(7 Book Proposal Pet Peeves From Publishers.)

Placed after your bio in your book proposal, your author platform contains everything from websites and newsletters to traditional and social media to speaking gigs and contacts. Note: Throughout this section, wherever it makes sense to put a hyperlink, do it. This includes links to your platforms and media, as well as to organizations and the influencers you mention in the contact section. The reader may not click on everything, but more information should be easily accessible in case they want to do so.

Here are 8 components you can include in the author platform section of your Book Proposal.

1. Website/Blog.

Your website is your central online hub. It’s where you offer advice, share events, and relay news. Whether you are a consultant, entrepreneur, or other professional, as a subject-matter expert, you need your own website. Share your URL(s), details about the content you share, and, if you have excellent website traffic numbers, include those too.

2. Newsletter/Email List.

Even if you do not yet have a newsletter, put some form of newsletter sign up on your website. This is your direct connection to your readers, clients, and fans. Include that you have a regular newsletter—and what content you include—in your platform section. If you have a lot of subscribers, mention that too.

Hint: The easiest way to set up a newsletter, if you have not yet done so, is through LinkedIn or Substack. When you set up a LinkedIn newsletter, it automatically invites all of your LinkedIn connections to subscribe, which is a great way to increase your numbers. The benefit to starting a Substack—and sending updates via email—is that you have the email addresses of your subscribers. It’s a more direct connection.

3. Social Media.

When starting a new venture, brand, or identity, the first thing to do is grab your user name on all social media platforms. You do not have to post on all of these, but better to have the names. For instance, I have @TheDEBMethod for Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Threads, BlueSky, and Pinterest and X/Twitter—even though I have not posted on those last two in years. I even have a TikTok. Plus although I am a very active personal user of LinkedIn, I also have a The DEB Method LinkedIn page.

Choose three or four social media platforms to post on consistently, to develop an online community—a place where readers can connect and interact with you. Those are the ones to include in this section, along with the number of followers and types of content you post.

4. Podcasts, Videos, and Live Shows.

Like with your website/blog and social media, the content you post is another important part of your platform. As an expert, it serves you well to host a podcast—audio or also video. Perhaps even a live show. And, when you have a new book out, it’s a great way to promote it. I actually combined all three. Every Monday, I host the GoalChat live show, broadcast on LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube. It is then released in audio version on the Marketing Podcast Network on Thursdays.

Share what your show is, what type, when you release new episodes, and what sort of material you share.

5. Traditional Media.

Traditional media includes guest spots on other people’s podcasts, live/video shows, and blogs. It also is where you share any TV, radio, and online/print features and interviews. Divide your media into the aforementioned categories, and list out your appearances: show/platform, title, and date with a link to the article or replay, if possible.

6. Speaking Gigs.

List out everywhere you have spoken, in person and online. If you have a lot, then choose your favorites. Include the organization, talk title, and date. 

Bonus: If you do not already have a 3-5 minute Sizzle Reel, highlighting you on stage or screen, create one that uses a mixture of different appearances. Then add that hyperlink to “See AUTHOR NAME in action.” The publisher is investing in you, so use a sizzle reel to showcase your personality and knowledge of the subject.

7. Communities and Organizations.

Are you on the board of any organizations? A member of any committees? Are you a part of—or have connections to—communities that happen to be a good audience for your book? List these out. Share their email list numbers (if you have them) and their willingness to have you speak and/or for them to share your book once it’s out. Online interaction is great. The ability to sell books within solid organizations is something that will get noticed. Include all relevant on and off-line orgs.

8. Contacts.

Finally, list the names of any contacts/influencers in your field, who are willing to endorse and/or spread the word about your book.

Final Thoughts

As an author—and an expert—you do not need to be everywhere. However, you do need to establish your presence, on- and off-line, to show agents and publishers you are an authority that they will want to invest in.

The post 8 Components of Your Author Platform for Your Book Proposal appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(7 Book Proposal Pet Peeves From Publishers.)

When things feel like they are spinning out of control, it’s important to remember, you still have control of yourself, your goals, and your projects. While small actions sometimes feel insignificant, the things you do to lift your spirits will have a positive influence on the other parts of your life.

Here are 5 things writers can do in challenging times to stay positive and productive.

