book proposal cover letter

How to write a covering letter to a publisher, editor or agent

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The first thing publishers see when they open your submission package is the covering letter. It doesn’t matter how good your synopsis and sample chapters are, if this vital document fails to impress an editor or agent, then your submission will be rejected. So to ensure you make an excellent first impression, follow the advice of the experts

The first thing publishers see when they open your submission package is the covering letter. It doesn’t matter how good your synopsis and sample chapters are, if this vital document fails to impress an editor or agent, then your submission will be rejected. So to ensure you make an excellent first impression, follow the advice of the experts...

Find the right publisher for your manuscript

Before you start writing your covering letter, you need to find the right publisher for your manuscript. If your book is a non-fiction guide to growing your own vegetables, you need to find a publisher who produces non-fiction gardening books. Sending it to a publisher who specialises in short story romances will result in instant rejection. It is also essential that you check their submission guidelines and follow them precisely. They may specify how long the covering letter should be or what you should include.

What to include in your covering letter

Show off your strengths

The Writer’s Journey: From Inspiration to Publication demystifies the world of publishing and outlines the steps non-fiction writers need to take to present their work to agents and publishers professionally and with confidence.

For non-fiction covering letters, include:

• Compelling Key Sentence • what makes your book different • who it is for • your passion for writing it • your credibility as the author • a mention of your platform/key sales, marketing or promotional opportunities

For fiction covering letters, include:

• Compelling Key Sentence(s) • key themes/features of your story • genre • length • why you wrote the book • something about you/background • life experience • your influences as a writer, writing career • how you see the book in terms of the market ie who for, is it first in a series etc.

Points to remember when writing your covering letter

• Get the name of the publisher/editor right • State where you found their details and why you are approaching them • Tell the publisher about your book • Give your blurb or Compelling Key Sentence • Tell the publisher about yourself • End on a positive note

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Start Here: How to Write a Book Proposal + Book Proposal Template

Book proposals are used to sell nonfiction books to publishers.

A book proposal argues why your book (idea) is salable and marketable in today’s market. It essentially acts as a business case for why your book should exist, and—for many authors—persuades a publisher to make an investment in your work before you sit down to write it. 

That’s right: nonfiction authors, if they’re smart and strategic, will sell a publisher on their book before they’ve written very much of it.

Instead of writing the entire book, then trying to interest an editor or agent (which is how it works with novels), you can write the proposal first if you’re a nonfiction author. If a publisher is convinced by the proposal, it will contract you and pay you to write the book. This applies to all types of nonfiction, although it can be very challenging for memoirists to sell a project on the basis of a proposal if they are unpublished or without a compelling platform. (More on that in a second.)

If properly developed and researched, a proposal can take weeks, or longer, to prepare. While proposal length varies tremendously, most are somewhere around 10 to 25 pages double-spaced, not including sample chapters. It’s not out of the question for a proposal to reach 50 pages or more for complex projects once sample chapters are included.

Unpublished or beginning writers might find it easier to simply write the book first, then prepare a proposal—which isn’t a bad idea in the case of memoir, since many editors and agents want assurance that an unknown writer has sufficient writing chops to pull off their project. 

But having the manuscript complete does not get you off the hook when it comes to writing the proposal. If an agent or publisher wants a proposal, you still need to write one even if the book is complete.

What about novel proposals? You may occasionally hear someone refer to novel proposals, which typically includes a query or cover letter, a synopsis, and a partial or complete manuscript. This bears very little relation to a nonfiction book proposal.

Your business case may matter more than the writing

People don’t like to hear this, but for many nonfiction books, the artfulness of the writing doesn’t matter as much as the marketability of the premise, topic, or author. You can see this played out in the rejections received by Rebecca Skloot, author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks .

If your book’s purpose is to improve readers’ lives or to teach, then you’re usually selling it based on your expertise, your platform, and your concept. The book proposal persuades agents/editors that readers will pay for the benefit that your book provides, rather than learning from YouTube, Google, or even a competing book. While everyone expects the writing to be solid, they’re probably not expecting a literary masterpiece. To learn how to lose weight, readers don’t need a poet; they need a clear communicator who can deliver her ideas and methods in a way that will help and inspire readers to achieve their goals. Plus those ideas and methods ought to feel fresh and exciting, and not like last year’s 100 weight-loss books on the market. (Even better: the book shows how the most recent books really missed something critical that readers must know to succeed.)

Especially in how-to categories such as health, self-help or self-improvement, business, or parenting, your credibility and platform as a professional in the field play a critical role; your background must convey authority and instill confidence in the reader. Would you, as a reader, trust a health book by an author with no medical experience or degrees? Would you be OK reading a serious guide on how to invest in the stock market by someone who is living in a van down by the river?

