Writing a Good Book Proposal

Most writers submit one complete manuscript to a publisher and cross their fingers while waiting for the publisher to finish reading it and hope that the publisher would like it. Well, here's a news flash publishers do not like reading manuscripts. Yes, you read it right. Publishers receive tons of manuscripts from aspiring writers all the time and they don't want to waste valuable time reading an entire manuscript only to end up rejecting it.



Bear in mind that publishers are sellers. They are only interested in books that sell. They don't want to spend lots of time reading just to decide if your book would sell because there are lots of other authors out there who could do better than you. So, you have to convince them that your book is going to sell and that your book is better than most. You can do that by writing a good book proposal.



A book proposal would contain the description of your book and its selling points. It is your tool to get your book published. Write a good proposal that says your book is a must-have and a must-read, leaving no doubts in the mind of your prospective publisher to publish your book. And you do this even before you completely write the entirety of your manuscript. This would save you time if the publisher likes your book idea but has some revisions in mind. A publisher and editor would always want to be involved in the writing process; after all, they have experience and know what sells and what doesn't. So, as an author who wants to make it big, you should interact creatively with your publisher and/or editor for a better work collaboration.



So, what does a good book proposal look like? There is really no standard format of a book proposal. The same as having different writing styles, there can also be different proposal styles of different authors for different publishers. You must take note that for anything to sell, it has to be custom-made for the intended client. So, you also have to know your prospective publishers personality and style in order for you to adapt. But for the basic requirements, a good book proposal should contain at least the main ingredients:



1. The title and the summary or at least the premise of the book

2. The distinctive selling point of your book

3. The manuscript layout or plan

4. The target market or audience with explanation and descriptions

5. The authors background and writing experience

6. Synopsis of every chapter of the book; and finally,

7. One or two sample chapters of the book



You can rearrange these factors in any sequence you think appropriate, as long as it convinces your publisher to print your book.