1. Start a Passion Project.

I also call these, “giggle projects.” You know when you’re working on something kind of secret and just thinking about it makes you smile? It’s almost like the feeling you get when you have a crush or are starting a new relationship. You feel happy, but you don’t want to tell anyone yet for fear you might jinx it. Choose a project that you backburnered way too long and really lean into it. You don’t have to work on it every day, but just thinking about it will make you smile.

Note: This can also be writing-adjacent. For instance, if you are a nonfiction author, starting a podcast is a great way to build your platform.

2. Finish Something.

Remember that short story you threw in a drawer years ago? The book where you only wrote three or four chapters? That half-written screenplay? Pick it up and assess what it will take to complete it. Put time in your calendar, so you prioritize getting it done. There’s nothing like the feeling of accomplishment to make you feel in control.

Bonus goal: Write queries—or perhaps a book proposal—do your research, and start submitting.

3. Learn Something.

This can be writing or non-writing related. Is there a topic you were always curious about? A language you want to learn? A hobby or sport? Take a class, watch a YouTube video … or several. Ask friends, who are doing what you want to learn, for insights and recommendations. If you need an excuse—and really you don’t—you can always chalk it up to article or character research for a future project.

4. Volunteer.

When you do for others, it makes you feel just as good, if not better. Volunteering can come in many shapes and formats. For instance, instead of just attending an IRL writing event, offer to check people in. See if there’s a local walk for something you can participate in and/or spread the word about. Join an organization, as a volunteer or board member; a lot of them have meetings online, which also totally counts.

It’s a great on-going connection point, and I get to meet awesome people with similar interests. (Note: I am on the board of the Women’s National Book Association—San Francisco Chapter (yes, I live in LA), as Networking Ambassador and am part of the virtual events team.) You can also look to local organizations and see their needs. It’s nearly the season of giving!

5. Say “Yes.”

When you are feeling down, one of the best things you can do is get out of your head, which often means getting out of the house! Make plans to meet up with friends for lunch or coffee, say yes to attending an event, go to a reading at a bookstore. When an invitation comes your way—for instance to guest on a podcast or video show—take it as an opportunity to share your wisdom with others. They might be feeling the slog too and by sharing your expertise and enthusiasm for your speciality, it might be the inspiration they need to start or keep moving forward!

Final Thoughts

Joy spreads. And often, doing the things that keep you happy and motivated enhances that feeling.

Having something “sitting” in your back pocket that makes you happy, whether it’s a project, an event, a conversation, may be all that is needed to lift and maintain high spirits.

The post 5 Things Writers Can Do in Challenging Times to Be Productive While Raising Their Spirits appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(List of Book Fairs and Festivals By State.)

Some authors tend to be introverts; extrovert writers enjoy the balance between alone-time and social connection. As a professional or future professional writer, it’s important to cultivate relationships with others at every step in the writing process.

• If you write nonfiction, going to events expands your number of on and offline connections; you are building your platform, which is something you need to showcase in your book proposal.
• If you write fiction, you want to start building your readership and email list.
• No matter what your genre, writers conferences and events give you access, agents, publishers, potential mentors, and writer-friends.

Here are 5 tips to help you be more successful at in-person networking.

1. Determine Your Overall Networking Mission.

Before even exploring what’s out there, think about what you hope to gain from attending events/meeting new people/expanding your network. Are you seeking an agent or publisher? Media opportunities? Beta readers?

Whereas your “mission statement” for your writing career is about helping others—sharing information that will inform, educate, enlighten, or entertain—your networking mission is all about helping yourself—increasing your visibility, finding opportunity—so you are in a position to share your work with more people.

Your networking mission statement combines who you are with what you want and what you need to do/happen in order to get it.

2. Set Networking Goals.

Once you find a good in-person event to attend, whether it’s a writer’s conference, workshop, or mixer, decide what is going to be a win for you. Is it meeting X number of people/agents/publishers? Is it connecting with podcast hosts who can interview you? Or finding a critique group in your genre, so you can continue to hone your craft.

Setting concrete, realistic goals for any networking situation gives you purpose. When you are just getting started, it’s okay to set the bar really low. Decide who you want to meet, who you need to meet, who would be nice to meet. These can be titles (editor, acquisitions, agent) or types of people (podcasters, speakers). And you can start by seeking one or two of each. Achieving simple goals gives you a boost of confidence, and will make your next networking experience even easier.