For narrative nonfiction, especially memoir, the writing does matter

Some types of nonfiction require authors with proven journalistic or storytelling skills. (What is narrative nonfiction? It’s a story of someone or some thing other than yourself. Think  Seabiscuit . ) If your book must succeed based on its ability to artfully weave a story, then your strength as a writer becomes more and more important to the proposal’s success. It’s still necessary to prove there’s a market for that story, but you won’t be successful if your sample chapters are poor or you can’t point to a successful publication record in outlets that matter to your topic or book’s future success.

If your book doesn’t require a narrative structure or long-form storytelling, with masterful use of craft and technique, then your skills as a writer mainly have to be up to the task of producing and revising a book manuscript with an editor’s or agent’s guidance.

The biggest mistake writers make in their book proposals

It’s natural to assume the book proposal should discuss what your book is about. But this is a mistake. Rather than focusing on the content, focus on why this book matters right now to the intended readership . Why is it going to resonate? How is it addressing an urgent need? How does it offer something new and surprising that doesn’t feel like everything that’s come before?

While some types of evergreen topics may not have a sense of urgency tied to them, they still have to demonstrate market relevance. For example, if you’re pitching a knitting book, you probably need to demonstrate that your techniques or projects will be of interest to knitters today, rather than knitters 30 years ago.

Whatever you do, don’t get lost in the weeds of your book’s ideas or content. Always discuss the content in relation to the reader’s need or community need and why it matters now.

Other common pitfalls:

• Assuming that a “comprehensive” treatment or an in-depth discussion of your topic is a selling point. Rarely is this enough. Instead, think about how and why the argument that your book makes is new and compelling. How does it shed new light on a topic people care about? How does your book illuminate the unexpected or challenge readers in ways they don’t expect? Another way to think about it: Eric Nelson comments on how authors should position their ideas in terms of a switch instead of a dial if they want to generate agent or editor enthusiasm.
• Assuming that a short, “accessible” treatment is a selling point. It is challenging to prove that an audience is out there waiting to a buy a book only if it were shorter or less difficult than the alternatives.
• Assuming that your personal experience of the issue is a selling point. Unless you are a famous author or have an established platform that has attracted agents and editors to your door, just because you have personally experienced something doesn’t make your book instantly more salable.

The memoirist’s dilemma

Submission guidelines vary tremendously when it comes to memoir. Some agents don’t require a book proposal, while others want only the book proposal and the first few chapters. Some agents may even ask for both the proposal and the complete manuscript if you’re an unpublished author.

Professional, published writers can typically sell a memoir based on the proposal alone. New, emerging writers who have no publishing track record may be asked to submit a complete manuscript to prove they can write, sometimes in addition to the book proposal itself.

Your memoir is not salable unless you’re confident of several things.

• Your writing must be outstanding. If your memoir is your very first book or very first writing attempt, then it may not be good enough to pass muster with an editor or agent.
• You must have a compelling and unusual story to tell. If you’re writing about situations that affect thousands (or millions) of people, that’s not necessarily in your favor. Addiction and cancer memoirs, for example, are common, and will put you on the road to rejection unless you’re able to prove how yours is unique or outstanding in the field.
• You have the start of a platform. If you have a way to reach readers, without a publisher’s help, then you’re more likely to secure a book deal.

Here’s the dilemma for many memoirists: If an agent wants a book proposal for a memoir, they are likely judging you based on the strength of your platform or as much on the platform as the writing. They want to see if your story premise might have mainstream media potential or the ability to land major interviews that will lead to sales. If you have little or no platform, and your story is lyrical, quiet, or literary, then you should try to target agents and publishers who don’t require a proposal. A proposal will only highlight what your project lacks.

Finding a literary agent (and do you need one?)

If you want to publish with one of the big New York houses, then you’ll need to submit your work to literary agents . Projects that don’t necessarily require agents include scholarly works for university presses, books likely to be published by regional or independent presses, and niche titles with limited commercial appeal.

The most common book proposal sections

While there’s no single “best” way to write and assemble a book proposal—it will depend on the  category, the author, and the publishers’ submission guidelines—the following sections appear in almost every book proposal.

Comparable titles or competitive title analysis

I mention this section first because this is where I suggest writers start their proposal research. It will help clarify your idea and avoid lots of wasted time. This section discusses comparable titles your ideal reader would know about or buy; the goal is to show not necessarily that your book “beats” these other comparable titles, but to point to the readership for your book—to prove how, where, or why there is a readership for your book.

The  analysis typically includes 5 to 10 titles, but you might be okay discussing just a few if your book is on a specialized topic or for a niche audience. For each competing title, begin by noting the title, subtitle, author, publisher, year of publication, page count, price, first published format (usually hardcover or paperback), and the ISBN. You don’t need to list things such as Amazon ranking, star rating, or reviews. Then briefly summarize the book and its readership in relation to your own (about 100–200 words per title).

Don’t worry about including the sales numbers of the competing titles. There’s no way for an average author to find out that information, and the agent or editor can look it up themselves. However, when doing your comp research, if you discover that most or all of the titles are self-published, have few or no reviews, and probably haven’t sold a copy in 20 years, you have a big problem on your hands. You’re choosing comps that aren’t doing well today in the traditional publishing market. Go back and look for comps that indicate your book can be commercially successful. That means you want to look for comps from well-known publishers, with a good number of reviews, decent media coverage, and a semblance of success in the market.

