Tag: book proposal

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Book Proposals

The Hardest Element to Find on Your Proposal

The most difficult element to find in your book proposal is something that is missing or not there. I encourage you to read this article to the end because in my conclusion, I’m going to give you a free tool to make sure your book proposal isn’t missing any elements.  

Currently most submissions to editors and agents are electronic.

One of the consistent failures of authors is to include their physical address and phone number. At Morgan James Publishing, we receive over 5,000 submissions a year and each one are sent a letter of acknowledgement in the US mail. Countless times I have to ask authors for their address and phone number because it is missing from their proposal submission. If you are missing this information, you could be asking for rejection.

Some submissions are still sent through the mail.

It is presumptuous to assume because you invested in an overnight package that the publisher is going to put postage on your manuscript and return it to you. A publisher who receives thousands of unsolicited proposals and manuscripts each year will not invest in the expense of returning such documents. Instead they will be discarded. Only if you include return postage for a letter response or an email address will you be able to receive the rejection or personal feedback from the editor.

Because of the volumes of proposals, publishers are not going to devote their financial resources to returning those without a SASE. The cost is too prohibitive and unnecessary. It is the author’s responsibility to provide the publisher with an email address or return postage for their submission. Neglecting this detail is a dead giveaway that you are unpublished.

Also don’t expect a personal response—even if you met an editor at a writer’s conference and used that information in the introductory paragraph of your cover letter. I have taught at many writers’ conferences, sometimes almost one a month. I have met literally thousands of new people. It’s hard to keep all of those details straight. My schedule was fairly typical for an acquisitions editor in the publishing industry.

No editor likes to write rejection letters, yet it comes with the job description.

Remember also that the editor isn’t running a critique service for your proposal or manuscript when it is rejected. They would like to give a personal response with each rejection, but with the volume of submissions, it simply isn’t possible. If you do get a handwritten note or any sort of personal feedback, realize the encouragement and positive nature of this small sign from the editor—and do take it to heart. If they write, “This one isn’t right for us, but you should keep trying,” then keep trying with a different book proposal.

It is ironic to me that year after year at writers’ conferences I see the same writer trying to sell the same book proposal to the same editors. I admire persistence, but in some cases persistence is taken to ridiculous lengths. If a publishing house turns down your proposal, move on to another publishing house. Some writers work hard on marketing a single nonfiction or fiction book proposal or manuscript and repeatedly walk with great anxiety each day to their mailbox to see if it is accepted. Instead of this single focus, I suggest you turn your attention to another book proposal or a magazine article (something shorter where you can be successful and published). As you take this type of action it will make waiting much easier.

During my years in publishing, I sent proposals to a variety of publishing houses, either personally or through an agent, and some of these proposals have not been sold or contracted. Instead of continuing to push them into the market, I’ve tucked them into a folder and pressed on to another proposal or idea. From my perspective, the world is not limited to a single idea or a single project. You will have far greater success as a writer with multiple projects in the works, instead of continually focusing on a single proposal. When you mail a stack of proposals to publishers or agents, give yourself a few days of rest, then begin writing another book proposal to send out into the market.

During my years of running my own freelance business, I commonly had five different books contracted at any given time. This idea made some writers’ heads swim. They wondered how I kept track of the various projects. I simply staggered the deadlines for the various books and worked on a new proposal and a current manuscript all the time. It gave me a steady stream of work and income. It also meant that when I completed a manuscript or a proposal, I started on another one. You may work differently, but I encourage you to have multiple ideas and multiple proposals in various stages of completion so you will increase your chances of success and publication.

Understand the importance of including a self-addressed, stamped envelope or an email address for a response.

And if you don’t want your proposal or manuscript returned, then be sure your cover letter clearly states this information. It’s a key secret to your success.

In the opening to this article, I promised to give you a free tool to send a complete proposal and not miss a critical aspect. I’ve created a free book proposal checklist. Just follow this link, get it but most importantly read it and use the information for your submissions. I wish every author the greatest success.

Terry Whalin

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in California. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Get a free copy of his proposal book (follow the link). Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook, his blog and LinkedIn.

Book Proposals
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Book Proposals

How to Get High Profile Endorsements

Do you know a well-known person who will agree to write an endorsement or foreword for your book? Resist saying that you will seek endorsements from Beth Moore, Max Lucado or former President George Bush—unless, of course, you have personal access to these people. Well-known public figures are besieged for endorsements and forewords. Several of my best-selling author friends receive requests such as these each week from publishers and their author friends. If they receive these requests, you can imagine how difficult it would be for an unknown person to receive an endorsement.

Many of these people will want to read the entire book manuscript before associating their name with it because of poor experiences in the past. Others will just reject you up front and still others are prohibited from endorsing or writing forewords for books by their nonprofit boards.

As an editor, I’m almost cynically amused when I receive a proposal from an author who suggests endorsements from Dr. James Dobson at Family Talk, Rick Warren and other well-known figures with whom they have no relationship or means to get such an endorsement. Yet in some cases with a completely unknown author, I’ve seen publishing executives vote to publish a book because the proposal included a foreword from a well-known Bible college professor or someone else with instant recognition. If you can collect such a foreword, include this information in your proposal. Make sure this person is well-known in the broadest possible circles of influence. Some beginning authors include endorsements from their local pastor who is virtually unknown. It’s better to omit these types of endorsements from unknown people as it brands you as an amateur.

One of the best articles I recommend to writers in this area is an article titled, The Elder Rage Success Sage written by Jacqueline Marcell. An unpublished author, Marcell collected 57 rejections with her book manuscript. She decided the only way publishers would seriously consider her topic was to gather numerous celebrity endorsements before the manuscript was contracted. After nine months of work, she had impressive quotes from celebrities such as Leeza Gibbons, Dr. John Gray, Mark Victor Hansen and many others. As she writes in this article, “Polite persistence turned out to be the key.”

Think about the potential reader for your book. What person’s endorsement would influence that reader to purchase the book? With this list in hand, can you possibly reach this person and get an endorsement?

This article shows the power of persistence. Sometimes you will not receive an endorsement simply because you didn’t ask. Make sure you allow several months for the person to meet your request. If you expect the endorsement or foreword to be completed in a few days, you are bound to get the easiest response and the one you don’t want to hear—no. Instead, I recommend you follow the persistent pattern of Jacqueline Marcel and make your proposal standout from everyone else.

Terry Whalin

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in California. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Get a free copy of his proposal book (follow the link). Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook, his blog and LinkedIn.

Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success.
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Book Proposals

Why I Simultaneously Submit My Proposals

In the early days of my writing, I wondered if I should submit my material one at a time or simultaneously. In general, professionals are slow to respond and could take months to respond. It’s best to simultaneously submit but you need to disclose this practice in your cover letter.

Do not send your submission electronically unless the editor specifically requests it. In trying to cut costs, many writers prefer to submit their proposals via email attachment, but many editors do not prefer this format. They receive a great deal of email from their authors and publishing colleagues and other people inside and outside of their company. One publishing executive told me that he receives over 300 emails a day. Because this executive occasionally travels and doesn’t check his email for several days, you can imagine the backlog of information he must wade through upon his return. The same situation is true for editors and agents. Many publishers have stopped accepting unsolicited proposals and manuscripts due to the overwhelming flood of poor proposals.

As someone submitting a nonfiction or fiction book proposal, you want to remain above this fray. Don’t send a book proposal via email unless you first secure permission from the editor. In these times of computer viruses, editors are hesitant to open an attachment from someone they don’t know. Send a short regular email first asking about submission before sending any attachment.

If you do mail your submission, here’s another no-no: do not use colored paper or fancy fonts. No one wants to read material in Bookman Old Style or Lucinda Sans Typewriter—even if your computer has these fonts. You would be surprised at the lengths some people go to get attention with their mailed manuscript. These writers get attention but it’s the negative type. Stick to something standard such as 12-point New Times Roman font.

Also, there is no need to put your proposal in a three-ring binder or use any extra folders or presentation materials. I once received a large manuscript in a notebook binder. The author had punched three holes into every single page of the manuscript, then placed it into the binder and shipped it overnight to my address. There is no need to include your graduation certificates or your PowerPoint presentations (yes, people send these items to publishers. I’ve seen it firsthand). Also, you don’t have to send your proposal by priority mail, Federal Express or overnight delivery. Some people send proposals using this method so they can track it and know that it has arrived on the editor’s desk. This is an unnecessary expense.

