Here is an expert's guide through the elements of a nonfiction book proposal, including the outline, chapter summaries, marketing/publicity, book and chapter titles, and more. Filled with exercises designed to help a writer conceive and create a desirable proposal, and checklists to keep track of the project's progress, The Art of the Book Proposal provides the framework on which to build a great idea, as well as intelligent, empathetic instruction on how to produce a proposal that will capture the interest of an agent or editor. While most how-to writing books focus only on the nuts and bolts of putting a proposal together, Maisel, considered by many to be America's foremost expert on the psychological side of the creative process, also helps the writer overcome mental barriers to producing the best work possible. Using a holistic approach to the sometimes unglamorous work of designing a proposal, his guide enables a writer to transform an idea into a book.

Whether you're writing self-help, memoir, or the Great American novel, you'll need a professionally prepared book proposal to sell it. In The Everything Guide to Writing a Book Proposal, author Meg Schneider and literary agent Barbara Doyen team up to provide the inside scoop on getting your name in print. Schneider and Doyen fully explain how to: Create a proposal for any genre Know what agents and publishers look for Get out of the slush pile and onto the right editor's desk Rework a proposal using suggestions from an agent or editor Understand and negotiate your contract Deal with rejection-and keep writing! The Everything Guide to Writing a Book Proposal takes you behind the closed doors of the publishing world, revealing the tried-and-true tips, techniques, and shortcuts that can help you get published sooner rather than later. Reference materials and resources for writers are also included, as well as a list of writers' organizations and clubs. AUTHOR: Meg Schneider is coauthor of three published books and has more than ten years of experience in television, radio, and print journalism. She is the recipient of numerous writing awards, and has written several book proposals on a variety of topics, both as sole author and collaborator. Barbara Doyen is president of Doyen Literary Services, Inc., an agency representing 100-plus authors.

THE ESSENTIAL RESOURCE FOR SELLING YOUR BOOK If you want to publish a book, you must present it to agents and publishers with a knock-your-socks-off proposal. Whether you're seeking a traditional press to publish your self-published book or trying to win over an agent for your graphic novel, memoir, or nonfiction title, you need an irresistible proposal. The better your proposal, the better the editor, publisher, and deal you will get. Nailing your proposal requires an understanding of how publishers work and how to brand yourself, build a platform, and structure your book. You'll learn it all in this breezy top-to-bottom revision of the classic 100,000-copy best-seller. Inside How to Write a Book Proposal 5th Edition, you will find: • Examples of successful proposals that earned six-figure deals • Guidance from agents, publishers, and writers • Ways to customize your proposal • Strategies for proposals in the Digital Age • Effective structures for narrative writers • A list of the "Top Ten Proposal Killers" This sassy, thorough guide from industry professionals Jody Rein and Michael Larsen will become your go-to for advice about publishing.

The Source for Book Proposals Success! How to Write a Book Proposal is THE resource for getting your work published. This newly revised edition of the Writer's Digest Books classic outlines how to create an effective, nonfiction book proposal in a clear, step-by-step manner. You'll learn the keys to a successful book proposal and how to: • Test-market the potential of a book idea and effectively communicate that potential in a proposal • Choose the best agents and editors for a particular proposal • Create a professional-looking proposal package • Predispose publishers to make their best offer Notes agent and author Michael Larsen also provides insider insights into the publishing industry as well as a plethora of newly updated information including: • Recent changes in the publishing industry • Updated trend information • New sample proposals • Expanded instructions for creating outlines You'll also find complete guidelines to becoming an effective self-promoter. How to Write a Book Proposal is a must-have for every writer!

The first comprehensive work on nonfiction as an art form • Shows how nonfiction, especially how-to and self-help, can take on the same power and luminosity as great fiction • Develops processes to reliably induce the dreaming state from which all writing comes • Teaches the skill of analogical thinking that is the core perceptual tool for writers • Explores the subtle techniques of powerful writing, from inducing associational dreaming in the reader, to language symmetry, sound patterning, foreshadowing, feeling flow, and more Approaching writing as a sacred art, Stephen Buhner explores the core of the craft: the communication of deep meaning that feeds not just the mind but also the soul of the reader. Tapping into the powerful archetypes within language, he shows how to enrich your writing by following “golden threads” of inspiration while understanding the crucial invisibles essential to the art of both fiction and nonfiction: how to craft language with feeling and vision, employ altered states of mind to access the writing trance, clear your work by recognizing the powerful sway of clichéd thinking and hidden baggage, and intentionally generate duende--that physical/emotional response to art that gives you chills, opens up unrecognized aspects of reality, or simply resonates in your soul. Covering some very practical aspects of writing such as layering and word symmetry, the author also explores the inner world of publishing--what you really will encounter when you become a writer. He then shows how to develop a powerful and engaging book proposal based on understanding the proposal as a work of fiction--the map is never the territory, nor is the proposal the book that it will become. This book, written using all the techniques discussed within it, offers a powerful, experiential journey into the heart of writing. It does for nonfiction what John Gardner’s books on writing did for fiction. It is one of the most significant works on writing published in our time.