Resist trashing the competition; it may come back to bite you. (Publishing is a small industry.) And don’t skimp on your title research—editors can tell when you haven’t done your homework, plus fully understanding the competition should help you write a better proposal and a better book. I discuss the research process here.

Whatever you do, don’t claim there are no competitors to your book. If there are truly no competitors, then your book might be so weird and specialized that it won’t sell.

For some nonfiction topics and categories, the availability of online information can immediately kill the potential for a print book. Travel is a good example—its print sales have declined by 50 to 75 percent since 2007. Also, many book ideas I see pitched should really start out as a site or community—even if only to test-market the idea, to learn more about the target audience, and to ultimately produce a print product that has a ready and eager market once it’s published.

Target audience

Who will primarily buy your book? “Primarily” is key here. You want to describe the people who will be easiest to convince, or the most likely readership. Who will be lining up to pre-order and spread the word from there?

Avoid generically describing the book buying audience in the United States, or broadly discussing how many memoirs sold last year. Publishers don’t need to be given broad industry statistics; they need you to draw a clear portrait of the type of person (beyond “book buyers”) who will be interested in what you have to say.

It can be very tempting to make a broad statement about who your audience is, to make it sound like anyone and everyone is a potential reader.  Avoid generic statements like these:

• A Google search result on [topic] turns up more than 10 million hits.
• A U.S. Census shows more than 20 million people in this demographic.
• An Amazon search turns up more than 10,000 books with “dog” in the title.

These are meaningless statistics. The following statements show better market insight:

• Recent reviewers of [competing titles] complain that they are not keeping up with new information and trends. The hottest new trend in [category] is not discussed or covered in recent titles.
• The New York Times recently wrote about the increased interest in military memoirs; [X and Y] media outlets regularly profile soldiers who’ve written books about their experience.
• My readers include the people who have become devoted supporters of [X podcast or Y paid newsletter], which have X subscribers/downloads.

For more guidance, see my post on How to Define and Describe Your Readership .

Marketing plan

What can you specifically do to market and promote the book? Never discuss what you hope to do, only what you can and will do (without publisher assistance), given your current resources. Many people write their marketing plan in extremely tentative fashion, talking about things they are “willing” to do if asked. This is deadly language. Avoid it. Instead, you need to be confident, firm, and direct about everything that’s going to happen with or without the publisher’s help. Make it concrete, realistic, and attach numbers to everything.

Weak I plan to register a domain and start a blog for my book.

Strong Within 6 months of launch, my blog on [book topic] already attracts 5,000 unique visits per month.

Weak I plan to contact bloggers for guest blogging opportunities.

Strong I have guest blogged every month for the past year to reach 250,000 readers, at sites such as [include 2–3 examples of most well-known blogs]. I have invitations to return on each site, plus I’ve made contact with 10 other bloggers for future guest posts.

Weak I plan to contact conferences and speak on [book topic].

Strong I am in contact with organizers at XYZ conferences, and have spoken at 3 events within the past year reaching 5,000 people in my target audience.

The secret of a marketing plan isn’t the number of ideas you have for marketing, or how many things you are willing to do, but how many solid connections you have—the ones that are already working for you—and how many readers you NOW reach through today’s efforts. You need to show that your ideas are not just pie in the sky, but real action steps that will lead to concrete results and a connection to an existing readership.

It can be helpful to begin with a bio you already use at your website or at LinkedIn. But don’t just copy and paste your bio into the proposal and consider the job done. You have to convince agents and editors you’re the perfect author for the book. Show how your expertise and experience give you the perfect platform from which to address your target audience. If this is a weak area for you, look for other strengths that might give you credibility with readers or help sell books—such as connections to experts or authorities in the field, a solid online following, and previous success in marketing yourself and your work. Agent Anna Sproul-Latimer has great advice on author bios for book proposals .

This comes at the very beginning of your proposal. I suggest you write it last. Think of it as the executive summary of the entire document, around two to three pages. It needs to sing and present a water-tight business case. If done well, it can become the basis of your query letter. My proposal template (see below) includes more guidance.

Chapter outline and/or table of contents

A chapter outline works well  for narrative or meaty works, especially those that are text-heavy and anticipated to come in at 80,000 words or more. For each chapter, you write a brief summary of the idea, information, or story presented. I suggest your chapter outline not extend past 3,000 words, but some agents may ask for even more meaty chapter descriptions.

If writing a chapter outline seems redundant or unnecessary for your book’s content, then use a table of contents. And if you want to use both, that’s completely acceptable. The most important thing is to show how your book concept will play out from beginning to end, and strongly convey the scope and range of material covered.

