As stated in my previous post, the book proposal is essentially a business plan for your book. So, just as with a business plan, you should begin your book proposal with an overview of what the book is about. This might change based on your market research but for the moment, see if you can answer the questions below.
THE BOOK PROPOSAL OVERVIEW
· What are your motivations for wanting to write this book?
· What problem(s) will it tackle?
· What will it say that’s new or say in a new way?
In terms of structuring this
Bullet list the five main points the book will make (this is your ‘book elevator pitch’).
List five subtopics beneath each main bullet point. These may eventually form your chapters.
· Who are the ideal readers for the book?
· What will people gain (learn or be able to do) that they lack right now?
· Who else would benefit from reading your book?
· How can you show “Evidence of need”?… why is this book needed… why does it matter… who cares?
· Why now (public feeling, trends etc.)?
· What is the book’s proposed length and completion date?
Take your time to get the overview right as it is the first thing the publisher will read so you want to persuade him or her to read further.
Don't ever think of this stage as one that you need to get out of the way before you start the real work of writing the book. This is as much part of the writing process as any other step and will save you lots of time and stress later on since you will have done most of the heavy leg work.
In my next post, we'll look at the kind of information you'll need to gather to help you tell your story.
Meanwhile, if you have any questions, just ask!