April 11, 2016 
Jane 
I know, I know, I have blogged before about doing a book proposal and how important it is. But, it seems from what I am seeing recently that I am not getting through.
In the last couple of months, I find that clients are really rushing to get their proposals ready. In doing so, they are making mistakes – both large and small – and ultimately prolonging the process of creating this very important document.
Book proposals really are the backbone of the non-fiction publishing process. They identify an idea, discuss who the reader will be for that idea, both demographically and statistically, and discuss other titles which would be comparable, in terms of audience, to the one the author is proposing.
Proposals provide a structure for the book and demonstrate (with a sample chapter) the author’s writing ability.
Finally, with a bio and links of supporting material, the proposal highlights the author’s credentials and platform.
I tell my clients that doing the proposal is probably more difficult than writing the actual book but that once they have a proposal that a publisher wants to buy, they will have the blueprint for their book.
I also tell them “better late than lousy” and I mean that because a poorly constructed and written proposal will not sell in this challenging market.
So, take your time in creating your book proposal. Think it through carefully and consider every element. Taking the necessary time to do this right is important and will ultimately pay off.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject. Let me know what you think.
Hi Jane,A few questions. I was wondering if, in the comp titles section, you should actually include how many copies the titles have sold. Also, do you recommend including a pre-blurb in a proposal? And, last but not least, when discussing demographics, how specific must you get? In other words, is it enough to just say, \\”This book\\’s audience reads parenting books like THE GIFT OF FAILURE…\\”Thanks!
RVF–
No the comp titles do not have to include the sales of the books. Blurbs written by well known people can accompany the proposal but they aren’t necessary at all. When describing the audience you should say parents of children ages X – Y and then you need to define this group statistically. The more numbers, the better.
I couldn’t agree more with your thoughts here, Jane!
I found spending extra time on my latest book proposal made the process of writing the manuscript so much easier, more creative, quicker and fun. I never had a moment of writers block and, each day, I was excited to return to the page because I knew where I was going. The book proposal proved to be the engine behind the entire creative process–selling the book, writing the manuscript and bringing it into the marketplace. Thank you for your guidance!
Thank you! Very helpful.
Couldn\\’t agree more, Jane. Your guidance helped my co-author and me to craft an excellent proposal (which, of course, you were then able to sell) but we learned SO much in the process. Thus, I would add that if you don\\’t have the wherewithal and/or material to create a thorough proposal, then that should also be a good indicator of the potential success of your book. It\\’s worth the work. It took 2 years from start to finish to research and finalize the 18th draft of our proposal, and then 6 months to write the book.
Hi Jane, though long out of the writing loop, I\\’m always reading your website.What about proposals for memoirs?I see little info about this special breed of book that is structured like a novel but is technically non- fiction.
Hi Tom,
So good to hear from you. The proposal rules for memoirs are the same as for all other non-fiction. Hope this helps.
It does, thanks.