3. Prep Pre-Event.

Do a digital review to make sure your website—and your social media sites—are accurate and up-to-date. This includes your LinkedIn; at a minimum, make sure your profile photo looks like you, you add a background pic, and have an accurate headline. If you are a writer, who also has a day job, put a breadcrumb/teaser in that headline. For instance: “lover of cozy mysteries” or “ask me about my novel.”

When you meet new people, you will look them up. They will do the same for you. You want your online persona to reflect who you are in-person.

Also, have either business cards or a QR code on your phone that leads to a Linktr.ee (digital business card), so you can easily swap information and stay in touch with new people.

4. Be Memorable, Curious, and Not Salesy.

Do you have a signature color, prop (eyeglasses or a hat), or backstory that helps you stand out? Is there something particularly unique about you that makes everyone go, “Wow,” or, “That’s so cool.” At events, particularly mixers, you will likely meet a lot of new people. You want to make a good impression, so they remember you/your expertise/genre, etc.

Meet people. Ask questions. Test the vibe. And get to know them, so you can decide if you want to make them part of your tribe. A networking conversation is simply a conversation: and, unless it’s a pitch event, you are not selling anything.

The goal is to get to know others, be helpful, and find ways to be memorable … and include a casual call to action (“let’s connect on LinkedIn so I can let you know the next time I find a good author event,” “would love to have you on my podcast,” “would love to share my knowledge on your podcast”), so you have a reason to stay in touch.

5. Follow up and Follow Through.

At any author event, you will likely meet three types: instant BFFS, people who seem nice that you want to get to know better, and those you can’t quite get but seem okay. Unless someone is a red flag/energy vampire, connect with all of them. Follow their social media, send a connection request on LinkedIn, and for those you have that instant rapport with, make plans for a follow-up phone call, coffee, or Zoom.

Set a follow-up schedule, so you do all of the things. After the event, set a next day appointment with yourself to do the social-media following and connecting. Bonus points for interacting with them on social media as a way to stay top of mind. Set a next week appointment to jot an email to those on your A list and a next month appointment to follow up with everyone else.

If someone doesn’t reply right away, that’s fine. Everyone is busy. Make a note to circle back to those you deem most important either a few months down the line or when you have good info—a link, article, or event—to share.

Final Thoughts

Think of networking as what it is: relationship development. It’s an opportunity to meet a bunch of new people in a short period of time. Then, decide who you want to get to know better.

You may get new readers and followers, you may make an awesome publishing connection, you may make a new friend.

Go into every interaction with a positive attitude; you never know what gold will come from it down the line.

The post 5 In-Person Networking Tips for Authors appeared first on Writer's Digest.

• Concept: What the book is, how it’s unique, and why the author is the best person to write it
• Context: Its place on the shelves and in the world, as expressed through platform, marketing, audience, and comps
• Content: Detailed outline and sample chapters

While some publishers have nuances in how they like the book proposal presented—for instance, the order of the sections or exactly how many sample chapters—they all have certain pet peeves. If you display a red flag—or several—in your book proposal, it will not do you, or your book, any favors.

Here are some pet peeves from a variety of book publishers to help you navigate common pitfalls.

1. Don’t Clog Our Inbox

Some people send you their manuscript and believe you will read it … with no proposal.

When querying an agent—or a publisher who accepts un-agented manuscripts—send it with a query letter and, if applicable, a nonfiction book proposal. People in publishing are busy. We do not have all the time in the world to read 60,000 words.

Also, do not follow-up right away. Give us at least two months to get back to you. And do not follow-up for the sake of following up. If you must follow up, only do so when you have something good to share.

Rather than, “Have you read my proposal yet?” write about your recent segment on national news or a comp title that just hit the bestseller list.

Send helpful information that adds to why they should represent or publish your book.

—Brenda Knight is publisher at Books That Save Lives, a division of Jim Dandy Media

2. Don’t Jump the Gun

After 20 years in the business, I still see strange and woefully unprepared queries. For example, an author who wants a Zoom meeting right away, before she has even told us what the book is about. I find authors who are unfamiliar with the concept of a three-page outline. One even had the gall to ask me not to “share her manuscript publically.” Like I’m going to post it on Reddit or something?