Write Better Proposals Faster to Accelerate Your Writing Career! Whether you are a true beginner or a seasoned writer looking to secure more book contracts, The Weekend Book Proposal shows you how to take your best ideas and create powerful proposals--quickly and professionally. No need to spend months laboring over a proposal when in just a few days you can write one that will ignite the interest of agents and editors. Ryan G. Van Cleave presents the tools you need to craft an eye-grabbing proposal for your nonfiction, memoir, anthology, textbook, novel, and more. Jam-packed with proven strategies, nuts-and-bolts advice, sample queries and proposals, interviews with publishing experts, and "Hit the Gas" tips for speeding up the proposal process, The Weekend Book Proposal will show you how to succeed and prosper as a writer--and sell your books before you've even written them! The Weekend Book Proposal explains how to: • Write a catchy title and book description. • Create a compelling author bio and chapter outline. • Develop a targeted, engaging concept statement. • Build a strong marketing plan and endorsements list. • Structure your proposals based on those crafted by successful authors.

Sign the contract…then write the book. The good news is that almost every nonfiction book published is sold by a proposal. In this comprehensive yet accessible guide, you will learn exactly what a proposal is, what it must contain, and how to pull yours together into an informative, persuasive selling package. Already a favorite for thousands of aspiring writers, this book has been revised and updated by Elizabeth Lyon to feature nearly two dozen actual proposals, plus: · Choosing a topic based on current trends and competing titles · Drafting the perfect concept statement—daring agents and editors to reject you · Defining and targeting your readership—then connecting with them · Preparing a table of contents and chapter summaries · Submitting exciting and well-written sample chapters · Writing query letters · Devising a marketing plan that will excite agents and publishers

Want to publish your book? Learn how--it's easier than you think! Charismatic authors and literary agents Jeff Herman and Deborah Levine Herman have successfully sold hundreds of titles and learned--through trial and error--how to write a flawless book proposal that publishers can't resist. Now you can benefit from their hard work and publishing savvy. In this new edition, they offer guidance and advice that will inspire, educate, and, most importantly, give you the necessary edge to get your book published. They explain: * How to shape your idea and create a title * Ways to get to know the market and competition * Tips on writing an effective outline, query letter, and sample chapter * The art and science of fiction and nonfiction book proposals * How ten actual proposals (included here) were successfully sold to publishers--and why "A submission from Jeff Herman always gets moved to the top . . . his new book will show you how to move to the top."--Frederic W. Hills Vice President, Simon & Schuster "This book will take writers to the highest level of proposal writing and success."--Roger Cooper Quality Paperback Book Club "If you want your proposal to ignite a busy editor's interest, read this book."--Adrienne Hickey Senior Acquisitions Editor, AMACOM Books

Here is your new author's guide to writing winning book proposals and query letters. Learn how to find free media publicity by selling solutions to universal problems. The samples and templates of proposals, query letters, cover letters, and press kits will help you launch your proposed book idea in the media long before you find a publisher. Use excerpts from your own book proposal's sample chapters as features, fillers, and columns for publications. Share experiences in carefully researched and crafted book proposals and query or cover letters. Use these templates and samples to get a handle on universal situations we all go through, find alternatives, use the results, take charge of challenges, and solve problems-all in your organized and focused book proposals, outlines, treatments, springboards, and query or cover letters.

Tips for catching and holding an agent's attention. Essential reading for any fiction or nonfiction writer seeking publication, The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Book Proposals & Query Letters provides in-depth information on composing a successful query letter as well as detailed suggestions on how to craft each element of a book proposal - from author bio to marketing and competition information to a synopsis for fiction writers. By following the same guidelines an agent uses when submitting her client's book proposals to editors (and selling them), writers are given proven techniques for creating winning submissions. ?The most comprehensive information on query letters found in any book on writing ?The only book on book proposals that also targets a fiction audience ?Author is an agent who also blogs to a readership of about 1,500 daily