Your handy checklist for a book proposal to a traditional publisher
If you’ve worked with me or checked out my website, you’ll know that my typical author clients are self-publishing authors. Unless you hire me as a ghostwriter, there’s not much I can do to help an author who wants to go the traditional publishing route.
However, an aspiring author recently contacted me to ask if I could edit and give beta reader feedback on the draft of her manuscript meant for traditional publishing, so I worked out a rate that’s less than if I was going to fully copyedit her manuscript. She also asked for help with creating and reviewing a book proposal, so I gave her a handy proposal checklist I received from The Vegan Publisher.
If you want to send a query letter first, this blog post will help you create one, and then you can move onto the proposal if there’s interest from a publisher.
Not all first-time authors know what elements in a proposal are, so here’s the breakdown.
1. Working title
You might not have a title ready for your book, but come up with something so the publisher can imagine it. You haven’t signed an agreement yet, so this can change later.
2. Synopsis
Most self-publishing authors don’t write this and will get my help with creating a one to two-paragraph summary that goes on the back of their book.
If you’re pitching a publisher, they’ve got to know what your book is about. Be specific and explain what makes your book unique and why it’s worth reading. Explain the problem your reader has that this book will solve. Your synopsis can be one to five paragraphs.
Now is not the time to impress publishers with your writing style. Clarity and conciseness is good. They’ll be skimming this document anyway.
3. Chapter breakdown (working Table of Contents)
List your potential book’s chapters, with a brief description of the content that will be in each chapter.
4. Sample chapter(s)
Your publisher will want to know you can write. One or a few sample chapters will show you can complete this book. If you’ll have an Introduction, that’s a good thing to include, plus one or two other sample chapters.
5. Book details and format
Talk about the formats you will have. Hardcover, paperback, and ebook are pretty much a given with all publishers. Include an audiobook if that’s something you’re willing to narrate or at least offer.
My guess is if the author doesn’t want to or cannot narrate the audiobook, the publisher may take a cut out of the potential advance to pay for a narrator…but I can’t confirm this (please contact me if you’ve been traditionally published and have some intel about this).
If you have any ideas about book size, cover design, and colour, mention that here. Note that the publisher will provide the cover, but giving them an idea of what you envision and letting them know you’re familiar with books that sell might impress them.
Talk about the approximate word count for your book (30,000 is on the short side; 50K is average, 75K and above is long) and any images you plan to have or can supply. I’m guessing if you’re pitching a children’s book, you might also want to talk about who might illustrate it.
6. Preliminary schedule
Most publishers will know how long it will take for you to get published if they sign you. However, if you can tell them how long it’ll take for you to complete the book, that gives them something to work with. Are you fast and able to get a draft done within a few months, or will you need a year, including research and interviews? The longer it takes for you to write, the longer it’ll take for the book to get out there.
7. Market profile
Publishers want to know that you’ve done your homework and know where your book idea stands among existing books (or if it’s never been done before). Share the market for your book, including the target reader, similar books that have been published (bonus points for data on how much copies they’ve sold or if they’re bestsellers), and why your book will stand out among them.
8. Author information
Include your biography, including any relevant experience and credentials. If you’re pitching your first nonfiction book, share why you’re the expert in your book topic. Share articles you’ve published and perhaps relevant career experience. Maybe you’ve won awards for your work or your writing. Now’s the time to brag about all that.
9. Market platform
This is the most important part of a book proposal.
Talk about your potential market reach, including the total number of social media followers, number of subscribers to your email list, website visitors, podcast subscribers, membership or affiliate organizations you’re a member of, and so on. If you don’t have a website, a large social following, or an email list, but you’ve been interviewed in the media in the past, include those links and the potential media relationships you have.
It might be worth mentioning you’re willing to invest in a website, start an email list, put time into building a following on at least one social platform, do media & podcast interviews, speak at events, and even hire a publicist and/or marketer to help you, since publishers only do so much media outreach for their authors.
If you published a book and it sold well, state the sales numbers. If you published a book that did not sell well, explain why it didn’t and what will be different this time around.
I recently read a book that says publishers won’t even bat an eye unless they think you can sell 25,000 copies within the first month of launch. They’ll expect you to put the time in to do media interviews, speak at events, and so on to help sell the book.
The more you can show you can reach people with your book, the more copies you can potentially sell.
One of my clients received an advance from her publisher (most start at US$100,000), but used most of it to hire a co-author to help her write her manuscript within three months and publish the book before the end of 2019. In order to receive her next royalty, she has to reach 75,000 total copies sold.
Five years later, she’s still speaking on plenty of podcasts and at events to reach that next threshold—and she already co-hosts a top podcast.
She’s come up with another book idea and submitted a proposal to her literary agent. Despite having been interviewed in mainstream media and the subject of an HBO docuseries and spoken on large stages like TEDx, her agent still had trouble finding a publisher willing to invest in the book idea.
So my client’s going the self-publishing route this time around because she knows she’ll be able to sell at least tens of thousands of copies and will keep the lion’s share of the revenue.
Marketability is everything in your proposal. If you don’t think you can sell at least 25,000 copies, don’t go the traditional publishing route. (Next month’s blog post will tackle more on this!)
10. Selling venues
It’s a given that your book will be sold online and bookstore chains near you, but do you have connections to other places where you can sell your book? Not just the neighbourhood locally owned bookstore, but what about retail or specialty stores? Events and conferences where you plan to speak, like TEDx?
If you’re a content creator, you could sell direct from Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. (I’m helping the client I talked about above to get set up to sell on TikTok; it isn’t easy, but her colleague has made a few thousand dollars each month by posting about her book there.) Again, showing your publisher you know the market for your book and where they hang out will score bonus points.
11. Blurbs/endorsements
If you know well-known people like academics, journalists, influencers, celebrities, and other published authors who would read and endorse your book, include their names. It doesn’t mean they will, but if you can show a publisher you’re well connected, again, they’ll see the dollar signs involved in your book idea.
Final book proposal notes
I’ll argue that the most important elements in your proposal aside from your book’s story are number 7 to 11 above. This is how you’ll persuade the publisher that your book is commercially viable and will sell a lot of copies. If you’re not confident in this part, consider revisiting your book idea and/or working on your own marketability before you pitch publishers.
It’s a given that you’ll include your contact information when you send a proposal, but if you’re forgetful, include your name, email address, and phone number so they have a way to contact you.
Here’s another book proposal template resource from Scribe.
Need a book coach or manuscript editor to help you prep your book proposal to publishers so you can get your book in the hands of readers? Read more about my services here and contact me if you’re ready to begin!