Sample chapters

If you’re writing a memoir that has a distinct beginning, middle, and end, then include sample material that starts at the beginning of the book. If your work isn’t a narrative, then write or include a sample chapter that you think is the meatiest or most impressive chapter. Don’t try to get off easy by using the introduction; this is your opportunity to show that you can deliver on your book’s promise.

Common problems with book proposals

• The writer hasn’t articulated a clearly defined market or need—or the writer has described a market that’s too niche for a commercial publisher to pursue.
• The concept is too general or broad, or has no unique angle.
• The writer wants to do a book based on his or her own amateur experience of overcoming a problem or investigating a complex issue. (No expertise or credentials.)
• The writer concentrates only on the content of the book or his own experience—instead of the book’s hook and benefit and appeal to the marketplace.
• The proposed idea is like a million others; nothing compelling sets the book apart.

If you’re told the market isn’t big enough, maybe you approached too big of a publisher. Is there a smaller publisher that would be interested because they have a lower threshold of sales to meet? Big houses may want to sell as many as 20,000 copies in the first year to justify publication; smaller presses may be fine with a few thousand copies.

The most common problem leading to rejection: no author platform

A sizable platform and expertise is typically required to successfully sell a nonfiction book to a major publisher, especially for competitive categories such as business, cooking, health, self-help, or parenting. ( Here’s a definition of platform. ) An agent or editor is going to evaluate your visibility in the market, and will want to know the following:

• The stats and analytics behind your online following, including all websites, blogs, social media accounts, email newsletters, regular online writing gigs, podcasts, videos, etc.
• Your offline following—speaking engagements, events, classes/teaching, city/regional presence, professional organization leadership roles and memberships, etc.
• Your presence in traditional media (regular gigs, features, any coverage you’ve received, etc)
• Your network strength—reach to influencers or thought leaders, a prominent position at a major organization or business
• Sales of past books or self-published works

You typically need to be visible to tens of thousands of people, with verifiable influence, to interest a major publisher. Traditional houses are pickier than ever; producing anything in print is a significant investment and risk. They need to know there’s an audience waiting to buy. Plus, given the significant change in the publishing industry, authors shouldn’t consider a print book their first goal or the end goal, but merely one way, and usually not the best way, for making money.

A book proposal template to help you get started

Download a nonfiction book proposal template (Word file) that is already formatted according to industry guidelines. It also includes brief guidance, tips and common mistakes for each section.

I also offer research worksheets , to help you prepare to write the book proposal.

 More resources on book proposals

• Agent Ted Weinstein outlines the necessary parts of a book proposal , and also offers an audio recording of his 90-minute workshop on proposals .
• My favorite comprehensive guide on book proposals is  How to Write a Book Proposal   by agent Michael Larsen.
• For professors and academics, I recommend Laura Portwood-Stacer’s resources .

Jane Friedman has spent nearly 25 years working in the book publishing industry, with a focus on author education and trend reporting. She is the editor of The Hot Sheet , the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2023. Her latest book is The Business of Being a Writer (University of Chicago Press), which received a starred review from Library Journal. In addition to serving on grant panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund, she works with organizations such as The Authors Guild to bring transparency to the business of publishing.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

[…] Most nonfiction: You must write a book proposal (basically like a business plan for your book) that will convince a publisher to contract and pay you to write the book. For more information on book proposals and what they entail, click here. […]

Wrt expertise, Malcolm Gladwell has no subject matter credentials and he seems to use that as an advantage. Could you address expertise counter examples like this and how to leverage expertise between fields?

Malcolm Gladwell is a journalist who worked 10 years covering business and science for the Washington Post before he ever published a book. Then he got a gig at the New Yorker that led to his first book deal. If he had tried to get a book deal first—before his years of experience as a proven journalist—he probably would not have succeeded.

[…] Start Here: How to Write a Book Proposal | Jane Friedman […]

[…] How to Write A Book Proposal by Jane Friedman. This is an in-depth look, lots of insight and resource links – recommended read. […]

As usual, a wealth of great information. Well organized, articulate, easy to understand. Thank you, Jane.

[…] To: Start Here: How to Write a Book Proposal, by Jane Friedman – “A book proposal argues why your book (idea) is a salable, […]

[…] Friedman has just released an extensive, free new guide for nonfiction writers on her site: Start Here: How to Write a Book Proposal. Back to Table of Contents @ebooknoir Honestly, I’m beginning to think that I should reduce […]

I think this could be very helpful to my husband (climatologist/geographer and long time organic gardener) when he goes to write/pitch his book on gardening and climate for the lay person. 🙂 Thank you!

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How to Write a Book Proposal: The Ultimate Guide

Table of contents, introduction.

What is a Book Proposal?

What Goes into a Book Proposal?

3 Steps Before Writing a Book Proposal

How to Write a Book Proposal

Nonfiction Book Proposal Template

Formatting your book proposal.

You Have Your Book proposal, Now What?

