Everything You Need to Know About How to Write a Book Proposal Agents Will Love
The first thing you need to know about book proposals is that they are basically your book’s business plan.
In this blog post, we’re gonna talk about when you need a book proposal, what to include, what to avoid, and what to do with it once it’s done.
Before we dig in, know that three things are of the utmost importance while you write your book proposal: clarity, viability, and quality.
Clarity, because if you can’t get your idea and vision for your book across, no one can buy into it.
Viability, because if there’s no verifiable market for your book, no one will read it!
Quality, because, well… nobody wants a shitty book.
When You Need a Book Proposal
So, when do you actually need a book proposal? Most nonfiction books get sold on proposal. So if you’re writing nonfiction and want to get a traditional book publishing deal, you’re going to need a proposal.
You might also want to create one when you’re writing any kind of book and want to prove (to yourself or anyone else) that it works and is viable (read: marketable) before you spend a bunch of time and energy writing it.
Note: You do NOT have to have a manuscript to get a nonfiction book deal—the point is to sell on proposal. But as with anything, there are exceptions to the rule. For example, if you’re trying to sell a memoir, you’ll probably need a finished manuscript in addition to a proposal.
What to Include in Your Book Proposal
There are plenty of book proposal templates online, but they vary in what sections they include and what level of detail they give about how to write a great proposal. So, let me break it down for you so you know what’s what!
Overview
Most book proposals open with an overview. In it you should aim to give context for your idea—why should the reader pay attention to this topic/issue/idea NOW? What place does it have in today’s world?
You should also touch on the reader’s transformation—how is your book going to change your readers? Why are they seeking your book out in the first place?
You’ll also want to include a summary of your book’s actual content and structure, as well as why you’re the best person to write it. (Avoid a full bio—there’s a section for that later.)
Manuscript Specifications
This can literally be just one or two sentences that gives the expected length (word count) and finish date for your manuscript. Make sure you mention the genre/category, and any special print needs (like if you’re going to have color illustrations or something).
Author Bio
This is where you get to brag about you! But beware: This is NOT a straight up CV or resume. In your bio, you’ll want to give the agent or publisher a sense of why you are the best person to write this book.
Start with the most relevant facts, including any relevant experience, degrees, titles, high-level endorsements, awards, or honors you’ve received.
Write it in the third person, but don’t take that to mean it has be overly stuffy or “professional.” You can add a little personality if you want! You can also end it with something a bit more personal, too.
Audience Analysis
The point of this section is to present convincing evidence of how large the audience is for your book.
You’ll start with a short introduction, discussing the audience in general. Include any trends—is the audience growing? Why? We’re not looking an info dump, but a story/narrative that shows exactly who you’re trying to reach. We also want to know why they want your book.
Another important aspect of this section: Stats! Include specific numbers for your target readers; you can find data from the Census Bureau and the Department of Labor, or from research organizations like Pew and Gallup. Look for numbers for your primary and secondary audiences.
Comp Titles
Competitive or comparable titles are included in a proposal to give agents and publishers more context for your book. The point is simply to call out the “competition” but to identify books your would be in community with.
Publishers look to existing books (and their sales) to gauge how yours might do and to get a sense of the market. Doing some research on books like yours can help you frame your book in a way that will give agents and editors clarity and confidence—enough to take a chance on you! (Related: “My book is totally unique—the first of its kind!” is NOT a good thing.)
Aim to include 6-8 titles from within the last 5ish years. Avoid giants—no mega bestsellers or “classics”—because those are outliers. Also avoid books that are too similar to yours. Instead, choose (traditionally published) titles that represent aspects of your book—you’re looking for siblings and cousins, not twins.
Each title will include a short paragraph that explains similarities, shortcomings, and how your book fills gaps or continues conversations this comp titles started.
This section will also have a short overview (before the actual comp titles). Here, you’ll talk about the wider marketplace and take a high-level view of your book’s place in the world. This would be the place to mention any “giants,” but keep the focus on the market as a whole.
Annotated Table of Contents / Chapter Summaries
In the overview, you described your whole idea in sweeping prose to capture the whole arc of it. In the annotated table of contents, you will break that idea down into chapter chunks and describe the progression of the material step-by-step.
This is the place where you give a detailed summary of the entire book so an agent or publisher can glance through the pages and know EXACTLY what will be in the book.
There is no need to sell here—to say why you are doing what you’re doing or who should care (the way you hopefully did in your overview). There’s also no need to be coy. Don’t hold anything back; this is just a straightforward summary of the book, chapter by chapter.