Learn the process and submit a good representation of yourself and your work.

—Victor R. Volkman, is the president of Loving Healing Press and its subsidiary Modern History Press since 2003

3. Don’t Waste Our Time

Probably number one is an email pitch to every publisher’s “info” email account that someone can find; sometimes BCC’d, sometimes not. When I see a pitch has been sent to Akashic’s “info” email along with numerous other publishers, I typically do not respond. It’s fine, of course, to reuse your pitch over and over, and send it along to many publishers, but please individualize the pitches…don’t do a group blast. For me this comes off as lazy which leads to peeve #3. Usually you can find an editor’s name to address it to, even if you’re sending to an “info” or general email account.

An email that comes into our “info” account addressed to “Dear Sirs” is almost always deleted upon receipt. It’s 2025. At the bare minimum, say Sir or Madam (also sounds super dated, but is less annoying).

Don’t pitch something that is so far afield from what we’ve published for the past 2+ decades. Any time I’m advising authors, I advise (beg?) them to do research on book publishers before pitching. Don’t waste your time—and our time. Akashic has a pretty varied list, but, for example, we don’t publish self-help books. We don’t publish romance novels or romantasy. Take a few minutes to poke around on a publisher’s website to see what they are publishing. Spend time on their social media to see what they are currently promoting, excited about, working on, and then if you think your work fits, reach out.

Also, don’t tell me in your pitch that have the next New York Times #1 bestseller. It doesn’t come off as confident to us, but naive…and pompous.

—Johanna Ingalls is the managing editor and director of foreign rights at Akashic Books, where she has worked for over two decades since being rescued from the music industry by Akashic publisher Johnny Temple

4. Be Realistic

Like most editors, it makes me a little frustrated to see authors comparing their books to huge bestsellers like The Let Them Theory. It’s not very helpful when it comes to telling me what your book is; a few more realistic competitive titles would provide more insight.

Hearing authors say that their book is going to do something that no book has done before—especially when it clearly has, in fact, been done before—is always disappointing.

For nonfiction proposals, I will almost always need information on the author platform. How are you going to promote your book? You don’t need to have a million social media followers, but I’d like to hear just about anything about how you’re going to reach readers: an email list or newsletter, a podcast (with audience information attached), a schedule of speaking engagements, etc.

—Kate Zimmermann is an Executive Editor at Andrews McMeel, where she acquires illustrated gift, self-care, and humor books, as well as new projects for the Amen Editions imprint

5. Check What You Claim

My biggest proposal pet peeve is when the submitter only comps the book to the biggest properties, like ‘the next Twilight’ or ‘the next Hunger Games.’

I also get annoyed when they claim the submission is filling a need in the market that doesn’t exist, like saying that there’s a lack of strong female characters in the children’s book market.

—Alvina Ling, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Vice President and Editor-in-Chief

6. Keep Your Proposal Targeted

My biggest pet peeve is an overly long proposal. It’s almost like the author and agent are throwing everything at you. Second biggest pet peeve: saying either “there’s nothing out there like this” or “this book is for everybody.”

—Matthew Holt is editor-in-chief at BenBella Books of the Matt Holt Books imprint; he was previously SVP at Wiley, leading the trade group

7. Be Professional

A significant issue lately is people sending submissions with no cover letter within the email, only attachments. Just as bad is sending poorly written cover letters, filled with typos, poor grammar, etc. Cover letters that seem to be written by AI are also a red flag.

Be sure to get your opening right. We ask for the first 50 pages of a book in our submission guidelines. If the first line of a book is terrible, we will reject it. Once we had a submission in which the first line was, “I woke up this morning and cleared my throat.” It didn’t work for us.

It really bothers me when there are no recent comparable titles. We ask for three to four comparable books published within the past two years. If an author says it’s not like any other recently published book, it often means they are not aware of anything that has been published recently, and assume their book will be sellable in today’s market without having any idea of what that market is.

Imagine a film actor showing up for an audition without being familiar with any recent movies, only films that are 50 years old or more. Or imagine a baseball player saying that they have never seen a recent baseball game, but they really like the way Babe Ruth played. Just like baseball, the current style of books is different than it was in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. It doesn’t take much to read a couple of new books on similar themes to know how your book fits into the current environment.