If you’ve made it to this page you likely have a big dream of writing and publishing a bestselling book. You may already have plans to sit down every morning and start writing. But as you contemplate creating your masterpiece, you find yourself asking— do I need to write a book proposal ? Before diving into this ultimate guide on book proposals, you must first answer a few simple questions:

• Are you writing a non-fiction or a fiction book?
• Do you want to self-publish or traditionally publish your book?
• Do you have a clear idea of what books in your niche are already out there and how you’ll break through the noise to reach your target reader?

Traditionally book proposals are only for non-fiction books. Why? The nonfiction category is about the hook, the writing and the author’s platform—all of which can be highlighted via the shorter-format book proposal. Given how much they have to read every day, agents and editors prefer getting the highlights when possible.

With fiction, editors need to know the book will hang together start to finish, so they need to assess a completed manuscript. They aren’t as interested in the author’s marketing efforts, since novels are typically sold through word of mouth. While great writing is important for nonfiction books, too, a book’s sales potential is linked more closely to the author’s platform and ability to hook the book’s target audience. 

If you’re writing a non-fiction book and want a traditional book deal, then writing a book proposal is in your future. While you don’t need to write a book proposal if you’re self-publishing your non-fiction book, you may still choose to do so. 

Book proposals can help you get clear on how you’ll differentiate your book from the competition and put it into the hands of the people you want to read it most. Plus, writing a proposal teaches you how to talk about your book so that you can clearly articulate what your book is about and why people need to read it.

What Is A Book Proposal?

A book proposal is a hybrid of a book sample and a book business plan . It’s a 40 to 60 page document that explains who you are, what your book is about, how you’re going to promote it, and shows an agent and book publisher if you have the skills to create a book that will sell. 

Book proposals come before you write your book and provide an opportunity for you to pitch your book idea and show “why it matters,” and that you are the best person to write the book.

What Goes Into A Book Proposal?

While the preference for book proposal structure may vary slightly from one literary agent to another, most agree that a complete proposal should have the following five components: 

• Book overview 
• Marketing sections (Audience, Promotion and Competitive Titles)
• Chapter summaries
• 1 – 2 sample chapters

Your book proposal is a tool that your agent will use to secure a book deal . It should help a book publisher decide if they want to publish your book or not. Even if the structure of your book proposal is slightly different from the industry standard, it should always make a strong case for why a book publisher should give you an advance to write this book.   

3 Steps Before Writing A Book Proposal

Writing a book proposal may seem as easy as following a template and filling out the different sections. But before you even think about jumping into the proposal template, you need to do some critical homework. These next three steps will make or break your proposal. Done well, you’ll capture the attention of an agent and book publisher.

Step 1: Conduct Market Research

One of the most overlooked steps authors make when it comes to writing their book is R&D, aka Research and Development. Conducting research will ensure that the content you put into your book will help people in a meaningful way. 

You want to make sure that the solution or wisdom you are providing people in a book is tested and proven to solve a specific problem. There are many ways to test your content before it’s codified in book form. Here are a few ideas: 

• Invite people in your network to a beta version of a course where you teach the content you plan to write in your book and record the results people get;
• Write blog posts or an email newsletter where you share your ideas with readers and get feedback on their results; 
• Create a YouTube channel or a podcast where you teach people concepts that will be in your book and ask for feedback from your audience;
• Work with clients privately and have them implement the lessons or training that you will share in your book.

The goal is to ensure that your book will help people solve the problem it is set out to solve. You can’t really know if your content works until you’ve tested it out on real people!

Step 2: Build Your Author Platform

Agents and book publishers will not only want to know that your methodology works, but also that you have enough people in your network for your solution to reach its target audience. 

In the publishing world, your following, fans, and superfans are called your “author platform.” These are the people who are ready, waiting, and primed to buy your book. 

Having an author platform is a must for book publishers. They want to know that you have enough of a fanbase for them to make back their investment with book sales. The idea is that if a percentage of your fanbase buys your book, they can cover the cost they invested in paying your advance, cover design, editing, printing, and all of the other components of publishing a book. 

Your author platform includes but is not limited to the following:

• Email subscribers (this is by far the most important to publishers)
• Social media followers
• A column you write for a newspaper or magazine
• A regular appearance or show on television or radio
• Your speaking schedule
• Podcast listeners and/or appearances
• YouTube subscribers
• Your relationship with big organizations

When you have an established following, an agent has more confidence that they can get you a book deal and a book publisher has more confidence in your ability to sell books.

Step 3: Identify Your Hook

Your book hook is the elevator pitch for your book. It’s the key to getting the attention of a literary agent or publisher. 

When you’re writing a transformational nonfiction book, the primary reason a reader buys your book is to answer a need. For example, if a person has a relationship challenge, they’ll find a relationship book that can help them with that challenge. 

Your hook should say to the person who has the problem that you can solve, “This book is the book you want! It will provide precisely the relief you need!”

Your entire book proposal should be written with your hook in mind. Your book overview should make it clear to the reader what problem your book will solve and who it is for. Your chapter summaries should be a roadmap to solving the problem. And your marketing plan should show how you will identify the people with the problem and get your book into their hands.

