Figure out your genre. Are you writing fiction, nonfiction, poetry? From there, what is your sub genre? Is your nonfiction book a book of essays or a memoir? What could you call your fiction work? Is it literary fiction, or a more specific genre like historical fiction, science fiction, or fantasy. It’s important to know the genre, as it will help you more easily format your book and know what to focus on. You want to know what commercial value your book has. Publishers and agents will not waste time on books that will not sell. Research the bigger books currently on the market in your genre. Ask yourself, “What is my book doing that these books are not? What makes these books successful? Where does my book fit in?” If you can find a missing niche in the market that your book fills, this is important information to provide in your book proposal.
The first question you should ask is, “So what?” Why is your book important to the current literary world? What makes it important? Is your topic important? Do you offer a unique perspective? Does your book identify, examine, or solve a problem? This is where you must explain why your story needs to be told. The second question is, “Who cares?” Identify a specific audience you believe will buy the book. For example, maybe your market is middle aged working women, or college-aged art majors. You might research books that are similar to yours to find out their target audience. Check social media and advertising for these books to see what audience the book is marketed to. Find as specific a market as possible. The last question is, “Who are you?” This is where you have to sell yourself. Explain why you’re the best person to tell this story, and any qualifications you have that prove you’re a decent writer. For example, you’re writing a memoir about mental illness in America. Maybe you worked as a psychiatrist in New York City for 5 years before obtaining an MFA in nonfiction from the University of Iowa. All this could qualify you to tell this specific story.
Boiling your book down to one sentence can be tricky, and it may take a few days to get that sentence right. Feel free to ask friends for help. You can give someone a variety of sentences and ask something like, “Which of these sentences makes you most want to read this book?” This is essentially a tagline, like you would see in a movie poster. Try to hook your reader in by making your book sound exciting. For example, “In an era where psychiatric drug use is at an all time high, a renown child psychiatrist from Atlanta wonders if an experimental program for childhood ADHD might benefit her clients more. "
Your overview should likely be brief, but check the requirements for the type of book you’re writing. Strive to keep it at a paragraph’s length, unless instructed to write more. Use your words wisely. Cut out unnecessary adjectives and adverbs whenever possible. Remember, you want to keep a publisher or agent interested. Publishing houses and agents receive hundreds of proposals a day, so you will have to work hard to make yourself sound interesting.
Stick to relevant details. An agent does not need to know you grew up in the Midwest and live with your spouse and two dogs. Talk about your qualifications as a writer. If you have any previous publications or books, list them here. If your work has earned any kind of special awards or recognition, this should also be mentioned. Do you have any degrees in creative writing, or in a field related to your book’s topic? For example, returning to the memoir about mental health in America, you could say something like, “I have a PhD in psychiatry from University of Michigan, and counseled children in upstate New York with ADHD for 10 years. After this, I obtained an MFA in nonfiction from the University of Iowa. "
Talk about what you’ve already done and not what you plan on doing. Agents and publishers are likely to help an already established author. Have you identified and reached out to a target audience? Have you participated in literary readings? Do you have an online presence, like a blog or even an active Twitter page? Be as specific as possible when you’re explaining why your work is marketable. For example, do not say, “I know a lot of people in the world of psychiatry and also literature. " Instead, say, “I have attended several AWP panels talking about my science-based nonfiction work, all of which were heavily attended. My blog has roughly 15,000 visitors per month, and blog pieces have been cross published in popular online publications like Salon and the Huffington Post. "
For a synopsis, keep it between 2 to 3 pages. It’s a good idea to stay on the shorter side, as agents and publishers are often pressed for time. Usually, agents and publishers will want the first 40 to 50 pages of your work. However, check specific guidelines. Some agents and publishing houses will want more or less.
Does your work have significant commercial value and are you looking to publish through a big house? If you’re writing a work on a hot button issue, or if you already have a big presence in the literary world, an agent may be necessary to get your book to the right sources. However, you may be looking towards an independent publisher or a university press. Such places usually do not require agents, and some have free reading periods where even a book proposal is not required. If you’re writing something in hopes of getting published through a regional press, such as a book of essays on Michigan, you probably do not need an agent.
Try subscribing to publications like Writer’s Market and Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook. These publications usually offer you a list of agents and the genres in which they work. Make sure you purchase the most recent version, as outdated versions may give you the names of agents who are no longer working. You can also look online. Websites like AgentQuery, QueryTracker, and Duotrope prove listings of agents by genre.
As with an agent, make sure you know the publishers well. A publisher that primarily publishers literary fiction and nonfiction may not be interested in genre-based works, like sci-fi and fantasy. Examine books that are similar to yours or that were successful to find out who published them. You might send your proposal to that publisher.
Follow basic formatting, such as requirements for margin sizes, fonts, title pages, and so on. Many presses and agents require you include a self addressed stamped envelope (SASE) so they can mail you an acceptance or rejection.
Try to go into the situation with an open mind. Many people get attached to their original idea, and do not want to listen to criticism. However, it’s important you follow your agent’s advice. If you’re interested in selling your book, your agent can help you figure out a way to make it more likely to get accepted by a publishing house. Keep in mind that, sometimes, restrictions force you to be more creative. Your agent may want you to trim certain things down, or to shift focus slightly. While this may be frustrating, you may end up with a final copy you like more than your original idea.
It takes a long time to write a final draft, so have patience and stay on a schedule. Carve out some time each day in your schedule to sit and write. If you have any contacts in the writing world, such as previous professors or colleagues from a creative writing program, talk to them. Ask them to read your draft and provide you with honest feedback.
Remember to send your book out to relevant publishers who publish books in your genre. If you’re working with an agent, your agent can help you find publishers. If you’re working on your own, you will need to use online resources to find publishers. If you know someone in the literary world, such as someone you met at a conference or attended school with, contact them if they have a recent publication. They may be able to help you get your foot in the door at a publishing house.
If you have more than one publisher interested in your book, you may get competitive bids. You can select the publisher who is willing to offer you the highest bid. You should also negotiate things like advances. An advance is an amount of money your publishers gives you to get a start on your book. A higher advance is generally better, as it will give you more resources to focus on your writing.
Have a lot going on besides your book proposals in terms of your writing. Work on curating a literary series, sending your work out to small journals, and self-publishing on a blog. This way, you’ll have a lot more going for you if you receive a rejection. It may sting less. Rejection is usually not personal. Your work may simply not have been a good fit, or it may have been too similar to another book coming out soon. It does not mean you’re not a good writer, so learn to take rejection with a grain of salt.
