
about the author or the author's work and the like.
Presentation
is critical - the axiom you never get a second chance to make a first
impression applies. Use a good printer and quality paper with a professionally
appearing binder. Never submit a handwritten proposal."
