Book Proposal Structure
 

​The book proposal is the most important tool of the nonfiction writer, at least during the initial stages of book publishing when the writer is looking for a literary agent and publisher. But book proposal structure is never discussed in high school and college courses. So where does one learn this important skillThe best place to learn how to write a book proposal is from a literary agent.

The literary agent is the mediator between writer and publisher, and agents know what acquiring editors at publishing houses are looking for. They know from direct experience. And they know because knowing is their bread and butter. If they didn’t know they wouldn’t sell anything. Everything I’m saying about the structure of the book proposal comes from what I’ve learned over the years from literary agents.
The number one thing that these agents stress is that a book proposal needs to have several separate discreet sections. You can’t just throw together a couple of pages describing your book and hope to sell anything these days and need paper help. The book industry, largely concentrated in New York City, has evolved a rather standard format for the book proposal, and knowing this format will help any budding young writer get his or her foot in the door and land a book contract.
 

The first few pages, often called the Overview, are the most important part of the book proposal. If you cannot sell your idea in these opening paragraphs, if you cannot capture reader attention, then you should rethink your project. The Overview introduces your book to the reader and summarizes what is best about it. One of the things that an Overview often contains is the book handle, a one-sentence summary used by sales representatives to sell the book to bookstore buyers. “The first book about the Civil War from the perspective of children,” might be a book handle. Very often the book handle contains the phrase “the first book about --” or “the first book to --” which shows potential buyers that there’s something unique, and hopefully intriguing, about your book.

 

 

The book proposal is the most important tool of the nonfiction writer, at least during the initial stages of book publishing when the writer is looking for a literary agent and publisher. But book proposal structure is never discussed in high school and college courses. So where does one learn this important skill?

The best place to learn how to write a book proposal is from a literary agent. The literary agent is the mediator between writer and publisher, and agents know what acquiring editors at publishing houses are looking for. They know from direct experience. And they know because knowing is their bread and butter. If they didn’t know they wouldn’t sell anything. Everything I’m saying about the structure of the book proposal comes from what I’ve learned over the years from literary agents.

The number one thing that these agents stress is that a book proposal needs to have several separate discreet sections. You can’t just throw together a couple of pages describing your book and hope to sell anything these days and need paper help. The book industry, largely concentrated in New York City, has evolved a rather standard format for the book proposal, and knowing this format will help any budding young writer get his or her foot in the door and land a book contract.

The first few pages, often called the Overview, are the most important part of the book proposal. If you cannot sell your idea in these opening paragraphs, if you cannot capture reader attention, then you should rethink your project. The Overview introduces your book to the reader and summarizes what is best about it. One of the things that an Overview often contains is the book handle, a one-sentence summary used by sales representatives to sell the book to bookstore buyers. “The first book about the Civil War from the perspective of children,” might be a book handle. Very often the book handle contains the phrase “the first book about --” or “the first book to --” which shows potential buyers that there’s something unique, and hopefully intriguing, about your book.

The following sections should also appear in the book proposal, roughly in this order: a marketing section, describing how the publisher can sell the book; a promotion section, explaining how you’ll capture radio and TV attention; a Competing Books section, explaining why your book is better than anything else written on the subject; an About the Author section, highlighting your relevant credentials and publications; a List of Chapters, which functions like a table of contents for your book; a Chapter-by-Chapter Summaries section, which fleshes out each chapter in a paragraph or two; and a few Sample Chapters, which will show how your book will sound when completed.

If you follow this standard format, your book proposal will be off to a good start and will impress literary agents and editors with your professionalism and thoroughness. But if you can’t write a proposal, they’ll never believe you can write the book.