While it is obvious to me, I need to tell you that your manuscript must be typed. I had always heard about handwritten manuscripts but despite the hundreds I have reviewed, I had never seen one—until recently. I received an entirely handwritten manuscript (fiction). I found it almost frightening to be holding a single copy of another person’s work—especially in this electronic world. I read it and returned it promptly to the author, so it did not stay in my possession for very long. Most of my recent book contracts will say that the manuscript is to be delivered to the publisher in an electronic format to save keyboard time. The overall key point is for your submission to be professional and normal—not to stand out because of something unusual. It is your concept, writing and storytelling that will make the greatest difference to the editor.

The editor has many other tasks and will not read your material any faster if it is sent overnight. This may give you a negative reaction instead of a positive one. Only send something rapidly if you have been in touch with the editor in advance and they request it. Frequently email is the best way to submit to editors. If you use regular mail, print your proposal on plain white paper. It is critical the writing be the focus and not some strange, attention-gathering method which could easily backfire and lead to rejection.

The first step for any writer is to create an excellent proposal and submission, then to send it simultaneously. Finally, you need to keep track of the submissions and if you get a book contract, then contact all of the pending submissions and let them know your book is now under contract. These actions as a professional writer make a difference how your reputation is in the marketplace so you can write for years ahead.

Terry Whalin

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in California. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Get a free copy of his proposal book (follow the link). Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook, his blog and LinkedIn.

Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success.
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Book Proposals

Create a Compelling Title

One of the biggest errors I see with book proposals is the author has put little or no effort into the title for their book. They have thrown some words on the page or even submit with the words “working title.”

The title for your book should be three to five words that snap the editor’s head around and hook them into reading your proposal. It should also tell the editors what the book is about. Many first-time authors are concerned when they read the standard book contract which normally says the publisher selects the title for the book. If you have a great deal of personal attachment to your own idea for a book title, I’d encourage you to get over it. The book publisher has a far greater financial investment in the actual production costs of the book; thus, he is the final authority on the title. I always tell beginning writers that if you create a great title, it will stick throughout the consideration process. As you write your book proposal to sell, your task is to find the perfect title for your book—along with several alternative titles.

For example, I created the title Lessons from the Pit for our original book proposal that eventually received a book contract. The publisher added a lengthy subtitle, but the original short title stuck throughout the entire process.

Many times, I’ve created the title for my book and it’s been ultimately used—even though in my contract I gave the final authority over to the publisher. In particular, my nonfiction children’s book titles have remained the same. For one of these books, I wrote a short-retold Bible story about Paul and Silas in jail entitled A Strange Place to Sing. You have to admit that singing when you are thrown into jail is a strange reaction, but it’s exactly what the apostle Paul and his traveling companion Silas did in the book of Acts. A short story about Jesus and the children was titled Never Too Busy. This title illustrated the central theme that Jesus Christ is never too busy for a child (or an adult). Simple titles usually will stay throughout the entire publishing process—particularly if they are central to the content of your book.

Another factor to consider in choosing titles is whether any other book already has this or a similar title. The book publisher will look at your title with this perspective in mind. It doesn’t make sense for salesmen to present a new book to a retailer, only to have the retailer say, “Isn’t that like this book over here?” Because you can’t copyright a title, two different publishers can issue a book with the exact same title.

Years ago, I found an example of this in the fiction area. (It also happens in nonfiction.) One of the popular genres of fiction is called “Chick Lit.” Kristen Billerbeck’s novel, What A Girl Wants (Thomas Nelson), was released on March 7th in an original paperback. Later, while reading a monthly newsletter at a bookstore, I spotted the same title—from a different author and a different publisher—What A Girl Wants (NAL Trade) by Liz Maverick—a paperback novel released on March 2nd. As much as possible, publishers attempt to avoid this confusing situation.

Even without the same title, you can count on readers to confuse your book title and sometimes recall a wrong word or two. Yet you still want the retailer to be able to locate your book and sell it. Put the necessary time and energy into researching and creating an excellent title but offer several alternative titles as well.

Book publishing is not a solitary task; rather, it is a matter of consensus building. As the author, you have to convince an editor to believe in your book and champion it internally. This editor then has to convince a room full of publishing executives that they need to publish your book. In the title process, give your editor the ammunition he needs to convince the others.

An excellent title is a factor you need to consider thoughtfully before you submit your proposal. Brainstorm a series of possible titles. After years at working for Morgan James Publishing, I know your title ideas will be much more valued and accepted than at most traditional publishers. A key part of your book proposal creation is a compelling title.

Terry Whalin

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in California. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Get a free copy of his proposal book (follow the link). Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook, his blog and LinkedIn.

Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success.
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Book Proposals

Write a Spellbinding Sample Chapter

One of the most important parts of every book proposal is the sample chapter. The sample of your writing must be compelling because it is a taste to the agent or editor of what will be written in the book manuscript.

When I presented a book proposal at the publishing house, several of the executives didn’t read the first part of the proposal that included the overview, chapter summaries, author bio or the marketing plan. Instead, they turned to the sample chapter and read it first. If the sample was excellent, they read the rest of the proposal. If the sample was poor, then they had formed their opinion (and likely a final decision) regarding the suitability of this book to add to our publishing list.

In many ways, this type of reading pattern is smart—because the writing should be what sells the publishing executive on a particular project. It’s why they have to publish your particular project, so make sure you invest a substantial amount of energy and excellence into your writing. It should be compelling, and the stories should make the reader (editor) turn the page to learn more. You need a combination of personal experience and how-to information in a nonfiction book that is appropriate for the particular publishing house.

And what are you adding “extra” to the sample chapter? Beyond your storytelling (which needs to be excellent) and your information (which needs to be simple, yet profound), are you adding some questions for the reader to think about or sidebar articles to give additional tidbits of information throughout the book? What special feature can you add that will make your book stand out?

Here’s one caution as you add this “extra” feature to your sample chapter:

Make sure you consider the cost of this feature. Sometimes authors will create a plastic “gimmick” to go with the book without thinking how this “gimmick” will be produced and what it will add to the value of the book? If the feature is something that can be printed like the rest of the book, it will not be an issue. But if it involves artwork (read extra cost for the publisher) or design work (again more production cost), then your “extra” may be a cause for rejection rather than help your proposal.

Children’s authors tend to lean more toward using gimmicks.

I once met with a new author who was also an artist. She had produced a series of removable Christmas tree ornaments in a book format that would celebrate the days leading up to Christmas. While the concept was interesting, the production costs would be astronomical. This author looked at me like I was crazy when I asked, “And what will be the retail price of this book? A hundred dollars?” I’m certain she thought I was trying to blow off her idea, but I was simply trying to get her to realize the cost of such a feature. The idea wasn’t a practical one that a publisher could execute without a high retail cost or a huge volume of printing.

You may have noticed that best-selling authors’ books have some very nice features.

Possibly beautiful artwork or the author’s signature is embossed into the hardcover underneath the paper book jacket. These features are possible if you are going to print two million copies at the same time and are able to gain strong economic discounts and economy of scale. In most cases, however, new authors can’t ask or expect such features as the publisher will be taking enough of a risk in simply printing their book. Adding the “extra” feature has to pay off for the publisher.

Take extra time to polish your sample chapter so every member of the publishing committee will be eager to get your book under contract and become a part of their forthcoming publishing plans.

This is something you can do as the author to help build enthusiasm inside and outside of the publishing house.
Terry Whalin

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in California. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Get a free copy of his proposal book (follow the link). Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook, his blog and LinkedIn.

Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success.
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Book Proposals

Make an Irresistible Proposal

Every author has a challenge with their submission to an agent or editor. How can your proposal become irresistible? Other proposals can be passed over but yours must be presented and kept. One of the magic keys is to include special sales in your marketing plans. I guarantee it will separate your book from others because almost no one talks about this important area of the book market.

Can you come up with a special market for your book that will sell 10,000 to 100,000 copies from the first printing? Does this sound impossible? It’s not. According to Jerrold Jenkins, president of the Jenkins Group in Traverse City, Michigan, the majority of special sales (a special sale is anything outside of the traditional bookstore setting) for books originate from the author who turns up these leads and creative ideas to sell thousands of books. Could your book contain a special back cover with the symbol of the organization and be used as a membership renewal gift? Could it contain a special letter from the president on the first page of the book? These books with a special cover or special inserted letter are called “special sales.”

Book sales have a fundamental problem that has been around since the Great Depression.

Retailers can order your book into the stores (good news for that to happen). But it doesn’t remain on their bookshelves forever. If your book doesn’t sell after a period of time, they can return the book to the publisher (not good news). These returns are charged against the earnings of your royalties. Special sales are never returned! They are guaranteed sales for the publisher and the author. I would encourage you to take some time at the Jenkins Group website and study the various examples of special sales. While these examples might not be exactly like your idea, be creative in your plan and potential for sales and include this plan into your proposal under the category of promotion.

