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Sign the contract…then write the book. The good news is that almost every nonfiction book published is sold by a proposal. In this comprehensive yet accessible guide, you will learn exactly what a proposal is, what it must contain, and how to pull yours together into an informative, persuasive selling package. Already a favorite for thousands of aspiring writers, this book has been revised and updated by Elizabeth Lyon to feature nearly two dozen actual proposals, plus:
· Choosing a topic based on current trends and competing titles
· Drafting the perfect concept statement—daring agents and editors to reject you
· Defining and targeting your readership—then connecting with them
· Preparing a table of contents and chapter summaries
· Submitting exciting and well-written sample chapters
· Writing query letters
· Devising a marketing plan that will excite agents and publishers
·...
| Acknowledgments | ix | |
| Foreword | xi | |
| Preface to the New Edition | xv | |
| A Note to My Readers | xvii | |
| Chapter 1 | Book Proposals: What Are They? Why Use Them? | 1 |
| Chapter 2 | Evaluating and Refining Your Ideas: Preparing to Write Your Book | 13 |
| Chapter 3 | Research Made Easy: What Data Will You Need? | 33 |
| Chapter 4 | About the Competition: What's Already in Print? | 42 |
| Chapter 5 | About the Author: Selling Yourself | 63 |
| Chapter 6 | The Concept Statement: Tell Me Why I Should Buy Your Book | 84 |
| Chapter 7 | About the Market: Defining Your Reader | 97 |
| Chapter 8 | About the Book: Inform, Dazzle, Persuade | 115 |
| Chapter 9 | Table of Contents and Chapter Summaries: Organizing Your Book | 140 |
| Chapter 10 | The Heart of Your Proposal: Sample Chapters | 158 |
| Chapter 11 | Production Details: If You Had Your Way | 168 |
| Chapter 12 | About Promotion: Good Morning, Springfield. Good Morning, America | 184 |
| Chapter 13 | Last But Not Least: The Appendix | 199 |
| Chapter 14 | Marketing Strategies: Queries and Responses, Agents and Editors | 205 |
| Chapter 15 | The Perfect Proposal: From Final Edit to Contract Offer | 235 |
| Appendices | ||
| Proposal Writers Who Contributed to This Book and the Status of Their Books | 253 | |
| Resource Directory | 263 | |
| Publication Consent Agreement | 280 | |
| Model Author/Agent Agreement | 282 | |
| Index | 287 | |
| About the Author | 295 |
Overview
Sign the contract…then write the book. The good news is that almost every nonfiction book published is sold by a proposal. In this comprehensive yet accessible guide, you will learn exactly what a proposal is, what it must contain, and how to pull yours together into an informative, persuasive selling package. Already a favorite for thousands of aspiring writers, this book has been revised and updated by Elizabeth Lyon to feature nearly two dozen actual proposals, plus:
· Choosing a topic based on current trends and competing titles
· Drafting the perfect concept statement—daring agents ...