Writers of nonfiction books often do themselves a disservice by submitting to agents and publishers' acquisitions editors only completed manuscripts, accompanied by brief cover letters or bare-bones outlines describing the project, perhaps feeling that their manuscripts will somehow "speak" for themselves. Unfortunately, much more will be required of you before you find a nice, warm home for your book.
Inexperienced writers may feel that it is part of the editor's job to do all the necessary market research with which to make a decision about acquiring the proposed work. Wrong! Market research is the writer's job.
It is incumbent upon the writer to provide agents and editors with information that answers these questions:
(1) What is the estimated size of your target reading audience? The larger your potential audience, the better, of course. Large trade publishers seldom issue titles aimed at small audience size. They're looking for the big numbers.
(2) Have you created a book-length work, or is your project more suitable for a pamphlet, a magazine article or a series of articles? Except for those little gift or novelty books, most nonfiction books range from 35,000 to more than 100,000 words.
(3) How is your book different from, or better than, similar books now available in bookstores? If there is no competitive title available, that is a strong point in your favor. If similar titles exist, however, you've got a large selling job ahead of you to convince editors why prospective readers will choose to buy your book than any of the others.
(4) Why should a publisher acquire your book rather than a similar one written by another writer? You will have to convince an editor that you possess the writing skills, professional credentials, and requisite knowledge and experience in your field to write a credible, informative book. A writer's credentials are very important for those who are proposing popular health/medical books, for instance.
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Another practical reason why a sound proposal should accompany your complete manuscript or sample chapters is that the acquiring editor is perhaps the only one at the publishing house who will read your complete manuscript. An editor will use your proposal as a selling tool to convince other decision makers (senior editorial staff, plus key members of the sales, marketing and publicity departments) at his or her firm to invest in your book.
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Robert Bly, in his article, "The Bulletproof Proposal," Writer's Digest, July 1991, lists these elements to be included in a book proposal:
(1) Title page: A cover sheet consisting of the book's working title and the name of the writer centered in the middle of the page, "Book Proposal, typed in the upper left corner and the writer's name, address and phone number in the bottom right corner. (Include your E-mail ID, too.)
(2) Overview: Summarize what your book is all about.
(3) Specifications: Specify estimated word length, number of chapters, types of illustrations or photos to be included, etc. (If you haven't yet completed writing the book, include a delivery statement similar to this one: "A complete and satisfactory manuscript will be delivered within XX months following receipt of a publishing agreement.")
(4) Market: Acquaint the editor with your target audience, how many of these potential readers exist, and why they need it or will want to buy it. Use statistics, if they're available, to dramatize the size of your potential market.
(5) Promotion: Is the subject of your book a natural for TV and talk-radio interviews? Could you promote your book through seminars or speeches to professional associations or civic clubs. Put on your thinking cap and give the editor some of your ideas and suggestions about how the book could be marketed outside of bookstores. (Today, many enterprising writers set up dedicated Web sites to publicize availability of their books.)
(6) Competition: List those books that compete directly or indirectly with your proposed book. Include the title, author's name, publisher's name, year of publication, number of pages, price and format (hardcover, trade paperback, mass-market paperback editions). Describe each book briefly, pointing out any weaknesses; then cite areas in which your book is different or superior.
To get a good handle on competitive titles, consult the subject index of Books in Print, published annually and usually available at your local library's reference desk. You also may wish to search the subject field of the massive databases available at online booksellers' Web sites, such as Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.
(7) Author's Bio: A brief biography, listing your educational background, writing credentials (books and articles published), qualifications to write credibly about your book's topic, plus your previous media experience.
(8) Chapter-by-Chapter Outline: This section lists and numbers your proposed chapters and briefly describes in present-tense narrative form (not a mere bulleted listing of content items) the proposed content of each of your chapters.
To create a gangbusters proposal that will help you convince an editor to acquire your book, you might want to consult one of these paperbacks:
(1) Elizabeth Lyon, Nonfiction Book Proposals Anyone Can Write: How to Get a Contract and an Advance Before Writing Your Book (Perigee Books, revised and updated, 2002), ISBN 03995287X.
(2) Jeff Herman and Deborah Adams, Write the Perfect Book Proposal: 10 Proposals That Sold and Why, 2nd Edition (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2001), ISBN 0471353124.
(3) Michael Larsen, How to Write a Book Proposal, 3rd Edition (Writer's Digest Books, 2004), ISBN 1582972516.
(4) Stephen Blake Mattee, The Fast-Track Course on How to Write a Nonfiction Book Proposal (Quill Driver Books, 2001). ISBN 18849562X.
(5) Eric Maisel, The Art of the Book Proposal: From Focused Idea to Finished Product (Jeremy P. Tarcher, 2004). ISBN 1585423343.