As an editor, I love to locate an author who understands it takes more than excellent writing to sell large volumes of their book. I’ve discovered a book that is a valuable resource for writers in this area called How to Make Real Money Selling Books (Without Worrying About Returns): A Complete Guide to the Book Publisher’s World of Special Sales by Brian Jud (One Square Pub). This book documents that more than half of the books sold are sold through non-traditional channels such as mail order, warehouse clubs and other means.

Have you ever read the sales numbers of a particular book and wondered how that particular book ever sold in the bookstore? Some of those big sales numbers have been outside the bookstore.

How to Make Real Money Selling Books is a valuable resource for any writer to think outside the box.

Jud covers many specific strategies for generating special sales. As you read these strategies, determine which ideas are appropriate for your book, then incorporate them into your nonfiction or fiction book proposal. Including this type of information at the beginning of the publishing process will show your publisher your intention to be proactive in the sales process. Proactive authors who understand how to sell books are attractive authors to any publisher.

Jud’s earlier book, Beyond the Bookstore and his newer title are loaded with current statistics and contact information such as, “Today, the worldwide book market approximates $90 billion. Almost one third of those sales occur in the United States. Over the past ten years, the amount of sales through traditional outlets is decreased by 11 per cent (down 19 per cent without factoring Internet sales), and sales through non-bookstore outlets have increased by 8 per cent.” Three major advantages of special sales include control over your destiny, customization potential and nontraditional market segmentation. If you utilize the information in this book to generate a detailed marketing plan for your book proposal, it will help your proposal stand out from all the others on the acquisitions editor’s desk. Only the author has the passion and intense interest in their book. Use this book to increase your sales and strengthen your book proposals.

If you include even the beginnings of an effective marketing plan in your proposal, you send the following messages to the publisher.

Publishers are looking for authors who have connections to their readers—either through an email list or an active social media platform. In a few seconds, any editor or agent can check your social media on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook or any number of other platforms. If you blog, have you added recent entries? If you podcast, do you have recent programs? Your active involvement in these platforms will be an important part of your proposal. Make sure you include the links and numbers in your proposal. Those numbers with the right publisher could translate into book sales and readers.

Never forget that there are thousands of proposals circulating at a publisher. Your goal is to make your proposal irresistible—and something they have to publish—before a competitor snaps it up.

Terry Whalin

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in California. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Get a free copy of his proposal book (follow the link below the image). Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook, his blog and LinkedIn.

Morgan James Publishing
Categories
Book Proposals

Create a Fascinating Marketing Plan

Many would-be authors are surprised to see this element in the component of an excellent book proposal. They think to themselves (and some of them verbalize), “I’m not self-publishing my book. Isn’t the publisher supposed to be putting together a market plan with a specific commitment of dollars?”

Here’s the problem

Every publisher has limited marketing and publicity dollars to promote their list of books. The bulk of the money will go to the top authors, and if you are a new author, you can expect that your book will receive minimal treatment—unless you show the publisher that you deserve something different.

I met Jacqueline Deval, publisher at Hearst Books, who has also been a director of publicity at several publishing houses. One of the best resources for authors is Deval’s book called Publicize Your Book!, An Insider’s Guide to Getting Your Book the Attention It Deserves (Perigee Books). From the opening paragraph in the introduction, Deval provides authors with the following realistic expectation:

The reality of book publishing is that there are too few resources to support every book.

This means that some books will get publicity campaigns and budgets while others will go without. Additionally, most publishing houses are not staffed with enough publicists to mount a full-fledged campaign for every book. Because of this, editors must compete with one another to lobby the publisher, and the marketing and publicity departments, for the funds and staff attention to promote their books.

What type of marketing ammunition can you include in your book proposal so your editor can champion your cause? Because of the expense of publishing a book, a publisher will expect you to actively work at marketing your book to your connections. Many writers are stumped about what to include in this section of their proposals, so they write, “I’m willing to do radio, television and print interviews to promote my book.” Of course, you will be willing to do these interviews. If not, you have no business even taking the steps of creating a book proposal and writing a book. Publicizing your book comes with the territory after the book is published.

Other authors will write, “My book should be featured on The Today Show.” Every publisher long for their books to be featured on The Today Show because these appearances help drive books to the bestseller list. The reality is few authors get this opportunity—even though their publisher may try. The producers at The Today Show (or Good Morning America or any other talk show) are bombarded with literally thousands of new books. It’s not realistic to include such plans in your proposal.

To achieve success in your marketing plan, you need to get into a different mind-set.

As Deval says in the first chapter, “An author who thinks like a marketer, and who starts thinking about marketing before the book is even completed, will help the book toward a successful publication. The author is in the best position to offer suggestions for marketing that the house might have overlooked and sometimes to help bridge any difficult internal relationships among the publishing team that might impede the book’s success. (In-house squabbles do happen in business, and while in a just world they shouldn’t interfere with a book’s progress, sometimes they do.) Most important, the author can be the catalyst to motivate a house’s enthusiasm about a book (page 4).”

Deval’s perspective in her book is valuable to anyone writing a book proposal or with a book to be published. As an insider, she understands the stresses and limitations within a publisher. She helps the author come alongside the publisher with creative and cost-effective ideas without being a pushy, high maintenance author (yes, they exist).

Take some time to creatively think about the topic and the book that you propose.

Which specialty groups are potential targets for this book? Do you have a connection to these markets through an organization or network to reach them with your book? If you don’t presently have a connection with the target group, how can you acquire one? You have the passion and drive for your particular topic, and you need to pass this passion on to the publisher. Through the marketing section of your proposal, show the publisher that you understand the marketing for your book and your willingness to be involved.

Terry Whalin

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in California. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Get a free copy of his proposal book (follow the link). Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook, his blog and LinkedIn.

Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success
Categories
The Intentional Writer

Do you need a book proposal “cheat sheet”?

The Intentional Writer column

If you hope to pitch a book to a publisher, especially a non-fiction book, you will need to write a book proposal. A book proposal contains all the key information an acquisitions editor needs to determine if your book might be worth publishing. It’s sort of like a query letter on steroids. And if you hope to snag the interest of an editor (or an agent), you will need a professionally crafted book proposal.

Writers generally use a query letter to pitch an article. But a book is longer and more comprehensive than an article, thus authors need a full-blown book proposal to pitch a complete book. Book Proposals That Sell by W. Terry Whalin is a one-stop resource for creating a quality proposal. Whalin has decades of experience in the Christian publishing world, including serving as an acquisitions editor. He has shared his advice in many writing venues, including Almost an Author. Find his book proposal posts here.

The book guides you through the process of creating a book proposal that has all the elements an acquisitions editor is looking for without the mistakes that flag you as an amateur. This book is aimed specifically at nonfiction books. While some of the advice pertains to fiction book proposals, it’s better to heed the author’s advice and find a fiction proposal to model rather than using the nonfiction proposal examples included in the appendices.

What’s in the book?

The book begins with an explanation of why publishers want book proposals rather than full manuscripts for nonfiction books. However, the key value comes in the 21 secrets he shares about crafting a book proposal that will sell your book concept to an editor. Here’s a sampling of the advice this book offers:

  • Be able to share the topic of your book in a few words or sentences.
  • Understand some specifics about who will read your book—your target audience.
  • Explain your credentials for writing this book. Why are you the right person to write this particular book?
  • Prove to the publisher that you are willing to be involved in the marketing process and understand something of that process.
  • Don’t promise hype you can’t deliver.

In addition to practical explanation of the various sections a proposal needs, Whalin also offers some advice on strategy, including the importance of building good relationships with editors and how to use your book proposal to snag an agent.

And the appendices are full of even more helpful information, including additional resources and two sample proposals for you to use as models.

If you’ve spent many hours of time and effort crafting a great nonfiction book, give it an equally well-crafted proposal to show potential editors that you are a professional who has what it takes to be successful. That’s your best shot for winning that coveted publishing contract.  

Book Proposal Resources

Click this link for an offer to get a free eBook version of Book Proposals That Sell.

Here are two additional resources on writing book proposals:

Write the Perfect Book Proposal: 10 That Sold and Why, 3rd edition

How to Write a Book Proposal: The Insider’s Step-by-Step Guide to Proposals that Get You Published, 5th edition.

