HOW TO WRITE A BOOK PROPOSAL

The first time I heard of a book proposal I cringed and wondered why one had to write a proposal for books and why it was needed. It only seemed right to me that business plans and marketing strategies ought to make use of a proposal. 

However, inquiry into what a book proposal is and why one needs one, enlightened me about the clarity many writers miss out on when they don't create a book proposal, especially for their non fiction book.

 You can check this post to learn what a book proposal is and why you need one. https://moncoeurglobalconcept.blogspot.com/2021/01/a-book-proposal-and-why-you-need-one.html

A book proposal is a business plan for pitching your book to a publisher, literary agent or potential sponsor. It is important that your book proposal is thoroughly researched and developed around the subject you choose to write on. When a book proposal has great organization and structure, it creates a lasting impression on the sponsor you are pitching to.

What should be in a book proposal you may ask? A book proposal should contain quite a number of meaningful themes and sub themes that make your book project sellable and worthy of investment. 

When you decide to write a book proposal you should follow the format below.

PROPOSED TITLE: Choose at least two simple and theme focused titles for your book.

AUTHOR’S NAME: Include the author's full name especially if it's a non fiction work.

ONE SENTENCE DESCRIPTION: This is a straight sentence that describes what your book is centered on.

CATEGORY: You should be able to identify the category your book falls into. For instance, Inspirational Autobiography, Inspirational Romance, Relationship Memoir to mention a few.

AUDIENCE: In your proposal it is necessary that you know who your audience is and the readership you are building with your intended work. So, you want to write a Relationship Memoir that chronicles your teenage to adult relationship experiences. You will need to identify who your primary and secondary audiences are.

• Primary: Your primary audience are the people the main point of your book addresses.
• Secondary: The secondary audience are those who may by chance glimpse one or two lessons by reading your book.

 PURPOSE AND NEED: Here you need to explain why this book is important. You should show the relevance of your book's theme to society or whatever sector of life it speaks to. You should expand on the gap that exists which makes your intended book significant.

 UNIQUE ANGLES: The unique angles of your book are salient moments or chapters that hit home the message of the entire story.

CURRENT INTEREST: You need to point that there already is an existing market or readership waiting for your book. Highlighting the current interests of readers which share similarity with your book.

FORMAT FOR THE BOOK: Here you need to identify if your book will be an E-book or Hardcover book.

ESTIMATED WORD COUNT: Point out your estimated wordcount as with this it would be easy to know the volume of the book and what to call it. Be it a novel, novella or short story.

PAGE COUNT: With the estimated wordcount you supply based on your story outline, you should be able to guess the number of pages that will be suitable.

WRITING STYLE The writing style is essential to the success of a book. This is because the point of view the writer chooses to work with should be compelling enough to cause cathartic moments in the readers such that they can relate with the story told.

DEADLINE: A proposed date when you will complete the book. This is usually from three to six months or a year.

BOOK PROMOTION: You need to explain how the book will be promoted upon it's publication. This includes the platforms and the means by which you will ensure your book's promotion.

 

PROPOSED OUTLINE: The proposed outline is a map of sorts which carefully points to what each chapter in your book will discuss.

•  Cover page Author’s picture on the book cover 
• Endorsements/reviews 
• Table of contents 
• Acknowledgement
•  Copyright 
• Dedication 
• Author’s note Insert book related quote

INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK: This is a short writeup that sums up why the author has chosen to write the book and what a potential reader will gain as he flips through the content filled pages.

CHAPTERING: You should write in a brief sentence what will happen in each chapter.

EPILOGUE: This is optional, if your story doesn't have a back story then there is no need to write an epilogue.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Your book proposal should end with a short biography of yourself as the writer. It is necessary to write an impressionable author bio that highlights your achievements and positions you as a professional writer and not an amateur.

A book proposal is an interesting document that can jettison your writing career. It is ideal to get it done and have it written properly before you begin writing your book even if you are not seeking for sponsorship. The unique angles, the purpose and need sections in your book proposal will get you in the right direction of writing and eventually marketing your book.

A book proposal makes you understand that writing a book is no ordinary feat but a huge project in itself which requires a lot of thought, action and appropriate implementation to ensure the success of the book.

Ghostwriters will find working on a book proposal for a client before writing the client's book helpful as it would keep them on course the mission of the book project without deviating from the theme of the work.

I hope you enjoyed reading and learning "How to write a Book Proposal."

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 Francisca Ogechi Okwulehie is the Founder and Writing Coach at Moncoeur Global Concept. She is the author of three books; "A Preacher's Secret, Tari's Golden Fleece and The Capitalism of Unsatisfied Bodies." She holds a B.A and an M.A in Philosophy from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. Her works has appeared in the Afriworiliterary Project Anthology; The Different Shades of a Feminine Mind (2017) and the 84 Bottles of Wine For Wole Soyinka Anthology (2018). She has a penchant for highlife music.