Sign the contract...then write the book. The good news is that almost every nonfiction book published is sold by a proposal. In this comprehensive yet accessible guide, you will learn exactly what a proposal is, what it must contain, and how to pull yours together into an informative, persuasive selling package. Already a favorite for thousands of aspiring writers, this book has been revised and updated by Elizabeth Lyon to feature nearly two dozen actual proposals, plus:
- Choosing a topic based on current trends and competing titles
- Drafting the perfect concept statement--daring agents and editors to reject you
- Defining and targeting your readership--then connecting with them
- Preparing a table of contents and chapter summaries
- Submitting exciting and well-written sample chapters
- Writing query letters
- Devising a marketing plan that will excite agents and publishers
The perfect tool with which to create a successful book proposal.
Mary Alice Kier and Anna Cottle, Cine/Lit Representation, Literary Agency and Media Consultants Elizabeth Lyon knows book proposals the way a surgeon knows anatomy. Gary Provost, author of 22 books including 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing
This book is pure gold! I received an offer from a large publisher who stated that my proposal was professional and well-written; even my agent said it would be the standard in the industry. I owe a debt of gratitude to Ms. Lyon. Mary Jeanne Menna, author of Mom to New Mom: Practical Tips and Advice for the New Mom
Don t try to sell your next nonfiction book without consulting it. Gerald Gross, author of Editors on Editing: What Writers Need to Know About What Editors Do
Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write gave me the structure I needed to produce a coherent, organized proposal. Everything my agent wanted to see in my proposal was there because of Elizabeth s book. I was able to send my proposal within a week, and three months later, my agent was responding to bids from four large publishing houses. One of them paid me an unusually high advance for a first-time author. I will always be grateful to Elizabeth. Sallirae Henderson, M.Div., author of A Life Complete: Emotional and Spiritual Growth for Midlife and Beyond
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"The perfect tool with which to create a successful book proposal."--
Mary Alice Kier and Anna Cottle, Cine/Lit Representation, Literary Agency and Media Consultants
"Elizabeth Lyon knows book proposals the way a surgeon knows anatomy."--Gary Provost, author of 22 books including 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing
"This book is pure gold! I received an offer from a large publisher who stated that my proposal was professional and well-written; even my agent said it would be the standard in the industry. I owe a debt of gratitude to Ms. Lyon." --Mary Jeanne Menna, author of Mom to New Mom: Practical Tips and Advice for the New Mom
"Don't try to sell your next nonfiction book without consulting it." --Gerald Gross, author of Editors on Editing: What Writers Need to Know About What Editors Do
"Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write gave me the structure I needed to produce a coherent, organized proposal. Everything my agent wanted to see in my proposal was there because of Elizabeth's book. I was able to send my proposal within a week, and three months later, my agent was responding to bids from four large publishing houses. One of them paid me an unusually high advance for a first-time author. I will always be grateful to Elizabeth." --Sallirae Henderson, M.Div., author of A Life Complete: Emotional and Spiritual Growth for Midlife and Beyond