How To Write Your Book Proposal

Once you’ve tested that your book idea will help solve a problem, have built your author platform (and have a plan to continue to build your platform even after the book comes out), and are clear on your hook, it’s time to start writing your book proposal. 

Most large book publishers receive hundreds of proposals from agents each week. By completing steps 1 – 3 before you start writing yours, you’re giving your book a better chance of being well-received by both an agent and a publisher.

You will likely write, revise, and edit your book proposal multiple times before you have a final product. As you write and edit your proposal, ask yourself, did I create a compelling case for investing in this book idea? In me as the author? When you can confidently answer “yes,” it’s time to get your book proposal into the hands of an agent.

Earlier we shared that there are five components of a book proposal that most agents align on:

• Book overview

While these components are the bare minimum of a book proposal, to make the strongest case for why a book publisher should pick up your book, we recommend four additional components:

• A book proposal cover letter

Book Table of Contents

Below you’ll find additional information on the seven components of a book proposal that we recommend.

Book Proposal Cover Letter 

Before an agent or book publisher dives into your proposal, they’ll read your book proposal cover letter. This one-page letter gives a brief introduction to the book you’re pitching, you as an author, and why this book will do well in the marketplace. Your cover letter should include:

• A salutation addressed to the agent using their name;  
• This is an opportunity to use statistics or anything that will make a case for why your book needs to be published;
• What you do for a living
• If you’ve written a book before, information about its sales history highlighting any bestseller milestones;
• What media outlets you’ve been featured in, if any.

The goal of the book proposal cover letter is to prepare the agent for what they’re about to read and to pique their interest so that they keep reviewing your book proposal.

Book Proposal Title Page & Table of Contents  

Think of your title page as a contact sheet that includes the title and subtitle of your book as well as your name, email address, phone number, and website URL. It says to the agent and book publisher, here is the title of the book I’m pitching you and how to get in contact with me once you’ve made a decision. 

Right after the Title page comes your Table of Contents. This page is the directory for each section of your book proposal. It should include the contents of the proposal as well as the starting page for each section. 

Book Overview

The overview section is your chance to tell why your book should be considered.  In approximately 1500-2000 words, you’ll capture the agent or publisher’s attention and show them why they should keep reading. The book overview should tell the agent or book publisher the following:

• What pain point the reader is struggling with that will be answered by this book;
• The solution you’re proposing; 
• The benefits the reader will receive; 
• What makes you an authority on this subject (credentials, life experience, platform numbers if you have them);
• Why now is the right time for this book to come out. 

The Overview is arguably the most important section of the proposal. If the agent or publisher gets bored reading the overview, they will not keep going. This is your chance to highlight the most unique and interesting content you have to offer.

About the Author

This is where you can brag about all that makes you magical—as long as it’s relevant to your book. In a 250-500 word blurb, the About the Author page reinforces why you should be writing this book instead of someone else. In this section you’ll start with whichever credentials explain most clearly why you are qualified to speak on the topic of your book:

• What makes you an expert in the book’s topic
• What you do for a living (assuming it’s relevant to your book topic)
• Any other credentials of note
• A mention of any relevant books you’ve already published

When it comes to your author page, focus on the qualifications that are relevant to your book topic. For example, if you are writing a book about energy work, but you have been a CPA for 30 years, don’t focus on the latter! Instead, focus on what makes you an authority in energy healing. It is also recommended that you include a photo in this section so that the agent or editor can picture who would be writing the book. 

Pro tip: Be sure to include a professional color as part of your Author bio section!

Marketing Sections

As mentioned earlier, there are three main parts to the Marketing section of a book proposal: Audience, Promotion and Competitive Titles.

By this point, you’ve shared that there’s a problem in the world and you’re just the person to solve it. But are there enough people with this problem to warrant a book? That’s what you’ll have to prove in the market analysis section of your book proposal. This is where you show that there is a large and hungry audience waiting for your book. How do you do this? Here are some suggestions:

• Quote statistics found in articles, journals, or relevant websites;
• Show the population of people ready to pick up your book;
• Identify how many people are searching online about this topic.

You have about 1 to 1 ½ pages to make the case that there is an audience for your book. Contrary to popular belief, the narrower your audience, the better. Book publishers do not want to hear that your book is for everyone. They want to see that there is a very specific audience for your book and that this audience is big enough to sell. How many books will you need to sell? That varies, but a good rule of thumb is the larger the advance, the bigger the book sales expectation.  

Once you’ve made the case that people will want to buy your book, it’s time to convince agents and publishers that you can make it happen. Book publishers will help you get your book in print and onto bookstore shelves. But the heavy lifting of getting those books off the shelf and into a reader’s hands is primarily the job of the author. What is your plan to promote the book? 

