Whilst i was academic publishing director at continuum i often felt frustrated by the amount of repetition involved in academic publishing. For example, the proposal for the research ethics book im currently. Every proposaland you can find examples in a nanosecond by googlingshould contain the following sections. Overview describe your book in two or three paragraphs 500 wo. It should include a brief cover letter addressed to the appropriate editor, followed by a clear, concise description of the project and a rationale for its publication meaning its scholarly significance, its appeal to both specialists and generalists, and any qualities that distinguish. Enclose a sample of 1525 pages, perhaps of the introduction and a sample chapter, which shows your writing style in the book. Though its written in place of an actual book, it should build a complete argument for the book idea. Submitting a textbook proposal to oxford university press guidelines for authors we are very pleased that you are considering writing for oxford university press. Example of a book proposal competing books section. Select the sample academic proposals pdf in the media box above to download this file and read examples of proposals for conferences, journals, and book chapters.
In this blog post, i provide generic suggestions for what should go in an academic book proposal, and then suggest a method for writing such a proposal. Guidelines for a book proposal for an academic book. If you are about to draft your academic proposal, consider some more points as detailed below. Dissertations online dissertation proposal, phd dissertation. A book proposal for an academic press has seven basic components. Overview of proposal and contribution on your first reading, you should be aiming to form an overall impression and understanding of the book proposal and any. Procedure your proposal will be read by the appropriate subject editor at oup, who is likely to discuss it with colleagues. What is the ideal length for a nonfiction book proposal. A book proposal is usually no longer than 10 pages.
In this proposal, the outlines of what will go in each chapter are quite brief. The book proposal is a 1550 or so page manuscript that a writer uses to pitch a nonfiction book to publishers. Wjk does not publish dissertations or festschriften. Author submits a book proposal and sometimes sample. Aside from checking sample proposal templates or consulting a writing proposal template. Mar 22, 2011 in this blog post, i provide generic suggestions for what should go in an academic book proposal, and then suggest a method for writing such a proposal.
The book itself will be as long as 510 papers but the proposal itself usually only includes a sample chapter and some overview material. Include any subhead or taglines that your books title may contain. Overview, endorsements, length and delivery date, competing and complementary books, target audience, about. As talked about in my dialogue on learn how to every thing it is advisable know to start out writing a e book proposal on your nonfiction e book. Email the form, together with any supporting material, e. Sample book proposal from a professional literary agency. Each heading within a book proposal answers a key question. A sample chapter that represents the books unique contribution or an introduction that explains such things as the books background, purpose, distinctives, approach, thesis, and contents. My book, book title will be a genre work which will center around the topic of book topic. This section will be a tool for the editor, too, when she tries to persuade others in the publishing house that this is a book they must publish. A full vita, one that shows your qualifications to write the proposed volume. Although this is an academic textbook, the proposal demonstrates the basic requirements of a successful pitch for any nonfiction book, including an excellent chapterbychapter summary.
In a column last february, i described the six main elements of a book proposal. Writing an irresistible book proposal writers digest. Its one of the most exciting moments in a professional career. Sample book proposal appendix b writing successful academic. Dec 04, 2014 here i provide generic suggestions for what should go in an academic book proposal, and then suggest a method for writing such a proposal. Cup expects a general outline for the book, explaining rationales such. I promised to share the book proposal for the cambridge university press. This is normal with academic book proposals, and also hugely helpful. Here is a basic template for a book proposal, which many of our clients have used successfully. So in summary, the book proposal proves that you have valid ideas. By the age of thirty, he had graduated from university in rwanda and.
Ideas for books are as varied as the books themselves. Your book proposal should include the following ten elements. Within those 1015 pages, you must convince an agent, editor and publishing team that you and your book deserve a place on the shelf based on several key factors. Make sure that you still have more than enough time to tackle your research efficiently. The overview is the place to put this back cover text. Book proposal overview how to write the overview of a. It acts as a business case or business plan for your book that persuades a publisher to make an investment.
