Book Proposal

A book proposal is a blueprint of your Work that shows the publisher what your idea entails. In lay terms, it is a compelling sales pitch and the most important document you need to convince publishers, inhouse editors and agents. 

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Who sends a book proposal?

A book proposal can be sent by the agent to a publisher or even by an author to a publisher/agent. A book proposal is relevant for both fiction and non-fiction.

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How long is a book proposal? 

It can be anywhere from 50 pages and more but it depends upon the nature of the manuscript. 

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Can't authors just send their manuscript or a few chapters? 

A book proposal increases your chances of getting accepted given you understand that you are proposing something to someone knowing they can reject it but you have assured them of value addition. 

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Should a book proposal have a marketing plan?

Many authors worry about a marketing plan in a book proposal. They are either still finishing or revising the work or are not ready with a plan yet. But the good news is you don’t need a full-fledged marketing plan at this stage. What is crucial, however, is that the publisher gets an idea of what the author can and will do at his/her end to market the book. Traditional publishing houses spend a bulk of their marketing budget on books written either by celebrity or established authors. If the publisher sees that the aspiring author has a platform as well as resources, then the publisher becomes confident in selling the book. Irrespective of the genre, be ready to answer, what’s in it for the reader?

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Can you prepare a book proposal if the book is still in progress?

A book proposal is ideal for books that are under progress. For fiction as well as non-fiction, you should have at least three chapters (not necessarily the first three), but these should be your best. Anything less, the publisher is unlikely to invest their time in your work. If you are sending it to an agent, please check with them as some may have individual standards.

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What does a book proposal contain?

 These are the elements needed for a proposal:

• Title

• Subtitle

• Author bio

• Hook sentence

• Synopsis

• Table of Contents

• Chapter wise summary

• Three sample chapters

• Competing titles

• Target readership

• Marketing plan

• Other books by author

• Advance praise

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If you are preparing your book proposal, remember that every word on it is a sales pitch.

Email me if you are struggling with one. Editorsatelier@gmail.com