Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write

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
Foreword
Preface to the New Edition
A Note to My Readers
Chapter One: Book Proposals: What Are They? Why Use Them?
Chapter Two: Evaluating and Refining Your Ideas: Preparing to Write Your Book
Chapter Three: Research Made Easy: What Data Will You Need?
Chapter Four: About the Competition: What's Already in Print?
Chapter Five: About the Author: Selling Yourself
Chapter Six: The Concept Statement: Tell Me Why I Should Buy Your Book
Chapter Seven: About the Market: Defining Your Reader
Chapter Eight: About the Book: Inform, Dazzle, Persuade
Chapter Nine: Table of Contents and Chapter Summaries: Organizing Your Book
Chapter Ten: The Heart of Your Proposal: Sample Chapters
Chapter Eleven: Production Details: If You Had Your Way
Chapter Twelve: About Promotion: Good Morning, Springfield. Good Morning, America.
Chapter Thirteen: Last But Not Least: The Appendix
Chapter Fourteen: Marketing Strategies: Queries and Responses, Agents and Editors
Chapter Fifteen: The Perfect Proposal: From Final Edit to Contract Offer

Appendices:
Proposal Writers Who Contributed to This Book and the Status of Their Books
Resource Directory
Publication Consent Agreement
Model Author/Agent Agreement
Index
About the Author

“The perfect tool with which to create a successful book proposal.”—Mary Alice Kier and Anna Cottle, Cine/Lit Representation, Literary Agency and Media Consultants

 

“Elizabeth Lyon knows book proposals the way a surgeon knows anatomy.”—Gary Provost, author of 22 books including 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing

 

“This book is pure gold! I received an offer from a large publisher who stated that my proposal was professional and well-written; even my agent said it would be the standard in the industry. I owe a debt of gratitude to Ms. Lyon.” —Mary Jeanne Menna, author of Mom to New Mom: Practical Tips and Advice for the New Mom

 

“Don’t try to sell your next nonfiction book without consulting it.” —Gerald Gross, author of Editors on Editing: What Writers Need to Know About What Editors Do

 

“Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write gave me the structure I needed to produce a coherent, organized proposal. Everything my agent wanted to see in my proposal was there because of Elizabeth’s book. I was able to send my proposal within a week, and three months later, my agent was responding to bids from four large publishing houses. One of them paid me an unusually high advance for a first-time author. I will always be grateful to Elizabeth.” —Sallirae Henderson, M.Div., author of A Life Complete: Emotional and Spiritual Growth for Midlife and Beyond

 

Elizabeth Lyon, a regular speaker at writing conferences and retreats nationwide, has been a contributor to Writer’s Digest and is a mentor, editor, and teacher for many writers. The author of Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write and The Sell Your Novel Toolkit, she lives in Eugene, Oregon.