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BOOK PROPOSAL & DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST

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Show off with your sample chapters.

Dec 28, 2021

Show off with your sample chapters.

It’s easy to think of a book proposal as entirely separate from your book manuscript. Truth is, your book proposal must include a solid chunk of your manuscript—in the form of sample chapters. Agents and editors want to see sample chapters that demonstrate your ability to write a compelling, commercially successful book. Even if you have a popular podcast, or you write regularly on a specific topic for a respected media outlet, they need to see you can sustain your story, arg

How to write a killer chapter outline.

Dec 20, 2021

How to write a killer chapter outline.

In your book proposal, the chapter outline is where you reveal your book’s shape: how it unfolds for the reader, chapter by chapter. It is one of the five key components of your nonfiction book proposal. (The other four are the overview, author biography, marketing/platform, and sample chapters.) Also known as a chapter overview or chapter summaries, your chapter outline goes deeper than simply listing your chapter titles, but stops short of being a full fleshing-out of the c

How to Plan the Structure of Your Book

Dec 13, 2021

How to Plan the Structure of Your Book

Although non-fiction books don't contain the classic narrative arc of novels, they still need to take the reader on a journey of understanding. To write a good book, you need to get inside your reader’s head. You need to see the world as they see it, and structure your content so that it connects with the person reading it—and that person is not you! Your uniqueness is great when you want to articulate a concept that stands out. But you also need to be able to see the world a

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Dec 1, 2021

Put Your Book Proposal To the “So What” Test.

You’ve got a matter of seconds to engage an agent or editor with your “big story” before they flip on to the next book proposal in the pile. Book proposals are not psychological thrillers that delight readers with a twist in the tail at the very end. I shouldn’t have to wait until the last page to find out the most critical piece of information. My high school literature teacher delighted in nudging students with “So what?” In her margin notes on our essays, she constantly ur

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Nov 22, 2021

How to write your author bio

Unless you’re a “household-name” author (Steven King, JK Rowling, Malcolm Gladwell, I’m looking at you), most literary agents and editors won’t know who you are. So how will they learn about you? This blog post will explain how to write an author bio for your book proposal, and why it’s important. Your author bio is never too extensive or weighty. I’ve been supplied with two-page resumes when I’ve asked for an author biography, including full details of school exam results an

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Nov 15, 2021

What’s an Author Platform?

For first-time authors, there is one topic that can feel overwhelming at first but is absolutely necessary when it comes to connecting with your readers. It’s also essential when you are pitching your book concept to literary agents and publishers. I’m talking about Author Platform. From social media to speaking at live events, there are so many exciting ways to go about building your platform, so let’s get to it! What exactly is “author platform” anyway? The truth is, the te

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Nov 8, 2021

Get ready to write a book proposal.

Most weeks I get a call or email from at least one author wanting me to work with them on their nonfiction book proposal. Sadly, I’d say four out of five of those authors aren’t ready to write a book proposal. Here’s what I mean. The best book proposals are created through a solid, thoughtful process consisting of six stages: concept, testing, competitive analysis, platform, path, and distillation. This process is simple—but it’s never, ever easy. Let’s walk through it briefl

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Nov 1, 2021

Analyze your competition like a pro.

I’ve heard it said that every book has already been written at least once, and it’s somewhat true. Don’t let that discourage you. It doesn’t mean your book isn’t valuable to your target audience. However, it does mean that an important part of writing a successful nonfiction book is knowing what other books on the topic are already on the market. I’m going to explain how to analyze competitive and complementary titles, how to research trends and hot topics, and how to leverag

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Oct 25, 2021

Three ways to a literary agent’s heart.

In the past year, I’ve collaborated on three nonfiction book proposals. All three have been picked up by leading literary agents within a week of submitting. The projects included a memoir with an autism focus, a meditation book with a twist, and a travel essay collection. Varied, you might say. Last weekend I spent some time pondering just how these three very different book proposals all rang the right bells—and how they did it so quickly. Despite the variety in the subject

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Oct 18, 2021

Literary agents hate manuscripts.

As a rule, if there’s one thing most publishers and literary agents really hate to see, it’s a manuscript. You’re probably surprised by that. Most new authors are. The fact is that literary agents never read most of the manuscripts that authors submit to them. They just don’t have the time or staff to wade through the enormous number of full manuscripts they receive from hopeful authors. For the big agencies, it can number in the thousands each year. WHAT AGENTS (AND EDITORS)

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Oct 11, 2021

Writing a book proposal for your memoir? Join me for a micro-retreat.

If you want to land a publishing deal for your memoir, there is one thing you need: a standout book proposal to submit to literary agents and editors. Daunting, right? You might be wondering: How can I find a publisher for my memoir? What even IS a book proposal? Can’t I just send in my manuscript? What are agents and editors looking for? How can I make my book idea stand out? With my fellow writer and memoirist Joanne Spataro, I’ll be answering all these questions—and so muc

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Oct 1, 2021

What’s in it for your readers?

When a reader picks up a nonfiction book, they expect to get something out of it—a solution to a problem, a way to improve their life, or at the very least, a deeper understanding of a topic. It’s important for authors to know and explain what their promise is to the reader. What is a promise? In my last blog post, we discussed your message. You can think of the promise as the outcome of the message. It’s what your reader can achieve if they absorb and apply your message in t

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Sep 24, 2021

What’s your message?

What IS a message (AKA proposition) for your book? And how the heck do you come up with one? I like the way industry guru Jane Friedman puts it. As an author you have to answer two questions about your book: So what? And who cares? Your message is the answer to the first question, so what? It’s the big idea that drives your book, expressed in a sentence or two that highlights how unique it is. It might be the 10,000-foot solution to the reader’s problem. When people ask, what

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Sep 20, 2021

Get in touch with your readers.

In my last post, I talked about defining your target reader—who they are, what you know about their interests, their age, and other demographics. To know why readers will buy your book, you must understand them on a deeper level than simple demographics. There are three main reasons readers buy nonfiction: ● To be entertained or transported: primary driver for memoir ● To be informed: primary driver for political, historical, or current events books ● To solve

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Sep 13, 2021

Who are you writing for?

You might be wondering why you need to be so specific about your target readers. Narrowing down your focus to a specific group will allow you to first reach them, and then connect with them. It also doesn’t mean that people from outside your target can’t be readers—they certainly can. Think of it this way: being clear about your audience will help you remove the blindfold and get a better aim at your target. Identifying your audience will help you brainstorm content, focus yo

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