Lisa E Betz

 Lisa E. Betz is an engineer-turned-mystery-writer, entertaining speaker, and speechwriting coach. She inspires others to become their best selves, living with authenticity, and purpose, and she infuses her novels with unconventional characters who thrive on solving tricky problems. Her Livia Aemilia Mysteries, set in first-century Rome, have won several awards, including the Golden Scroll Novel of the Year (2021).

She and her husband reside outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Scallywag, their rambunctious cat—the inspiration for Nemesis, resident mischief maker in her novels. Lisa directs church dramas, hikes the beautiful Pennsylvania woods, eats too much chocolate, and experiments with ancient Roman recipes. Visit lisaebetz.com.

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Book Proposals

Why Are You The Author?

As an acquisitions editor and a former literary agent, I’ve reviewed thousands of book proposals.  For any writer who wants to catch the attention of an editor or agent, one of the basics is to understand a critical aspect for them to include in their proposal. One of those critical elements is your proof about why you are the best person to write the book that you are pitching. In the proposal, this section often has a simple title: “About the Author.” In this article, I’ll detail some questions that you must answer in an engaging fashion to gain the attention of the editor or agent.

As you write this section, don’t be shy.

It’s the time to roll out your authority and credibility. Publishers give increasing importance to the author and their connections in their particular area of expertise. Six key areas should be included in this biographical sketch:

  • What are your credentials in this particular subject area?
  • What are your career credentials to write about this topic? Begin with your most professional credentials related to the topic, and then list other careers in descending order of importance.
  • What is your educational background to write on this topic? In general, a Master’s degree and higher carries weight independent of the subject area, although some agents and editors avoid academicians and their writing. Academic writing is completely different than the popular type of writing which is most broadly published. Often someone steeped in academia has learned to write in convoluted sentences and difficult syntax. If you have a higher degree in a particular area related to your topic, it can help you if your writing does not sound like a textbook. Be aware that touting a higher degree can send a message that the editor or agent should be cautious.
  • What credits, awards, publications and memberships can you highlight that relate to your topic? If you have published in magazines, then list some of them, particularly if the titles are familiar to the editor or agent. Leave out anything that would diminish your proposed work or you as the author.
  • What promotional skills have you shown through your past books or publications? Not everyone has something to put in this area so don’t panic if nothing comes to mind here. If you have had success promoting other products, be sure to include them in this section.
  • What personal data can you include? Some authors choose to leave off this final section, but it’s the one paragraph or opportunity for the author to show that they are an interesting human being—someone that the editor (or agent) would like to meet. This personal information will separate you from a mass of qualifications and credentials the editor sorts through as he or she makes a decision about an author.

Editors and agents will appreciate the energy and effort that you pour into this section of your proposal.

Terry Whalin

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in California. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Get a free copy of his proposal book (follow the link). Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook, his blog and LinkedIn.

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Book Proposals

A Practical Story: Why A Proposal Is Important

At a small coffee shop, I met Joe Leininger who had traded for ten years in the Eurodollar Pit of the Chicago Mercantile. In that incredible greed-centered environment, Joe thrived and made a million dollars every year for ten years and then retired. He had some strange and fascinating stories about his experiences on the Merc floor, which he began pounding out in a nonfiction book manuscript. While the writing experience was cathartic for Joe and lots of fun, he wanted a regular publisher to produce his book manuscript.

Unlike the average author, Joe had a few personal connections with some book publishers. He thought this would give his manuscript an advantage for publication, so he submitted it for their consideration. After several weeks, each package was returned with a rejection note. Without professional guidance, Joe was unsure how to get his book published and into the traditional bookstores. Because of his personal resources, he could self-publish his book and have a garage full of his work, but he was wise enough to understand that, in general, book publishing is a closed system. For your book to be sold in the bookstore, it needs to go through a traditional publisher who has a distribution channel for these stores. To test this, pick any self-publisher, go into your local retail bookstore and search for any title from this publisher on the shelf. You will be hard pressed to find much (if any) of this type of product.

I met with Joe, and he gave me a copy of his manuscript. From my reading, I could see potential, but I also spotted a key flaw. Joe included fascinating stories about his experiences in the pit, but these stories had no takeaway information for the reader. He missed passing along the lessons from his experiences to other people—whether they ever saw the crazed action on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile or not. Readers approach books from a selfish viewpoint. Every book has to answer the key question, “What’s in this book for me?”

With some prodding on my part, Joe produced a series of 16 lessons about life and success from his work in the Pit. These lessons became the backbone of the book proposal that I wrote. Eventually Broadman and Holman published our book entitled Lessons from the Pit. Each lesson became a single chapter in the book.

Every reader approach nonfiction books with the desire to learn something for himself and take away some information or insight from their reading. The material has to be told in an engaging manner, but every sentence must be written with the reader in mind. The same approach is necessary when writing a book proposal. You are writing the proposal to attract an agent or editor, and eventually the publisher. If you focus the entire book manuscript on what you want to say without thinking of the reader, it will not be a book a publisher will want to print.

Always remember one basic lesson about nonfiction book publishing: In general, publishers buy book proposals for nonfiction—not book manuscripts. I know Joe has multiple ideas and hopes to write other books. The last time I checked, he was pounding out another complete manuscript. I trust he learned this basic lesson. Certain people are doomed through their stubborn persistence to repeat the lessons from the past. If you follow the advice in Book Proposals That $ell, however, you can benefit from my long-term experience in the publishing world.

Terry Whalin

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook, his blog and LinkedIn.

Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success

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Book Proposals

The Difference Between a Fiction or Nonfiction proposal

Possibly you are an author who writes nonfiction and fiction. Because I’ve worked in both areas of the market—fiction and nonfiction—it’s valuable to clarify the distinction. In simple terms, nonfiction is factual whereas fiction is a created story. Sometimes new authors get confused about what they need to market their fiction or nonfiction materials to a publisher.

Two of my published author friends referred someone to me. Often it takes several email exchanges to figure out why I am corresponding with a person and what they need. In this situation, the individual had a proposal for a publisher. If it’s a fiction project, then I want to correspond with the person using my publisher email address and because of my position with the publisher. On the other hand, if the proposal is a nonfiction project, then I will probably correspond with them through my personal email address. On a rare occasion, I help people get their nonfiction proposals into shape to show a publisher. On other occasions, I will co-author a project with someone and other types of combinations. It takes some exploration to determine what a person needs and if I can help this person.

I began to exchange emails with this unpublished writer who had received a sample book proposal from my published author friends. The writer followed their example and submitted it to a major publishing house which rejected it. This person wondered whether or not he needed my help with the proposal creation. To sort out what needed to be done, I asked the writer to send both proposals to me—the one from the published author friend and the unpublished proposal. I received them within a short period of time.

First, I looked at the proposal from my published author friends. I was a bit surprised at the simplicity and lack of completeness of this book proposal. As an editor, I’ve seen many book proposals and can quickly evaluate them. Some published authors, after achieving a particular level of book sales and market success, don’t have to produce a complete book proposal to get a publishing contract. Because of their track record of book sales or the ready-made audience and market for their writings, their submission process is much more simplified than the unpublished author.

Next I looked at the unpublished author’s proposal to see if it needed to be reworked before he sent it out to other publishers. At a glance I could see the problem. This author used a nonfiction proposal format for a fiction proposal project. He was wasting his time, and energy to market the wrong project in the wrong format. No wonder the publisher rejected his submission.

When I wrote and asked him about it, he quickly responded, “Is the proposal for a fiction proposal different from a nonfiction proposal?”

I told this potential author that the forms were radically different. You are doomed if you follow a nonfiction book proposal format for a fiction submission. I assumed this author was a first time novelist. In general, publishers require these authors to have completed the entire 80,000 to 100,000 word manuscript. It takes a great deal of time and energy to write 100,000 words (typically about a 300-page novel). Usually driven from the need to tell the story, these writers work long hours at their computer to complete the manuscript. For the book to be published, these pages need to be polished, fast-paced and generally excellent. If the novel requires a great deal of work, then it’s almost certain to be rejected. Many authors have heard the story of Max Perkins, the editor for Thomas Wolfe. Perkins would pull a little of this and a little of that and from his editorial skills create a classic novel. Those editors are long gone in this business. Instead, the publisher expects the novelist to complete the entire work on speculation—without any certainty of a publishing contract. Why?