Finally, don’t reach out to us with ideas for books that are definitely 100% not up our street. You could just look at our list and know whether or not that’s not anything we want. Also, don’t send us anything that would be “cringe.” Cringe meaning ones with terrible writing; racist or homophobic writing definitely is something that will be a deal breaker immediately. If it’s apparent in the cover letter or in the first three chapters, then it’s no.

We can’t accept everybody, but we do like people to resubmit if they’ve got something else. However, if you previously sent in something that was clearly not up our street—and a waste of our time—we’re going to be more hesitant to accept anything in the future from you.

—Kat Georges is co-director of Three Rooms Press and author of the poetry collection Awe and Other Words Like Wow; she lives in New York City

Final Thoughts

It all boils down to this: Be professional, do your research, and check for typos. You want to represent yourself—and your book—in the best possible light.

The post 7 Book Proposal Pet Peeves From Publishers appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(How to Brainstorm Your Book Proposal.)

However, when a proposal has too many errors—aka distractions—the reader may never even consider the content. That is why formatting is so important. You want to present your proposal as professionally as possible, so you make it easy for the decision-maker to move forward.

Here are some key “Dos” and “Don’ts” for your book proposal formatting.

6 Book Proposal Formatting Dos

Remember the basics.

Use Times New Roman font throughout your book proposal. Use one-inch margins. On all but the title page, your document needs to be double-spaced (except perhaps for bullet points), use 12-point type, and be left aligned (not justified) on the first line of each section, and then indent the paragraphs below.

Start your proposal with a title page.

It needs to include your book title and name—centered, a few lines down from the top. This can be 14 to 18 point type, Times New Roman font. If you have relevant credentials—for instance, your role in a/your company, certifications, “known” status, previously published noteworthy books, won awards, and/or appeared in mainstream media—include that under your name.

TITLE
BY, YOUR NAME
CREDENTIALS

Put your contact info—including address, phone number, email, website, and standout social media profiles, such as your LinkedIn—in the lower left hand corner. This is 12-point type, Times New Roman font and can be single spaced.

ADDRESS
PHONE
EMAIL
WEBSITE
SOCIAL MEDIA

Add the splash page.

The splash is a graphic—photo or in some cases a collage—that is representative of the content in the book. If a picture is worth 1,000 words, that is your splash.

Create a table of contents.

Use the Table of Contents (or TOC) function, so all of your section headers are linked within the document. To do this, highlight each section title, go to Home and then Styles. Click on “Heading” (use “Heading 2” for sub-sections) to apply the format. 

After you have done this for all sections, create the TOC. Go to the third page (after the title page and splash). Then, go to the References tab. Click Table of Contents. Choose a style (“Automatic” or “Custom”), and Word will automatically generate a TOC using your Heading and Heading 2 styles.

After you finish your proposal, go to your TOC page and click to Update Table.

Customize your header.

You will want to start using a header on page 4—right after the Contents page. To do this in Word, insert a Section Break by going to the Layout tab. Click Breaks and, under Section Breaks, choose Next Page.

To unlink the Header from the Previous Section (since you do not need one for pages 1-3), double-click to get into the header area on page 4. In the Header & Footer Tools ribbon, click Link to Previous to turn it off. This breaks the connection between headers in Section 1 (pages 1–3) and Section 2 (page 4 onward).

With your cursor in the header on page 4, type your last name, book title. Underneath it, go to insert page number to add the page number.

NAME, TITLE
PAGE #

Send a PDF.

Unless otherwise requested, save your document as a pdf to send.

3 Book Proposal Formatting Don’ts

Rely on visuals to get your idea across.

Unless your project is photo-centric in nature, the only image you want to include is on the splash page. Book specs is where you put your bulleted list of items that are in the book. That’s where you can write down how many photos or other types of images you plan to include.

Make your book proposal difficult to read.

A book proposal can run anywhere from around 25 to 50 pages or more (depending on the length of the sample chapters). Be cognizant of page breaks and paragraph breaks.

For instance:

• Your Overview is a snapshot. It needs to be one page, no more than two. Each section builds on each other. You can go into more detail in the other sections.
• Avoid run-on sentences and super-long paragraphs. Find ways to be more concise or break up your content.
• Try to contain your sections, so they do not run one or two lines over onto the next page.