I like this one because it contains ten reallife proposals that sold. Youll also need to send sample chapters, book outline, and introduction. Aug 23, 2016 when i was struggling with my own memoir proposal which seemed harder than writing the darn book, eric maisel, author of the art of the book proposal, suggested i write a mini proposal. How to write a nonfiction book proposal become a writer today. Jul 29, 2011 there are several books available on writing book proposals. It is by david sanford, a published author, editor, and literary agent for more than 300 books who now serves on the leadership team at corban university. How to write a winning academic book proposal enago academy. Writing academic books can seem like a mysterious dark art to those. Dear pamela, memoir advice about your book proposal memoir. How to write a nonfiction book proposal with template. They arise in all sorts of different situations, but generally a book concept is written down into a proposal form. Instead of writing the entire book, then trying to interest an editor or agent which is how it works with novels, you write the proposal first.
Finding hope and healing for your heart after loss. In this blog post, youll find a description of the overview and introduction sections of my christian nonfiction book proposal, for blossom. Now, this guide and the book proposal template complement one. A strong book proposal will not only help you sell your idea, but it will also help you sell the book when it finally makes its way to market, whether you traditionally publish or selfpublish.
You have a new idea for a book that you think could make a real difference to your discipline. All templates, however, are of similar formats as that of a proposal for clients, which you may need for studies regarding business. Our book proposal guidelines can be found in the form. And i believe that what youre about to read is the fastest, easiest way to get the best possible editor, publisher, and deal for your book. Your book proposal should include the following elements. Dear pamela, memoir advice about your book proposal. The most important aspect of this onepage description is the argument you will set forth. Not counting your two to three sample chapters, your nonfiction book proposal should be no longer than 1015 pages. Writing academic books can seem like a mysterious dark art to those who havent done it, but there is lots of help available. You are also welcome to listen to free audio recordings of teds book proposal bootcamp and other workshops and media appearances. Think of book proposal forms as similar to work proposal forms. Consider utilizing the following headings in your book proposal template. These should be pages that are typical of the book as a whole, especially critical to your argument, or that give a good overview of the book.
Therefore, were uncovering in this post what goes into a book proposaland what itll take to get an agent or publisher to notice 1 the overview. You want to leave the one who reads your proposal wanting to read the rest of the book to find out what happens. A thorough book proposal evaluates the audience for the work, how it will stack up against the competition, and why the book will succeed in the. If this is an unsolicited paper proposal, you must include a selfaddressed, stamped envelope to receive a reply. The author uses the proposal to sell the idea of the book to a college textbook editor or academic publisher.
Andy warhol, saint apollonia suite 1984 for all of these reasons, quite a mouthful will make a perfect gift for any general interest nonfiction reader. I got four sets of comments on this proposal, and was able to make it significantly stronger as a result. Hook invite the reader into your proposal with an interesting anecdote or some surprising. In the world of book publishing, it is difficult enough for known authors to get their books published, but even harder. Feel free to use the headings and format of the template below. The right way to write a nonfiction e book proposal. There are several books available on writing book proposals. Book proposals purdue writing lab purdue university.
Author submits a book proposal and sometimes sample chapters or a full manuscript to the commissioning editor at a publishing house. Consider this sample outline as a guideline to creating a persuasive book proposal that could make the difference between industry decisionmakers selecting your project over others. Keep in mind that even academic publishers expect you to adhere to several basic elements of a book proposal guidelines as follows. If you prepare a salable proposal, you can get paid to write your book. Writing a nonfiction book proposal a primer for the firsttime nonfiction book writer by scott mendel updated february 2018 it will probably seem obvious to you that the nonfiction book proposal is a tool your agent will use to sell your work at the best possible terms, and to secure the strongest possible. Sure, some parts of psychology and economics and other fields are not book. Most proposals run thirtyfive to fifty doublespaced pages. How to write a good book proposal, the sequel the chronicle. Putting together your proposal proposals have three parts. If you are sending the proposal to other publishers, please indicate that. If work proposal forms suggest the type of job an employee will be doing and how theyll be doing it, then a book proposal form suggests what an author is going to write about and how long it should take him to go about writing and revising the drafts. Chapter name once youve finished writing your proposal, and before you seek feedback on it, use this list to make sure your proposal is ready for you to push the send button.