I’ve heard numerous horror stories from long-time editors who contracted a novel because of a dynamic chapter or a terrific plot. Often fiction will change as the story is written. An inexperienced novelist writes their plot into a place where they are stuck and they don’t know how to complete the story. This type of situation becomes ugly for both the author and the publisher. From these experiences, publishers have learned to ask for the entire manuscript from first time fiction writers. In addition to the completed manuscript, first time fiction authors need a dynamic synopsis, combined with an outstanding marketing plan, to explain how you are going to personally sell your book. Finally you need to tell the editor a bit about yourself in a short personal bio. Novelists will send out shorter pieces, such as a couple of well-done sample chapters, synopsis, marketing plan and bio, and then ask if the editor wants to see the entire manuscript. An excellent book on this process for fiction authors is Your Novel Proposal From Creation to Contract by Blythe Camenson and Marshall J. Cook.

The story for nonfiction is totally different. You can write a nonfiction book proposal and get a publishing contract. From my experience an excellent proposal is critical for nonfiction and fiction. Several years ago, literary agent Jennifer Rudolph-Walsh was interviewed in a writers’ newsletter. Over ten years earlier Rudolph-Walsh was an agent with the Virginia Barber Literary Agency and pulled in a $400,000 advance for Ethan Hawke’s first novel. She said, “A well thought out proposal with an outline and a table of contents and maybe one to three sample chapters is enough. A friend of mine had a whole nonfiction manuscript and couldn’t sell it.” Rudolph-Walsh had the author chop off the first three chapters, then she sent it out and got $550,000 for something that couldn’t be sold for any price only four months earlier.

What counts in a nonfiction proposal is the promise of what’s to come with the finished manuscript and the editor’s potential to push the manuscript slightly in one direction or another. My experience says that the editor doesn’t push it much in the process, but because a proposal is in more of an “outline” format, it has the illusion of the editor pushing it. Normally I’ve written each of my nonfiction books exactly like I wrote them in the proposal—chapter by chapter.

Keep these statistics in mind as you think about your nonfiction book proposal. At any given time, 500,000 proposals and manuscripts circulate across the United States. With good writing skills and using the secrets in this book, you can beat these odds and get a contract. One major publisher received over 6,000 unsolicited manuscripts and proposals in a year, yet didn’t accept a single one. These thousands of proposals weren’t written well and didn’t include the necessary elements of a proposal, nor were they appropriate for this particular publisher. The writer has to fulfill every expectation in order to stand out from the other submissions.

Book Proposals That Sell can save you hours of effort and potential heartache. As you write, keep in mind this important statistic: nine out of ten nonfiction books are sold from a nonfiction book proposal.

Terry Whalin

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook, his blog and LinkedIn.

Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook, his blog and LinkedIn.

Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success
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Book Proposals

Begin at the Beginning

You have a burning desire to write a book. Join the crowd. You might be surprised to learn how many people are writing a book. According to a survey from the Jenkins Group, Inc., a Michigan publishing service firm, 81 percent of Americans feel they should write a book. Jerrold Jenkins, CEO of this group, estimates that more than 6 million Americans have actually written a manuscript—just over 2 percent of the population. As Penny C. Sansevieri, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts told me, over 4,500 new books are published every day which amounts to a massive amount of new material entering the marketplace. If you have this desire, how do you begin?

The majority of inexperienced writers will sit down at their computer and pound out their entire manuscript—no matter if it is 40,000 words or 140,000 words. They will begin on the first page and write until the end. It’s a major mistake and wasted effort to follow this course of action. On one hand, these writers should be commended because they took the time, energy and discipline to complete their entire book. Many writers begin with good intentions but stop after completing several chapters, deciding that it’s too much work. If you fall into the category of a person who has completed a manuscript, you should be congratulated on that large amount of effort and energy.

I’ve taught at a number of writers’ conferences around the U.S. and Canada, and I’m often surprised at the number of people I meet who have invested the time and energy to produce an entire nonfiction manuscript—even some people who “should” know better. Several years ago, during a writers’ conference, I arranged a meeting with a leader in a large nonprofit organization (outside of the participants at the conference). We were discussing a possible book project and how we would work together. I explained to him about how the majority of nonfiction books are contracted from a book proposal, not a full-length manuscript.

After our hour-long meeting and just before we ended our session, he turned to me and said, “I have a book manuscript that I wrote last year. How do you suggest I get a publisher?” It was as though he didn’t listen to the previous conversation. Like many people he had found a subject and a need to address in a book. Not locating a book on this subject, this writer began to doggedly write the entire manuscript from first page to the final page. You have to admire his determination but this type of effort is mostly futile. A book manuscript doesn’t contain much of the information or the format for a publisher to make a decision and issue a book contract.

If you are one of those readers who has written a full-length manuscript, then don’t despair. You need Book Proposals That Sell more than ever. With your manuscript in hand, you can use the details in my book to create a book proposal. This proposal becomes the tool you will need to sell a publisher on your manuscript and convince them that they should publish your book.

Terry Whalin

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook, his blog and LinkedIn.

Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success
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Book Proposals

Brainstorm An Excellent “Working” Book Title

            “The publisher will never use my title.” Or “It doesn’t matter what I call my book because the publisher will change it.” Writers often make these statements but they are not true from my decades of publishing experience. Repeatedly, if the author has an excellent title, then these words will make it through the publishing process. The best publishing is a consensus building and team approach if you want the best title for your published book.  I’ve been in meetings inside publishing houses where a white board is filled with possible titles for a book. Representatives from marketing, editorial and sales are in this room for brainstorming the title of a book. The one person who is not in that room is the one who has the most information about the content of the book—the author. The only way this author is represented in the room is through their book proposal. Yes this business plan document is important and something every author needs to create for their book—even if they self-publish.

            Every author needs to put a lot of energy into finding the best “working” title for their book. If you do, then your proposed title could be the published title for your book.

Here are some basic guidelines:

  1. The main title should be three to five words long. It has to fit the spine of a book and most books are spine out. Select short, punchy and active words.
  2. Test the title with friends and relatives to get their feedback and reaction. You can even brainstorm titles with a group of friends. In your proposal have a main title but also include a section with other possible titles.
  3. Check the title on Amazon (the largest online book catalog). Do other books use the same words? You can’t copyright a title and often other books use the same words. Possibly the title was used years ago and that book is out of print. Or your research may restart your title search to the beginning.
  4. Create several possible subtitles for your book (particularly nonfiction). The subtitle highlights a benefit for the reader. For example, Book Proposals That Sell (title), 21 Secrets to Speed Your Success (reader benefit).

Pour the right effort into your title and you will be rewarded with your working title becoming the name of the printed book in the bookstores.

Terry Whalin

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. Get Terry’s recent book, 10 Publishing Myths for only $10, free shipping and bonuses worth over $200. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. The revised and updated edition released in October. You can get a free book proposal checklist. Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success.
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Book Proposals

The Missing Author Document

Most authors are focused on writing the best possible manuscript—an important task. While your writing is important, there is another document many writers miss—yet you need to create: a book proposal. This document is your business plan—even if you self-publish or write children’s books or fiction or nonfiction. Originally I wrote this book as a frustrated editor to get better submissions. Yet it is much more

Throughout my decades in publishing, I’ve written many different types of nonfiction books: biographies, how-to, diet, self-help, co-authored books, children’s books and others. I’ve interviewed more than 150 bestselling authors and written their stories for various magazines. It’s not that I’m the best writer in the room but I am one of the more consistent, persistent writers.

 I attend conferences and pitch my ideas to editors.

I listen to their response and sometimes they say, “That’s a good idea, Terry. Write that up and send it to me.” I make a little note, then I go home. write and send it. Now that doesn’t mean I get published, but I did give myself a chance to get published because of my submission.

 Now I go to conferences as an editor and listen to writers pitch their ideas.

I listen carefully and if I hear a good idea, I encourage them to send it to me. I’ve been to conferences across the United States and Canada listening to writers and encouraging them to send me their material. Here’s a startling statistic: probably only about 10% of those writers actually submit their requested material. I follow up through email and often a phone call to encourage them to send it—but they don’t submit.

 There are several other key factors from my experience:

 Professionals continue to work at learning the craft of writing. I’m constantly reading books and taking online courses and learning. The authors who disappear off the bestseller list figure they have arrived at their craft and don’t have anything else to learn. Yes, I’ve met some of these writers.

 Professional writers keep in touch with readers through an email newsletter and have invested the time to learn about their audience (readers) then write what they want and expect. These professionals also understand the importance of gentle follow-up. Notice the word “gentle” because if you are too pushy, the easiest answer to give is “no thank you.” Yes, often takes patience, persistence and time.

These professional writers also understand the importance of continual pitching to decision makers (editors but also radio show hosts, podcast creators, and others of influence). Authors who succeed in the publishing world are looking for opportunities. When they find the open door, they have the boldness to move forward and seize it.