An easy-to-read proposal is something that’s also skimable. Before doing your final save, view your document at around 50% magnification, so you can catch weird formatting things, like blank pages and overlong bundles of text.

Forget to spell check.

Spell check is your friend. Use it! And then use it again.

One More Thing

Most agents and publishers accept what’s the standard for book proposals, in both order of sections and content. However, some have certain preferences. Before submitting your proposal, check the website to see if they have submission guidelines. Read them. And adjust as necessary.

Good luck!

The post 9 Dos & Don’ts of Book Proposal Formatting appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(How to Write a Great Overview for Your Book Proposal.)

The reason? Past sales are proof of future sales.

Book comps are bestselling titles in your genre that are similar to—but different from—yours. You need to be able to tell an agent or publisher, “This book sold, so mine will too.” And “My book is better than/different from this one for the following reasons, so there is a market for it, as well.”

You will likely put a line about book comps in your book proposal overview: “My book is this title meets that idea, but with this specific angle or differentiation.”

In the Book Comps section you really get to go into detail.

What to Look for With Book Comps

How hard can it be to find book comps? Very, especially in nonfiction. If something has been done well recently, your book may not be needed. If a title did well 10 or 15 years ago—but the subject has not been covered since—that’s a red flag. No one has bought the title in a decade, so clearly readers are not interested.

For your comp section, you need to find:

• 5 to 7 titles that are …
• Published traditionally (a large publishing house, imprint, or independent publisher) …
• Within the last five years
• That have good ratings and a substantial number of reviews

You do not want:

• Titles more than 5 years old
• Self-published books (that includes hybrid titles)
• And especially not old, self-published titles
• Low numbers of ratings and books that are poorly reviewed

The exceptions: If all of your other comp titles are good, and you strongly believe it to be a value add, at the end you may want to add:

• One older, but not ancient, highly-regarded, standard-for-the-industry-or-genre, known tile
• One recent, remarkable, well-sold and well-reviewed self-published title

One other hack: You can use the introduction to your comps section as a way to reference classic titles without going into detail. Eat Pray Love (self-actualization and memoir), 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (business), and The Artist’s Way (creativity) would fall into this category. For instance: “From TITLE to TITLE to TITLE, readers are really interested in THIS TOPIC.” Again, don’t overdo it, and include a favorite along with more relevant, recent titles.

How to Find Comps

In Person: To research comp titles, start old school. Go to a bookstore, find the section your book would be shelved in, and see what else is out there. Carefully checking the publisher—to make sure it’s a traditional one—and the pub date, make a list of books to research online.

And/Or

Go Online: Do a search for “Best of” lists in your book’s category. Then, write down which of those books are most akin to yours. Note: Save the links of your favorite “Best of” lists to put in the conclusion of your comps section. More on that below.

Research the Details: Do a search on Amazon for each book you think could be a good comp. For each title, scroll down to get to the product details. There you will find the:

• Publisher
• Publication date:

And then toward the bottom of that section:

• Bestsellers Rank
• Categories
• Customer Reviews
• Ratings

If you need more comp titles to explore, click on the categories that are a fit. That will take you to the top titles in that category. If you think you are going down a rabbit hole, you’re right. Sometimes that’s what it takes to identify the right comps.

Once you find 10 or so titles you think are best for your book, go back over them and choose the best comps.

How to Format Your Comps

For each title in the comp section, include the following information. Hyperlink each book title to the Amazon listing. Note: Typically the link will go to the trade paperback version.

This is the format:

Title by Author(s) (Publisher, Date). Plus, a one or two-line description of the book.
Next, a couple of lines about what makes your book different/better.
List of the rankings in each category
Number of Ratings and Reviews

After you detail your five to seven comps, finish the section with your version of the following conclusion line:

“BOOK TITLE could be shelved in CATEGORY, CATEGORY, or CATEGORY. It would seamlessly fit into a list of best books on any of these topics, such as LINKS TO LISTS.”

Final Thoughts

For your comp section you want to find five to seven traditionally published titles in your genre that are similar to yours—to show your concept will sell—but different enough that there is a place for your book in the marketplace.

