In my last post, I wrote about why I think every author should create a book proposal, regardless of whether you plan to publish with a traditional publisher or self-publish. Think of a book proposal like a business plan. Even if you’re funding your business by yourself and don’t need to apply to the bank for a loan, having a business plan will help you think through all of the ways you will make your business successful. That’s how it is with a book proposal, too. 

Essentially, a book proposal answers one big question: How will you (the author) make sure this book is successful?

‍

In this series, we’ll talk about the four key components of any book proposal. They might not be labeled this way on other templates you’ll find online, but all of these pieces are present in every single proposal. I will say that most of my experience has been with nonfiction, so my advice below is especially geared toward nonfiction writers. However, you’ll find a lot of the same information for fiction proposals as well. This is going to be a long post, but hopefully it helps you on your journey! I’ve also created a free nonfiction book proposal template that you can download to follow along and get started. Let’s dive in.

‍

Your Project

‍

It sounds obvious, but your book proposal should start with some information about the book you are writing or plan to write. Most importantly, this section of your proposal should answer all of the following questions:

• What is your book about?
• Who is the audience for this book?
• What problem are they facing?
• How will your book solve that problem?

‍

If you can’t answer these questions about your book, then you need to stop and reconsider why you’re writing a book and what you really hope to accomplish with it. These are the barriers; if you can’t pass these, you do not pass go and collect $200. 

‍

So what should your answers sound like to these questions?

‍

Title

‍

Your prospective title is often the very first thing to appear in a book proposal, but it’s no easy task to come up with! A lot of people don’t put much time and effort into thinking about what title to put on a book proposal because it will likely change later - but a good title is a powerful tool to entice an agent or editor, just as it is for readers. Good titles:

• Say/imply who the book is for
• Tell the reader what they will get out of the book
• Catch the reader’s attention
• Avoid being cute or gimmicky

‍

Tucker Max of Scribe Media has some great advice on picking good book titles. I highly recommend his podcast episode or article about it!

‍

‍Overview

‍

The overview of your book is a 1-2 page description detailing the transformation your book will achieve. All books are about transformation. Memoirs are stories of the author's transformation through a specific event/situation; fiction is the story of a character's transformation; and most nonfiction books are about achieving the reader's transformation around a topic.

‍

You should start your overview with a compelling hook - a question, surprising statement, or story that grabs the reader's (i.e. agent's or editor's) attention. This hook should get the reader thinking about your big idea for the book. Don't go overboard with questions or jump straight into your argument; often, a hook is just one or two sentences (unless it's a little bit of a longer story).

‍

After your hook, the rest of your overview should detail the transformation. I recommend using this formula, adapted from Donald Miller's Storybrand framework.

‍

Every [my reader] wants... What are they hoping to achieve at the end of the day? If you're writing a book about resolving conflict in marriage, then perhaps your readers want a peaceful marriage where they both feel loved. Or if you're writing about a specific educational methodology, you might write about all educators' hope to transform the lives of their students.

‍

The problem is... What gets in the way of getting what they want? For the marriage book, the problem might be that spouses learned unhealthy conflict patterns earlier in life, or that they've lost sight of their goals as a couple. For an education book, the problem might be that teachers feel pressured to teach to standardized tests and don't know how to cover content and skill standards while engaging and inspiring students. What's important here is that the problem you identify is solvable. Don't say that the problem is standardized testing itself, unless you're the head of the US Department of Education and can actually do something about it! 

‍

For a memoir or fiction, the problem might be a devastating event that occurs (an external problem), and/or the blind spots that the main character/author has (an internal problem). An internal problem will always be at play, and must be resolved by the end of the book. An external problem may or may not be involved in the book. If an external problem is there, it doesn't have to be resolved - but the internal problem still must be.

‍

The solution is... Now detail how that problem will be overcome in the book. This is where you talk about your groundbreaking work teaching couples how to relearn healthier communication patterns, or the project-based learning methods that allow for both content/skill coverage and student creativity and exploration. This is where you might talk about how the character/author is led through a series of challenges that ultimately resolve in a climactic moment where the internal problem is finally conquered.

‍

For story-driven books (memoir, narrative nonfiction, and fiction), I highly recommend reading Shawn Coyne's The Story Grid. It's the ultimate guide to compelling storytelling and creating a plot that works.

‍

Audience

‍

This information about your audience will give a publisher (or you) an idea of the potential market of book buyers. The more niche you can be, the better. Your audience isn’t just parents; it’s parents of toddlers who aren’t hitting developmental milestones. Your audience isn’t just doctors; it’s cardiologists. Your audience isn’t all business owners; it’s business owners who are looking to build their email list. A good way to think about your audience is by answering the question: Who can benefit most from what I have to say? Who is going to see your book and think, “YES, thank heavens, this is exactly what I need!”? That’s the audience that you want to target.

‍

Here’s an example: Let’s say you want to write a book on yoga. But there are already a thousand books on yoga, from people who are probably more widely recognized than you. You don’t want to compete with them. So how do you avoid competing with them? You find your niche. You’re not just writing a book on yoga; you’re writing a book on yoga for people who suffer from chronic pain. You're not just writing a book for educators; you're writing a book for high school teachers.

‍

Other Information

‍

The project section of your proposal will often also include other vital information, like a list of possible alternative titles, the estimated length of your book (in words, not pages!), and your timeline for completing the book, if you haven’t already completed it. This data seems boring and routine, but it can make a significant difference in a publisher’s planning.

‍

There’s a lot to think about when creating your book proposal - and this is just the first part! In my next post, we’ll cover Part 2: Positioning. And don’t forget to download your nonfiction book proposal template for a great summary of all of the parts, and to start drafting your book proposal!

‍