Many authors make the mistake of trying to argue that the potential market for the book is huge. While there are entire books on how to write a book proposal many of them excellent, here is a short version. It needs to include an outline of approximately one paragraph to one page of prose larsen 6 as well as one sample chapter to showcase the style and quality of. Various academic proposal templates are made available in this post, and each template has its own image sample. How to write a book proposal posted on july 2, 2015 by karen kelsky you all know that the book proposal is the cornerstone to a successful tenure track career in most areas of the humanities and social sciences. A book proposal has a title page also called a cover page, a table of contents for the proposal, and several sections. Here i provide generic suggestions for what should go in an academic book proposal, and then suggest a method for writing such a proposal. A college textbook proposallike any book proposalshould be thought of as a sales tool.
Overview and description the proposal will typically open with a twoto threepage introduction. Writing a nonfiction book proposal by scott mendel. This form contains a summary of the book, its aims, its goals and main features. A book proposal argues why your book idea is a salable, marketable product.
Example of a book proposal about the author section. I think my next move is, after your suggestion, to write a couple of papers from my thesis, write a book proposal too, and just sit on the book proposal for six months of so, tweaking it as i go along. Thus far the outcome of this proposal was a contract for a second book. Now you can go in more detail by showing the synopsis of each chapter. Ive written before about how to succeed in writing academic books, but i didnt say anything in that post about the book proposal. The editor performs an initial check of the submitted materials to ensure that they include the necessary information. Feel free to check each template as one or two may be what you are currently looking for.
Writing a college textbook proposal is a vital step in getting a textbook published. Please give a brief account of your present academic interests and position, with a list of any recent book publications and any other information you think might help us. Book proposal accelerator for academic authors manuscript works. This helps the publisher get a birds eye view of the book, and it will keep you on track as you start to write the book. When i was struggling with my own memoir proposal which seemed harder than writing the darn book, eric maisel, author of the art of the book proposal, suggested i write a miniproposal. How to write a book proposal that agents will love jericho. Your book proposal must convince the editor and publisher that you have tens of thousands of people waiting to buy your book. The journey of my cup bookheres the sample book proposal i. Nonfiction book proposal outline ted weinstein literary. How to write a winning academic book proposal enago. The reality of writing a good book proposal the chronicle. This ones short and tothepoint, and the last time i. Thats top secret information until the book actually gets. Looking back at my own documents, my project descriptiona sort of template book proposal that i then modified to conform to publishers.
Add a bio including a professional resume and platform, i. This is true even if it won awards at your university and got passed with. Be sure to remove the key question and explanation beneath each header. Use this list alongside how to write a book proposal, 4th edition by michael larsen to create strongest possible proposal for your book. You do not have to necessarily do the steps in this order but this order works well in most cases.
The literary agents guide to writing a nonfiction book proposal by andy ross. Give a fairly brief summary of your book here, using a few paragraphs. The journey of my cup bookheres the sample book proposal i promised. May 28, 2017 a book proposal argues why your book idea is a salable, marketable product. Prepare a query letter include a book overview, target audience, usp, writing cv, and motivation for writing. The core of the publishing process is the book proposal. Begin by describing in under 500 words the essence of your. Jul 02, 2015 how to write a book proposal posted on july 2, 2015 by karen kelsky you all know that the book proposal is the cornerstone to a successful tenure track career in most areas of the humanities and social sciences. Writing a college textbook proposal the balance careers.
Publishers generally require a clear outline of the chapters you are proposing and an explication of their. Posted in book proposals and contracts, landing your tenure track job, promote yourself. You all know that the book proposal is the cornerstone to a successful tenure track career in most areas of the humanities and social sciences. Your proposal requires the consideration of the timing and potential for sale as well as its potential for subsidiary rights. If youre writing your book proposal, hopefully youve already nailed down the summary that will go on the back of your book jacket. What follows is a brief description of what the editors in the higher education department might expect of a proposal for a new textbook and how they will consider it for publication.
736 832 1005 945 1580 1301 865 1216 1524 741 1169 1190 1232 954 616 517 274 758 182 312 1052 44 504 1545 1446 555 750 1094 649 1511 781 1021 949 773 234 965 1288 197 1459 1383