When I first started out in this business, writing a book proposal seemed a daunting act. I wasn't quite sure what exactly it should contain, how much was too much, what tone to take, etc. Now that I've learned what works and what doesn't, it's time to help others reach their goals, too.
Understand that there are no right or wrong ways to create a book proposal-just ways that work and ways that don't. I've sold several books by using the following structure. Since that has worked for me, that's what I go with. I'm sure there are several hundred other varieties and I suggest that you figure out what works for you and stick with that. (I'd certainly be interested to hear how others do it, if your style varies significantly from mine.)
My proposals are usually brokendown into several key components. These are:
Cover Page-The book's title centered mid page with my contact information centered in the lower portion of the page. (My agent will change this to include his contact information if he is the one doing the submissions, but I let him worry about that when the time comes.)
Basic Info Sheet-This is a single page that gives basic information about the work in question. This includes the type of work (horror, thriller, etc), the target audience, estimated length, completion date, and a one or two sentence summary concept. The latter is often the toughest part to complete the entire proposal, as it needs to grab the editor's attention right away. The concept summary for my recent Templar Chronicles series was "Modern-day TemplarKnights acting as a secret combat squad for the Vatican, charged with defending mankind from the supernatural foes that surround them. "
Character Summaries-Short concept sketches of the main characters, usually no more than a few sentences.
Synopsis-The bane of most writers ' existence, the dreaded synopsis. If you are going to sell a novel on a proposal, this is the single most important part of the package. It needs to be sharp, it needs to be interesting, and it needs to be only about two pages long. It should be written in present tense and tell the complete story from beginning to end in a concise but interesting fashion. (Yeah, I know, easier said than it sounds. I'll talk more about writing a synopsis in a later post.)
Marketing Sheet-As I am active in theindustry and have a few books already available, I always include a marketing sheet that lets the editor know what I can do to help promote the work. I list several of the top blurbs and reviews I've received for previous works. I mention the various convention guest appearances I've done. I note the press appearances-print, television, and radio-that I have done in the past, as well as basic promotional tool set in stone, though you certainly want to leadwith something you are very comfortable with your writing as it is, more than anything else, that will hook into the editor wanting to see more (or deciding to take on the project.)
So there you have it-my novel proposals in a nutshell.
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