 Also professional writers understand the importance of deadlines and meet those deadlines with quality writing. As an editor, I’ve fielded calls from writers who are not going to make their deadlines. They have many reasons—some of them even reasonable. Writers are notoriously late so publishers often build some room for such excuses into their schedule—but don’t be one of those writers. I’ve taken some crazy deadlines from publishers and sometimes stayed writing at my keyboard all night to send my manuscript on the deadline. It’s another key for those writers who succeed in the book business.

 The path is not easy for any of us and takes persistence, consistency and discipline.

But it is possible for you to find the right idea and the right book and the right publisher at the right time. I understand there are many rights which need to align. It simply will not fly if you don’t try.

Terry Whalin

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook, his blog and LinkedIn.

Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success
Categories
Book Proposals

Authors Who Succeed in The Book Business

Throughout my decades in publishing, I’ve written many different types of nonfiction books: biographies, how-to, diet, self-help, co-authored books, children’s books and others. I’ve interviewed more than 150 bestselling authors and written their stories for various magazines. It’s not that I’m the best writer in the room but I am one of the more consistent, persistent writers.

 I attend conferences and pitch my ideas to editors. I listen to their response and sometimes they say, “That’s a good idea, Terry. Write that up and send it to me.” I make a little note, then I go home. write and send it. Now that doesn’t mean I get published, but I did give myself a chance to get published because of my submission.

 Now I go to conferences as an editor and listen to writers pitch their ideas.

I listen carefully and if I hear a good idea, I encourage them to send it to me. I’ve been to conferences across the United States and Canada listening to writers and encouraging them to send me their material. Here’s a startling statistic: probably only about 10% of those writers actually submit their requested material. I follow up through email and often a phone call to encourage them to send it—but they don’t submit.

 There are several other key factors from my experience:

Professionals continue to work at learning the craft of writing. I’m constantly reading books and taking online courses and learning. The authors who disappear off the bestseller list figure they have arrived at their craft and don’t have anything else to learn. Yes, I’ve met some of these writers.

 Professional writers keep in touch with readers through an email newsletter and have invested the time to learn about their audience (readers) then write what they want and expect. These professionals also understand the importance of a gentle follow-up. Notice the word “gentle” because if you are too pushy, the easiest answer to give is “no thank you.” Yes often takes patience, persistence and time.

These professional writers also understand the importance of continual pitching to decision makers (editors but also radio show hosts, podcast creators, and others of influence). Authors who succeed in the publishing world are looking for opportunities. When they find the open door, they have the boldness to move forward and seize it.

 Also professional writers understand the importance of deadlines and meet those deadlines with quality writing. As an editor, I’ve fielded calls from writers who are not going to make their deadlines. They have many reasons—some of them even reasonable. Writers are notoriously late so publishers often build some room for such excuses into their schedule—but don’t be one of those writers. I’ve taken some crazy deadlines from publishers and sometimes stayed writing at my keyboard all night to send my manuscript on the deadline. It’s another key for those writers who succeed in the book business.

The path is not easy for any of us and takes persistence, consistency and discipline.

But it is possible for you to find the right idea and the right book and the right publisher at the right time. I understand there are many rights which need to align. It simply will not fly if you don’t try.

Terry Whalin

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook, his blog and LinkedIn.

Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success.
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Book Proposals

Will An Editor Fix All My Mistakes?

Among writers in the publishing community, there is a false belief that my submission does not have to be perfect because the editor will fix any mistakes. After all, isn’t that what editors do?

While I’ve been an editor for decades, I’ve also been a writer. I believe it is important for writers to understand some of what editors’ face. A key responsibility for every editor is to produce the best possible magazine or book for their company. They want every publication to be as excellent as possible. In their search for content, they are looking for the best possible writing for their particular audience. To catch their attention, you want your submission to be a fit for what they need and as enticing as possible.

           “You only get one chance to make a good first impression.”

An old yet true saying,

The first impression from your submission is a critical factor. As a writer, you do not want to be missing some crucial element for the editor. The hardest missing element to find with your submission is something that is not there.

Another important element for you to know about editors is many editors are not writers. Yes, they write emails or guidelines but they do not write for publication (magazine or books). Their expertise is in management of workflow and excellent editing skills. Also, a number of my editor colleagues do not teach workshops at writers’ conference. It is simply not in their skill set. These individuals can recognize excellent writing and can adjust your writing but not create it in the first place which is a different skill.

Recently I spoke with a bestselling author and asked about her forthcoming books. She admitted that she had no forthcoming books because she had not written a book proposal or made a pitch through a query letter. If you want to be published at a magazine or publisher, you have to learn how to craft an enticing book proposal or query letter then be pitching it consistently until you find an editor who is interested. Every magazine and publisher has expectations about what they need. They spell out these expectations in their guidelines which are often on their website. The simple steps are to study their guidelines and what they publish, and then send the editor what they need.

While writing is a creative endeavor, publishing is a business.

As you understand the business, marketing and selling aspects of publishing, this information will feed into your submission and you will become more of the type of writer that editors want to work with and publish.

I’ve been in some of the top literary agencies and publishers in the United States, the good news is every one of these professional colleagues are actively looking for quality writing—whether they send you a response or not. Each personal is actively reading their email and their physical mail looking for the right fit.  If you write what they need, you could be the next person that they publish.

Terry Whalin

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook, his blog and LinkedIn.

Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success.

Categories
Book Proposals

Make Your Proposal Stand Out

Recently I met one of my long-term friends, a publisher of a well-known book company.  Speaking about how I manage author expectations, I said, “I tell every author it is 80% up to them to sell the book.”

“That 80% is the same thing we tell authors, “He affirmed. Are you taking your responsibility for selling your own book? This attitude is critical in any proposal because it will shine through your words.

Editors and literary agents receive hundreds of submissions. You have seconds to catch their attention before they move to the next one. How can you distinguish your book proposal? Consider these seven keys:

stereotype metapher leadership or exclusion

Create an Unforgettable Title

For example, I recently received a proposal from a former nun who wrote a marriage book. The juxtaposition of “nun” with “marriage” caught my attention. While the publisher usually controls the title, I’ve found if you pitch an unforgettable title, it will stay throughout the process. You are the best person to create this title.

Begin With a Great Story

And continue with thoughtful well-organized content. You don’t just throw the words on the page to have this dynamic. Your writing and rewriting will capture attention. Your first sentence and first paragraph must draw the editor to read more. Otherwise, they will go on to the next submission.

Target a Specific Audience

A specific audience that you know and knows you. Books are not written for everybody but to a particular audience. Your proposal identifies this audience.

Write a detailed marketing plan to reach your audience

Practical author plans get attention from literary agents and editors.  The operative word here is practical. Eliminate any exaggerated statements or hype because it is an instant turn off to publishing professionals. For example, I’ve seen proposals saying they will have endorsements from Chuck Swindoll and James Dobson when the author had zero connection to these bestselling authors and it was not going to happen.

Identify Five or Six Competitive Books in Your Proposal.

Every book competes and if you understand your competition, you will stand out.

Carefully Craft the First Few Chapters

Craft the first few chapters of your book and include these chapters with your proposal. The sample chapters showcase your writing to the literary agent or editor.

Use my proposal checklist (http://terrylinks.com/bookcheck) to ensure no critical elements are missing.

A standout proposal takes hard work, but you can do this work. This important tool will snag a top agent or get an editor’s attention.

Terry Whalin

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook, his blog and LinkedIn.

Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success

Categories
Book Proposals

When Your Book doesn’t Sell

I used to cringe when I saw the mail or email from one of my publishers. It probably contained a royalty statement and experience told me many of those numbers would begin with a minus (negative balance). I’ve written for many different traditional publishers and have had this experience from a broad spectrum of types of books including how-to, self-help, biographies, gift books and children’s books.

When your book sales are off, it’s a natural tendency to want to blame someone. Maybe my editor has left and my book was orphaned inside the publisher with no champion or advocate. Maybe my publisher didn’t market the book to bookstores. Maybe they changed the title between what was printed in the catalog and what was published. Or _(fill in the blank). I’ve had all of these things happen to my published books. Good publishing involves a cooperative process and working with many different people. Much of this process is outside of the author’s control.

I’ve also learned there are many pro-active steps authors can take to change their situation.

1. Take 100% responsibility for your own success.

In The Success Principles, Jack Canfield makes this the first principle. Over ten years ago, I heard this
principle and adopted it in my publishing efforts.

