Writing a Book Proposal

When it’s time to write a book proposal, finding the words to put your idea into words is likely to be your first real writing assignment with the potential to earn you a great income.

Tutorial

You have a great idea for a book. It’s got everything a book should have and you know it’ll be a hit. Unless you’re going to do a self-publishing, you’re going to have to sell someone else on your idea. That’s when writing a book proposal becomes your first assignment toward publication.

Writing a book proposal should be easy. Writing the book should be the more difficult task. Often, writers report that it’s not really the case. After all, there’s a lot riding on your ability write a great book proposal. If you sell someone on your idea for a book, you’ve got yourself a book deal. If not, you’ve relegated your idea (no matter how good it is) to live only in your own imagination or your own computer.

The contents of the book proposal depends largely on what stage your writing is in. If you have the book finished, you’ll have a more complete idea to offer editors, publishers or agents. If not, you have to sell them both on the idea for your book and on the fact that you are capable of writing it.

Remember that this book proposal isn’t a joke and you can’t save the punch line for last. You have to reveal what that terrific plot twist is going to be or how the hero is going to save the day. It’s okay to surprise your readers. The people who have the power to help you get your book published should know what they’re buying into.