In this section, you’re going to talk about the audience you already have, what you’re doing to continue to build and grow your platform, and how you plan to get the word out far and wide. This is not about telling the publisher that you’ll be available for any media opportunities that they may arrange—that should go without saying—it’s about the efforts you will be extending toward promotion. Here are some things you can include in your promotional plan:

• What kind of audience you have
• Past speaking engagements
• Any media, celebrity, or other influential connections you have that will help you spread the word;
• Any organizations you have connections with that will agree to buy your book or help promote it;
• Places where you have spoken that will gladly bring you back for another speaking engagement;
• Podcasts you will target to be on;
• Any PR or marketing agencies you will hire to help you promote the book;
• Magazines you have written for that will agree to promote your book;
• The size of your platform and how you will leverage it to sell books.

Marketing your book is like marketing any other product. Take the time to think about how you will reach your target reader and inspire them to purchase your book. Then detail your plan in 1 to 1 ½ pages.

Competitive Analysis

Are there books already on this topic? Don’t be alarmed if there are books on your topic already . It’s an indicator that there’s interest in the topic. The key is to identify how your book will be different.

In this section create a list of five books that are similar to yours. Try to avoid explaining all the reasons your book is better than these other books; instead, give the other books praise where due while at the same time pointing out how your proposed book would be different or come from a different angle. 

If there are mega-bestsellers in your category, try to avoid including them in your competitive analysis. Books that hit that level of sales are few and far between, and publishers know that lightning only strikes so often. Give more reasonable examples, published by houses of a similar size to the one you are pitching. 

For each book, provide 1 – 2 sentences describing the book and why you’re including it. Then add a brief explanation of how your book complements this book or adds to the success of the category. Make sure for each book you include the title, author, publisher, and year of publication. 

Before diving into the five competitors, take time to explain which shelf your book belongs on in the bookstore. This will help an agent and an editor picture the specific category your book falls into. When they know the category, it will be easier for them to picture selling it into bookstores. While you may feel your book should be everywhere, focus on the single best placement for your book.

Now it’s time to give a sneak peek of what will be in your book. This starts with your book’s table of contents. If you wonder what this should look like, just crack open any book on your shelf and find its Table of Contents. Then make your own, including all the chapters, as well as the part titles, if you’re breaking the book into parts. Start with the foreword and introduction (if either is applicable), and finish with appendices, resource sections, and acknowledgments.

If you intend to have a foreword written by another author or public figure, include this person’s name only if you have already received confirmation in writing that they will be writing the foreword. This is not a place for “wishful thinking”! 

Chapter Summaries

After your outline, it’s time to share a little bit more detail about the content found within each chapter. Think of your chapter summaries as abstracts for each chapter you plan to include. They should talk about the content of the chapter, rather than providing a sample of the chapter content. 

Each chapter summary should be between 200-350 words in length. Consider starting each summary with “In this chapter, I will show the reader…” or “This chapter will reveal…” The goal is to give an idea of what the takeaway of the chapter is in a few paragraphs. Be sure to include mention of any illustrative stories, exercises, recipes or other content you intend to include.

This section is critical to the agent and editor’s understanding of the scope of the material. As they read your proposal they will be asking themselves, “Do we really need a whole book on this subject? Could it be an article instead?” So it’s your job to sufficiently represent the breadth of the content in these summaries.

Two Sample Chapters

If an editor or an agent has gotten all the way to this section of your book proposal, there’s a good chance that you’ve kept their attention. This is an opportunity for you to bring it home by showing a sample of your writing style. Most industry professionals will expect to see two full chapters in this section. However, if your chapters are on the shorter side, you may want to include three. Aim for approximately 7500-10,000 words of sample content.

Note that you do not need to begin with chapter one. Instead, choose the most compelling chapters you can. If your book will include recipes, exercises, charts, or poems, make sure you include samples in this section. Remember, this is your opportunity to showcase your most exciting information and your voice—make sure it’s as compelling as it can be!

Before you print and send off your book proposal, you’ll want to make sure it’s formatted properly. Proposals are most commonly formatted in Microsoft Word or PDF. We recommend 1.5 spacing throughout the proposal, with the exception of the cover letter (single-spaced) and the sample chapters (double-spaced). Here are some pro tips:

• Use a common font, such as Times New Roman 12-point font; 
• Use standard margins. With this formatting, you’re looking at 300-350 words per page;
• Do not get fancy with the design unless you’re proposing a highly designed interior for your book—easy-to-read words on a page are all an editor or agent cares about at this point;
• Number your pages;
• Include a header and a footer throughout with your name and the title of the book. 

Once you’ve edited and formatted your book proposal, it’s time to get it into the hands of a literary agent—and ultimately a publisher!

You Have Your Book Proposal, Now What?

With your book proposal written, the final step is to sign with a literary agent and have them pitch your book and negotiate a book deal. But how do you find a literary agent ? And what is it that they do anyway?

Literary agents are the liaisons between authors and publishers that may want their book. They are part salesperson, part editor, part legal consultant, and even part counselor. They are the gatekeepers of the traditional publishing world. Most traditional book publishers will only accept submissions from an agent and will not even review your book proposal unless it comes from an agent they trust. 