Aim for one to two short paragraphs per chapter. You don’t have to be exhaustive about every last little nuance and detail. You just want the point of each chapter to be clear. I know I’ve used the word “summary” multiple times now, but it’s more helpful to think of this section as a truncated version of your book. If you had just one paragraph to share the whole point of your chapter, what would it be?
Write these chapter summaries as if you are writing the book itself; use the same tense, point of view, voice, and tone your reader will find in your book. Don’t write about the chapters, write mini chapters!
Marketing Plan + Author Platform
I’m not going to lie to you: It’s a little harder to catch an agent or publishers interest when your platform is small(ish). BUT you shouldn’t let that stop you from trying! Author platform is a topic I’ll deep dive into some other time. For now, let’s cover the basics of this section.
Traditional publishers work with sooo many authors every year—chances are you’re not their marketing priority (sorry, it’s just facts). This means you will be responsible for a LOT of your own marketing (at least, the marketing that is directly for readers). So, publishers and agents want to see that you’ve got what it takes to sell the shit out of your book.
Platform does play a giant role here—podcast listeners, online followers, newsletter subscribers, business organizations all matter. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t have a giant platform, though!
Think about all the different channels available to you, and brain (my preferred term over brainstorm) about how you’d leverage them to sell books.
Possible channels include:
Blogs and websites related to your topic; can you get them to review and recommend your book?
Social media — list your links and how many followers you have
Podcasts — can you do a podcast tour to promote your book?
In-person events like workshops, speeches, signings, etc.
Endorsements from important people—ideally ones your readers will recognize.
For all of these channels (and any others you can think of), get specific about how you plan to utilize them. If it’s a podcast, include possible episode titles. If it’s a workshop series, explain how it will lead to book sales.
This doesn’t need to be the most robust marketing plan ever, but if you can be strategic and thorough, your agent and publisher will both greatly appreciate it. (And it’ll make you stand out!)
Sample Chapters
Okay, so not every book proposal includes sample writing, but I always have my clients include two chapters (24-30 pages total).
I’ve heard different advice about including your book’s introduction as one of those chapters. Personally, I’m pro. A well-written introduction will set the tone for what they can expect you to cover, and it’s just a nice way to ease into everything.
The second chapter can be from wherever in the book you want! But some advice, you might want to choose a chapter that appears later in the book if:
you are writing a book with any kind of a “back and forth” structure where you want to showcase all the elements; or
you have a Section 2 or 3 in your book that’s very different from Section 1.
No matter which chapters you select, make sure they are perfectly polished and as awesome as you can make them!
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Don’t forget to include your contact info!
Name, email address, phone number. Hell, even your address. Make it easy for them to find you and tell you they want to represent you.
Avoiding focusing too much on the content and not enough why your target readers / the world need your book right now.
The content is obviously important, but remember: Your book proposal is the business plan for your book! You are trying to prove that your idea is viable and marketable. Agents, who only get paid once they sell your book, and publishers, who rarely make back the money they invest in writers, are taking a chance on you and your book. Make a solid case for why they should.
Finally, try not to be too clever in an effort to stand out.
Unless your are famous and/or widely beloved, your personality is (unfortunately) not a huge selling point.
What To Do Once Your Proposal Is Done
Do Final Rounds of Edits
Troubleshoot it!
Is it too repetitive? Have you literally used the same phrase over and over because you feel like it just sounds so good and really gets your message across? Well don’t. Find another way to say that thing.
When you read through the whole thing, are there any unanswered questions (about the market, your audience, you, or the content) or gaps in your argument or research? Do your best to plug them all.
Also, proofread the fuck out of it. Typos are not the end of the world (they show you’re human), but you need to put your absolute best self forward here. Read it a million times, spell check it, and then have someone you trust read it, too. Aim for error-free.
Prepare to Pitch
Honestly, this blog post is long enough 😅, so check back later (or even better, subscribe to my weekly newsletter) for a whole ‘nother post on pitching.
Recap
A book proposal sells your book (and you) to an agent, which you’ll need if you want to get a book deal with a traditional publisher. Stellar proposals (in my professional opinion) have 8 main sections: overview, manuscript specifications, author bio, audience analysis, competitive titles, annotated table of contents, marketing plan, and sample chapters.
Writing your book proposal is an in-depth process, but you can 100% do this! And if you want a little support or feedback while you’re getting it done, check out my private book coaching services.
Good luck!