2. Be active in the promotion and marketing of your book.

As the author, you have the greatest passion for your book—way beyond anyone else including your publisher. The great promoter, PT Barnum said, “Without promotion, something terrible happens—nothing.” Consistent promotion of your book is important.

3. Be Generous with your book.

Reviews sell books but many authors have few reviews for their book on Amazon or Goodreads or Barnes & Noble. Give books to people who are willing to write a review. If they’ve never written a review, give them a tool to help them like with this form.

4. Ask for others for help.

“You do not have because you do not ask.”

New Testament, James 4:2-3

If you need endorsements, ask but make it easy for them to say yes (offer to draft it). If you need social media promotion, ask but create possible posts. Here’s an example of a page, I created to help others help me spread the word on my latest book.

5. Take the long view of publishing.

Publishing and promoting a book is more like a marathon than a sprint. With the huge volume of published books, someone has to hear about your book seven to twelve times before they purchase it. What actions can you take every day to give your book this exposure? My Billy Graham book trailer has been seen over 11,500 times in the last five years.

6. No matter what happens in your life, keep going.

In Perennial Seller, New York Times bestselling author Ryan Holiday writes,

“The hard part is not the dream or the idea, it’s the doing.”

If there were a simple formula to create a bestseller, every book would be a bestseller. There are practical actions every author can take. Each part of the publishing process has challenges and as writers your persistence and consistency is critical. As #1 New York Times bestselling author Jerry B. Jenkins wrote in the foreword of my book, 10 Publishing Myths, “Only one of a hundred writers literally make their deadlines.” If you meet deadlines with quality writing, it’s an easy way to stand out from the crowd. I wrote 10 Publishing Myths to give writers realistic expectations and practical steps every author can take to succeed. Today, you can get the 11th Publishing Myth as a free e-book.

When you point a finger at others because your book is not selling, just
remember: when you extend your pointer finger, four more fingers are bent back
toward you. Take action today.

What actions can you take today to continue to build your sales potential?

Terry Whalin

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your
Success. Check out his free e-book, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His
website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook, his blog and LinkedIn.

Book Proposals That Sell
Categories
Book Proposals

A Simple Proposal Formula

I wrote about 50 books with traditional publishers and even crafted two proposals that got six figure advances—before I began working inside publishing houses over 20 years ago. At this point, I’m acquiring books for my third publishing house, and I have reviewed thousands of proposals and manuscripts (no exaggeration). There are many different templates and models to create a book proposal. Yet there are some consistent elements that need to be in every proposal to capture attention and get published.

After reviewing this wide variety of proposals and manuscripts, I’ve decided attractive proposals boil down to a simple formula. Your proposal needs to contain the standard sections detailed in my free book proposal checklist http://terrylinks.com/bookcheck This formula works no matter what you are writing (nonfiction or fiction).

Passion + Sales = book contract

Every writer must have a passion about their story or their subject. Possibly you are passionate about the life-changes from people reading your book. Or maybe the story is in the forefront of your mind, and you are driven every day to write more pages. Whatever the topic you will be thinking about this topic not only during the writing but the marketing process and without passion you will not be motivated to complete the writing or work on the marketing of the book. Maybe you’ve specialized in a certain skill or topic that you are writing about. This expertise is something you are ready to tell others about and its key to your success. An editor or skilled professional can improve the writing, but passion can’t be instilled and must be in the heart and mind of the author. This passion shines through your storytelling in your proposal.

Sales or potential sales is the second key ingredient for your proposal. Who will buy this book, and do you have a reach to this reader? If not, can you create this reach? In some areas of publishing, this sales potential is called “platform.” There are many different ways to build this audience.  Whether you have a large or small publisher, in today’s market the author carries 80% of the marketing responsibility. Publishers create attractive books then they sell your book into the bookstore. Here’s the “catch” related to getting your book into the bookstores: without the author’s marketing activity, every retailer can return the books for a full refund. You must have this reach or the ability to generate this reach or you will not have sales. Thousands of new books (no exaggeration) are published every day. To get a book contract, you must have these crucial elements. What actions can you take today to continue to build your sales potential?

Terry Whalin

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook, his blog and LinkedIn.

Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success.
Categories
Book Proposals

Looking For Authors Who “Get It”

            Editors and agents are blasted with submissions every day. I know because I’ve been one of them for years. Authors are frustrated receiving form rejection letters with no information or response at all. To many authors, it is a mystery how their submission is “found” and published.

            For the last ten years, I’ve been an acquisitions editor for a New York publisher who receives over 5,000 submissions a year and only publishes about 180 to 200 books. Yes there is a selection process for every author and every book. Here’s the encouraging news for authors: every day I’m actively looking for authors. Also I understand every day over 4,500 new books are published. This large number includes the self-published books which may only sell 100 copies during the lifetime of the book. This statistic helps authors understand the massive amount of new material constantly entering the marketplace. It also explains why you as an author have to be promoting and marketing your book.

            How can you get the attention of an editor or agent?

I want to give five ways to show you are an author who “gets it.”

  1. Submit an excellent proposal or manuscript. Editors and agents can recognize excellent writing. The old saying is true, “You only get one chance to make a good first impression.” Every author needs to pour polish and storytelling into their submission. Yes it is easy to reach people via email. Before you hit send, your submission should be excellent. Use my free book proposal checklist at: http://terrylinks.com/bookcheck It works for nonfiction and fiction.
  2. Follow proven author practices. While there is not a bestseller formula for success, there are proven author actions. Every publisher and literary agent is looking for authors with connections or a platform. Pick up my free ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author at: http://terrylinks.com/pb
  3. Take action every day to learn more about publishing and build your market connections. Join a writers group or organization and get involved.
  4. Understand the various types of media and do not build your platform on “rented” media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn are examples). Start and maintain your own blog and email list to reach your readers.
  5. Diversify your writing business. Write and sell information products. Learn about affiliate income. Write for magazines. Don’t put all of your efforts into one type of writing. As a writer, there are many different possibilities. Get ideas from my first chapter of Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams at: http://terrylinks.com/JYPD If I can help you, reach out to me. It’s why my personal email is in my Twitter profile.

As an author, I’ve been inside some of the top publishers and literary agencies. Every professional is actively looking for the next bestseller. The path to your success is out there.

Take steps every day to show you are an author who “gets it.”

Terry Whalin

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook, his blog and LinkedIn.

Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success.

Categories
Book Proposals

Use Social Pressure to Finish Your Proposal

Do you procrastinate when it comes to creating a book proposal? You aren’t alone and it is common among writers. I’ve written a number of proposals and know the hard work which goes into each one. Two of my proposals received traditional publishing contracts with six-figure advances. The potential rewards from creating a book proposal are great—provided you finish it and locate the right editor or literary agent.

            Many writers dream of writing a book. They have partial proposals and sample chapters but have never completed the proposal—much less shown it to an editor or agent. If you are one of these writers, I suggest you use social pressure to complete your book proposal. If you have 300 Facebook friends and write, “This year (or this month or this week), I’m going to finish my book proposal.” You’ve not given many specifics but you have been public about your goal. This social pressure will motivate you to take the next step—finish the proposal. Some of your friends will even call or email you and ask about your progress.

social pressure

            Break the task into small pieces and create a list of steps, as you write each one, then cross them off. Create an achievable goal such as 500 words a day (two pages). Your consistent effort to get the proposal written and in top form will pay off.  Keep moving forward on the project and bit by bit it will get finished.

Years ago I interviewed bestselling novelist Bodie Thoene who has won multiple ECPA Gold Medallion Awards in the Christian fiction category. Bodie sits at her computer hitting the keys with two fingers. She may work until 10 p.m. to reach her goal–at least five finished pages. “No little elves come out of my closet to write 650 manuscript pages,” Bodie says. “Some mornings I don’t feel like writing, but I do it out of obedience to God.”

            “The opening scenes are always the hardest and can take as long as 10 or 20 pages,” Bodie explains. With the opening pages behind her, the writing accelerates until she often completes 20 or more pages a day. While you and I may not be able to write as many pages a day, we can write 500 words or two pages a day. If you do this day after day (consistency again), then you will get it done.

            Also tell your writing goal to an accountability partner of a friend or your spouse. If you miss a day or two or even a week, don’t beat yourself up. Instead return to writing and keep making progress. This year can be your year when you complete your book proposal and your book. With consistent and steady action, you can do it.

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including 10 Publishing Myths, Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. He answers to your proposal questions at: www.AskAboutProposals.com. Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Categories
Writers Chat

WRITERS Chat Recap for February, Part 1

Writers Chat, hosted by Jean Wise, Johnnie Alexander, and Bethany Jett, is the show where we talk about all things writing, by writers and for writers!