Remember, the entire book proposal is a marketing document. The easier you make it for your book to sell—“My book is this + that, but with a twist”—the more likely an agent or publisher will want to run with it!

The post The Why, What, How of Comp Titles for Your Nonfiction Book Proposal appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(How to Brainstorm Your Book Proposal.)

In any situation, you need to make a good first impression. Your book proposal’s Overview is that first impression. Its purpose is to get your audience’s attention, so they are as invested in your idea as you are.

Start With the Sizzle

The “Sizzle” comes after the title page in your book proposal. It’s a graphic or photo that illustrates your book’s concept. This is typically not your book cover; your publisher will have their own team for that.

Here is some Sizzle inspiration, as it relates to different types of books.

• Business book: A concept, flowchart, or representation of an idea. A timer, a roadmap, a lightbulb.
• Self-help: An illustration of the transformation or end result. A before and after pic.
• Cookbook: A signature dish or collage of recipe photos.
• Activity: A photo of the hobby, sport, or endeavor.

Your sizzle can be as simple or creative as you want. Have fun with it and make sure it reflects your idea and your style.

The Elements of Your Overview

The “About the Book” section of your book proposal starts with the Overview. The other elements are addressed briefly below.

Your one-page Overview needs to encapsulate your concept—what it is, what makes it unique, and why you are the only person who can write it. You want to get whoever is looking at it interested in reading more. Before you can articulate these things, it’s important for you to identify exactly the book’s mission/purpose. Why are you compelled to write this book: What is your motivation? And how will this book help the reader?

Your motivation may be to use your book to improve your status as a thought leader, get more visibility/readers/clients, etc. Your book’s mission is to use your background/experience to inform, educate, or entertain your reader on a certain topic, so they achieve a specific result (connect to the experience, learn something, benefit from it, enjoy what you have to say).

Another important decision is to figure out how you will get that information across. Are you sharing your personal or professional journey, a methodology or concept, or actionable tips? Once you figure out the reason you are writing the book, the desired result, and how you will share that information, you can start writing your Overview.

These are the pieces of the Overview:

Hook.

Start with a one-liner that engages the reader, showing what differentiates your idea.

• Question: Did you know that _________?
• Fact
• Quote

Concept.

Support your hook with an engaging paragraph or two that explains your book idea: what it is, your unique take, and why it is relevant/that people need to and will read it.

• Share what problem it solves
• Show how it helps
• Reference trends to prove timeliness or timelessness of the topic

Credentials.

This is where you go into your bio. Include who you are—relevant professional or even personal details—and why that makes you the perfect person to write this book. Include:

• Your background/thought leadership
• What you created/discovered/survived
• Why you love this topic/need to write this book

Conclusion.

Wrap with one or two lines that reinforce the relevance of your book topic, something inspirational that is on brand for you as the writer. Reiterate in what ways this book will help which people at this time.

Click to continue.

Also in “About the Book”

You can get into a little more detail “About the Book” in the sections that follow the Overview.

• “What’s in the Book” contains the names of the sections and chapters, along with a few lines of description for each.
• “Book Specs” has the word count, as well as the types of content you plan to use in the book. This could be anecdotes, case studies, interviews, instructions, graphics, etc. You can also put names of possible endorsers or people willing to write the book’s foreword or afterword.
• If you have “Reviews” of previous books or “Endorsements” of your ability as a writer, that goes next.

One More Thing

The Overview is a snapshot. Make sure it’s clear and engaging, so you can expand upon it throughout the rest of your book proposal.

Remember, whoever reads your book proposal wants it to be good. Agents and publishers are seeking a win-win situation: a good book by a knowledgeable writer that they can sell. Give them one!

The post How to Write a Great Overview for Your Book Proposal appeared first on Writer's Digest.

• Your concept and what makes it unique
• Who you are and why you are the best person to write it
• Details about your audience, why the book will sell, and your marketing plan

(17 Pros & Cons of Traditional Publishing vs. Self-Publishing.)

It sounds like a lot… and it is. However, when you break up the sections and fill in the blanks as you are able, it feels less like a heavy chore and more like a fun puzzle that comes together, piece by piece.

What’s in Your Book Proposal?

A book proposal is comprised of the following elements:

Title Page. 

