About Words for Writers




Preparing Your Nonfiction Book Proposal If you have a NONFICTION book that is not considered narrative nonfiction (such as a memoir or other personal history), we want to see a full proposal instead of the first three chapters. Treat narrative nonfiction like a fiction book for the query package, and include proposal information wherever appropriate for it. Tip: See How to Write a Book Proposal, by Michael Larsen (use this one for style), Guerrilla Marketing for Writers : 100 Weapons to Help You Sell Your Work, by Jay Conrad Levinson, Rick Frishman, & Michael Larsen, and/or Write the Perfect Book Proposal: 10 That Sold and Why, 2nd Edition, by Deborah Levine Herman & Jeff Herman. Tip: The format should be in Times New Roman or a similar font such as Garamond, either single-spaced or 1.5-spaced, 12-point. Book proposals are usually from 15 to 30 pages in length. About Words Agency prefers to see nonfiction book proposals with the following information, preferably in this order: Title page similar to fiction book title page, including estimated number of words Overview - a summary of the book or short synopsis Author credentials and bio relevant to the book (NOT a resume or C.V.) Promotion and marketing planned for the book by the author (NOT how many books you think will sell based on market research and statistics - a common and annoying mistake). Use Guerrilla Marketing for Writers : 100 Weapons to Help You Sell Your Work, by Jay Conrad Levinson, Rick Frishman, & Michael Larsen. Market comparison with at least four other similar published books Use a source like Amazon.com for the summary of the book you are comparing to, use quotes, and reference the source (e.g., "This is a gardening encyclopedia." - Amazon.com) In your comparison to the published book, first state the main difference(s) between your book and theirs, then use the next paragraph to promote a positive attribute or feature of your book. Repeat for each book. Tip: Although you may think your book has no comparison books, you need comparisons to four or five books that are the closest to your book that you can find, even if they are, for example, the same type of book but in a different category. Table of contents for the book - DO NOT combine with the chapter summaries Chapter summaries with a short summary paragraph for each chapter Sample chapter - include the MOST IMPORTANT chapter or two, usually from the middle of the book, not the beginning Another excellent reference is the deservedly popular Jeff Herman's Guide To Book Publishers, Editors & Literary Agents, 2006. It discusses many things, including fiction and nonfiction query letters and proposals. HOME ABOUT WORDS.ORG \| ABOUT WORDS AGENCY \| ABOUT WORDS FOR WRITERS \| ABOUT WORDS BOOKSTORE Copyright © 2007 About Words Agency All rights reserved.