“Because talking about writing is more fun than actually doing it.”

Enneagram and the Writer, with Jean Wise

Personality types are intriguing for most of us. It helps us to understand why we, or those we love, act the way we do. In this episode, Jean Wise—spiritual director, blogger, and author—presents an overview of the nine core personality types of the Enneagram. She shares some of the strengths and weaknesses of each type. Jean also shares that being familiar with personality types will help us understand ourselves better but might also explains personality may have an influence over what we write. Knowing more about personalities, the good and the bad, will also help us as writers to develop deep, realistic characters that our readers will love or love to hate. If you’re intrigued by personality profiles or just want to make your characters more life-like, then this is the episode for you.

Watch the February 4th replay.

Book Proposals & One Sheets

In this episode, Bethany Jett, co-owner of Serious Writer, Inc. and Johnnie Alexander, novelist, share their insights on book proposals and one sheets for both fiction and nonfiction. Bethany shares a template her company uses for nonfiction proposals. Johnnie explains the template she used for fiction which landed a contract for her Misty Willow Series. During this episode two from the audience share their one pages and Johnnie and some of the others in the audience critiqued the one pages. Bethany reminded us that these needed to have a picture, author bio, comps of the book, and either a short synopsis or back cover blurb. This is a must see episode whether you are attending a conference in the near future or not. A wealth of information is in the one hour episode. Check it out.

Watch the February 11th replay.

JOIN US!

Writers Chat is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET on Zoom. Here’s the permanent Zoom room link. 

Participants mute their audio and video during the filming then we open up the room for anyone who wishes to participate with our guests. The “After Party” is fifteen-minutes of off-the-record sharing and conversation.

Additionally, you can grow your network and add to the conversation by joining our Writers Chat Facebook Group.

Categories
Becoming an Author

Achieving the “It Factor” in Publishing – Part 2

I understand the struggle that aspiring authors often face on their attempt toward publication. Honestly, this is one of the reasons why I’ve chosen to work in the publishing field—not just because I love books, but because I want to help other writers’ dreams come true.

However, as the publishing industry becomes more and more saturated, aspiring authors are finding it harder to receive recognition. The recent changes in the industry have caused editors to become more selective in their acquisition decisions. Us literary agents, as a result, are dealt with the same dilemma. We only get paid when a sell is made; because of that, we have no choice but to sign with clients whose book(s) we think could sell. 

As I mentioned in my previous post, possessing an “it factor” can help aspiring authors to increase their chances of landing a traditional publishing deal in today’s age. And it all begins with the submissions to literary agents (or publishing houses).

First, in order to understand how you can catch an agent/editor’s eye, you must know what it is that we’re looking for from an author. 

Below is a list of questions that I personally ask myself when reviewing a proposal…

1.     Does this project fit my criteria of what I’m looking for?

2.     Is the hook of this book strong enough for me to pitch to editors?

3.     If the book is non-fiction, how does it fit into the current marketplace in a way that brings a fresh perspective? If the book is fiction, does the story tap into trends in a way that refrains from coming across as cliché or overdone?

4.     Does the author understand who the target audience is of the book?

5.     Does the author have potential to reach his/her target audience through platform?

6.     Does the marketing plan prove that the author understands marketing and will partake in publicity efforts?

7.     If the book is non-fiction, is this author the right person to write this book (based on his/her credentials)?

8.     Does the author have connections in the industry with people who can act as an influencer or give a possible endorsement of the book?

9.     Has the author been published in the past? If so, what are his/her sales history?

10.  Last—but certainly not least—is the writing strong enough to carry this project?

As you can see, there is a plethora of factors that can play into whether an agent/editor accepts or rejects your proposal. It is not solely based on writing potential. 

Why is this?

When an editor is interested in a submission at a publishing house, he/she will then meet with the rest of their team to discuss the project. Several departments will review the proposal from various angles. Believe me when I say that the answers to some—if not all—of the above questions will be considered at this meeting!

Fortunately, since you are an author who takes your writing seriously, you won’t see this challenge as a threat to your publication dreams; instead, you can use this as an opportunity to craft a stronger submission. A proposal that will allow you to stand out in the slush pile.

And achieve the “it factor” in the process.

What are other questions ways you attempt to stand out from the crowd in your submissions? How do you strive to achieve the publishing it factor in publishing? Let me know in the comments!

Tessa Emily Hall writes inspirational yet authentic YA fiction to show teens they’re not alone. Her passion for shedding light on clean entertainment and media for teens led her to a career as an Associate Agent at Hartline Literary Agency, YA Acquisitions Editor for Illuminate YA (LPC Imprint), and Founder/Editor of PursueMagazine.net. Tessa’s first teen devotional, COFFEE SHOP DEVOS, will release with Bethany House in 2018. She’s guilty of making way too many lattes and never finishing her to-read list. When her fingers aren’t flying 116 WPM across the keyboard, she can be found speaking to teens, decorating her insulin pump, and acting in Christian films. Her favorite way to procrastinate is by connecting with readers on her blog, mailing list, social media (@tessaemilyhall), and website: tessaemilyhall.com.

Categories
Book Proposals

Create a Winning Competetive Analysis

“Can I really compare my book with a bestselling author’s book?”

“Why do I need this? Won’t I shine the light on their book and not mine?”

“How many books do I need to compare and contrast?”

“What is a competitive analysis, anyway?”

These are just some of the questions I get while assisting my clients with the Competetive Analysis portion of their book proposal.

The CA is vital because it is used to prove to the agent or publisher that your book is similar enough to already published books that have an audience,
yet different enough to grab those established reader’s attention. It provides information on how well your book might sell in the same genre or market.
Publishers and agents love to see numbers, so the facts from a well developed, well researched CA can be used in your marketing plan which in turn gives you a better chance to get a contract.
Before you create you CA ALWAYS read the agent or publisher’s submission guidelines.

Here are a few tips to creating your Competitive Analysis

Research
Make a list of 7-10 books that tell the same type of story or give the same kind of information as your book.
Look for competing books on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, BookDepository.com and other online booksellers.
Take a trip to a brick and mortar store or library to investigate what books are on the shelf where your book would
be once it’s published.  Yes, add a few bestsellers to the list. Note that traditionally published books by a larger publisher are preferred.
Stay away from self-published books unless they’ve sold thousands in the first year. Make sure the book was published within the last 5-7 years.

Obtain the following information from the books you chose to compare and contrast.
Title and subtitle
Author
Publisher
Copyright year
Number of pages
Format (paperback, hardcover, etc)
Price
ISBN
Answer these questions when you write the compare and contrast portion of each book.
How is my book similar?
How is my book different?
What promise does the author make to readers?
What promise does my book make that is different/similar from the other book?
How are my credentials similar/different from the other author?

Never criticize the other book or author.

Creating a professional book proposal takes time and effort. Many agents and publishers look at the Competitive Analysis and Marketing Plan first.

They want to know that the author is informed and ready to promote their book.

Yes, the proposal seems harder than writing the book, but I have total confidence that you can do it.

Stay the course, my friend. I’m here if you need me.

For more writing tips, check out www.seriouswriter.com/blog

Cherrilynn Bisbano is an award-winning writer.  She founded The Write Proposal after reading hundreds of book proposals with avoidable errors. These errors cost the author a contract or representation. As a former submission reader and junior literary agent, Cherrilynn wants you to succeed.  Her desire is to help you present a professional and memorable proposal.  She has written proposals for Paws for Effect, a Hollywood movie company, and helped edit many proposals.  As the previous managing editor of Almost an Author, she helped the website earn the #6 spot on the Top 100 best writing websites for 2018 by The Write Life and Top 101 Websites for writers with Writers Digest.

Cherrilynn hosted Genre Chat where she was privileged to interview expert writers like Jerry B. Jenkins, Cecil Murphy, Michelle Adams, Liz Curtiz Higgs, and Steven James.

She earned her associate’s degree in communications and continues to study business management.

She is a two-time winner of Flash Fiction Weekly. She’s published in many online magazines and blogs. Cherrilynn contributed to Chicken Soup for the Soul- Miracles, Breaking the Chains, and Heart Reno books.

Cherrilynn proudly served in the military for twenty years, earning the John Levitow Military leadership award.

Categories
Book Proposals

The Why Behind a Book Proposal

No, agents and editors are not sadists. We do not ask you to write an extensive book proposal to torture you; although many say writing a book proposal is harder than writing their book. We ask you for a proposal to help us evaluate three things.

Continue reading “The Why Behind a Book Proposal”