This includes your book title and contact information. Your book title may change—either through the proposal process or from your publisher. However, it’s helpful to give your project a working title. It’s the first step for making your idea concrete.

Sizzle. 

This is simply a visual cue—a picture or graphic—that catches the reader’s attention and embodies the concept for the book. This is not your book cover, it’s inspiration.

About the Book:

• Overview. This one-page description details your concept for the book, what makes it unique, and why your experience and expertise make you the perfect person to write it.
• What’s in the Book. An extension of the overview, this is where you list out all the sections and chapters; include a few lines of description for each one.
• Book Specs. Here’s where you lay out more details. Share your estimated word count (depending on the niche, it could be anywhere from 40,000 and up for business and self help to around 75,000 for memoir to 100,000 or so for history and biography), when you can have the manuscript completed (usually three to six months from an agreement or contract), and how you will share the information in your book (narrative, case studies, inspirational quotes, instructions). If you have recognizable names—people and/or companies—you plan to include in the book or are willing to write the forward or afterward—include them here, as well.
• Reviews of the Author. If you have been previously published, share some of your best reviews.

Platform:

• Author Bio. Lean into the relevant specifics of your background for your book bio. Don’t forget a professional headshot.
• Testimonials. Include client testimonials that support your expertise.
• Author Platform. Detail your website(s); social media platforms: followings and activities; podcast (if you host); newsletter and subscribers; and involvement in organizations. Also, list and link to previous media, as well as in-person and online events. Bonus points if you have some sort of sizzle reel, so the publisher can see you in action.
• Marketing Plan. What promotions will you put in place to support the release of the book? Be creative, have fun with it, and get as detailed as possible. Even when you publish traditionally, there’s still a lot for the author to do promo-wise. You want to show your commitment to making this book a success. One more thing: If you have celebrity or influencers willing to blurb your book, that goes here, as well.
• Series. A publisher would much rather invest their time and energy into developing a long-term relationship, rather than a one-book author. Include ideas for a few follow-up books.
• Audience. Who is your ideal reader? And why do they need your book? Back up your audience vision with links to articles that support it.
• Comps. Include three to five comprehensive titles. These are best-selling books that are similar to yours, but different enough to show the need for your book in the world. Include their publisher, Amazon ranking, and a hyperlink. You want the majority, if not all, of them to be published traditionally and within the last five years. Books with lots of positive reviews are good too.

Detailed Outline. 

Expand your “What’s in the Book” section to include a paragraph or two description of what’s in each chapter.

Sample Chapters. 

Depending on your genre, this could be the intro and/or one or two chapters. You are backing up your concept and marketing plan with proof of your writing ability, tone, and style.

I told you it was a lot. But here’s the great part: You do not have to do it all at once.

How to Brainstorm Your Book Proposal/Book

1. Name Your Book.

2. Get Organized. 

Create a folder on your hard drive or cloud account with your book title. Then, create a document in the folder for each of the sections:

• Sizzle ideas
• Overview
• What’s in the Book
• Book Specs
• Reviews of the Author (if applicable)
• Author Bio
• Testimonials
• Author Platform
• Marketing Plan
• Series
• Audience
• Comps
• Detailed Outline
• Sample Chapters

3. Commit to a Schedule. 

Go to your calendar and set a regular (weekly or twice weekly) appointment to work on your book proposal. This can be anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour. I know 15 minutes does not seem like a lot of time, but it’s better to commit to what is feasible within your busy schedule than to overwhelm yourself and quit a week or two into the project.

4. Brainstorm Your Book. 

At the beginning of each appointment, pick a section you are feeling motivated to work on. Open that document, and just free-write your ideas. On days you feel a little less creative, compile some of the lists—like testimonials and reviews—or do some of the research-related activities, like the audience and comps.

5. Expand Your Ideas. 

When you notice your ideas taking shape, go back through your notes. Start turning ideas into drafts.

6. Compile Your Sections Into a Complete Book Proposal Document. 

Write. Read. Revise. Repeat.

Whether your goal is to publish traditionally—so you are using the proposal to attract an agent or publisher—or you intend to self-publish or go hybrid, a book proposal is a helpful tool. It enables you to gather your ideas for writing and promoting your book into a usable roadmap, whichever route you choose. 

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