If you’re looking for an agent, the Publishers Marketplace Membership is an excellent resource. There is a small membership fee, but it will allow you to find agents that represent the type of book that you’re writing. 

Another excellent resource, which is free, is the Agent Query website . This will also help you identify potential agents. 

And if neither of those sites work for you, try looking in the acknowledgments section of authors in your category. If they had a positive experience, they will likely thank their agent in this section of the book.  

The key is to find an agent that has connections with a book publisher that wants your book .

Now that you have an idea of what it takes to get your book proposal into the world, it’s time to get started. You may be excited and ready to start—or you may be a bit overwhelmed. 

Wherever you are, we’d love to provide you with the support you need to write and publish your book with a complimentary   consultation. 

In this call, we’d identify where you are right now in your book writing journey, discuss what you would need to get your book proposal and ultimately your book ready for its debut and discuss if working together is right for you. To get started, schedule a call  with one of our Publishing Consultants and we’ll discuss the right next steps for you.

10 thoughts on “How to Write a Book Proposal: The Ultimate Guide”

Thank you this is great! I just finished my contract and 1-hr consultation with Nirmala who read my whole book. She gave me valuable insights and now I am ready to do a book proposal. She thinks the project has legs so keep your fingers crossed.

Keeping my fingers crossed! Bringing a book into the world is a wonderful feeling, wishing you all the best!

thank you Kelly

Will schedule a call as soon as I have some things in place

That’s wonderful! We look forward to having you join the KN Literary family!

Just had my 15 min free consultation call and it was absolutely helpful and great. We worked out the next step forward for my book proposal. Thank you.

We love to hear it, Lisa! That’s a big step forward. Looking forward to continuing our work together!

Yes. I do believe that my book, will create a positive impact in the Brain Injury community. I think that there is a brain injury that happens every six seconds, throughout the world, may be off on that number. but still! Have been interested in sharing what has happened to me, and the ways through healing, and have always wanted to get a book out there, for well over twenty years. In assisting others whom may feel, that there may be no hope in the continuation of healing. I have been feeling much more positive about the steps needed to do this, through your amazing guidance, Just have to put the pedal to the floor in this, ONGOING quest! Still waiting on that Irish leprecon to grant me the wish. Thank You Rick rickyd227 at gmail.c for anyone that may give me some umpf in the completion?

We’re so glad to be an encouragement in your book journey! You’ve got this!

@Richard- Sending positive thoughts & encouragement for the TBI healing content! I sustained a TBI & other injuries, with long-standing deficits, nearly 6 years ago, & have found it is a frustratingly difficult & lonely feeling. Your book could help many people navigate the journey toward feeling better & growing stronger. Good luck!!🍀

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How to write a book proposal

Unlock the secrets to a successful book proposal with our step-by-step guide for aspiring authors.

A book proposal is one of the most critical steps in getting a book published traditionally. Essentially, a proposal is a business case for why your book should be published and marketed to readers. It allows you to pitch your concept to publishers and demonstrate why your idea has merit and sales potential. While every publisher has slightly different requirements, most proposals include the same core components: an overview of the book, an author bio, a marketing plan, sample chapters, and competitive analysis.

Putting together a strong proposal package takes work. But it can make the difference between grabbing a publisher’s interest or having your submission dismissed. Even for previously published authors, the proposal process is key to convincing publishers to invest in your latest concept. This guide will break down each element that goes into a book proposal, with tips to help you create a compelling submission that gives your book the best chance of success.

The Elements of a Book Proposal

A complete book proposal package consists of the following key pieces:

• Cover letter – A 1-2 page letter introducing you and your book to the publisher. This acts as your first impression, so it should be engaging and professional.
• Overview/Synopsis – A short summary, typically 1-3 pages, highlighting your book’s concept, purpose, organization, and chapters. This quickly shows what the book is about and why it is important.
• Author Bio – Your credentials, qualifications, experience, and platform detailed in 1-2 pages. This establishes your authority on the topic.
• Marketing Plan – A plan of 3-10 pages showing your promotion strategy, target readership, and the author’s existing audience and connections. It aims to convince the publisher of the book’s publicity potential.
• Sample Chapters – Typically the first 1-2 chapters of the manuscript, or about 30-50 pages. This provides a taste of your writing quality and style.
• Competitive Titles Analysis – A listing of similar titles and how your book differs from or improves upon existing options. Demonstrates a need for your book.

Getting each of these elements right takes time and effort. But the work is well worth it for the opportunity to get your book published. The following sections will explore what to include in each piece of your proposal package and provide tips to make your submission stand out.

Writing a Strong Cover Letter

The cover letter introducing your proposal to a publisher may seem simple, but it’s much more than just a formality. A well-crafted letter can capture an editor’s interest right away, while a weak letter may prevent your proposal from being read any further.

Your cover letter should achieve several key goals:

• Introduce you and get the editor excited about your book idea
• Summarize the concept and essential details of your book
• Explain what makes you the best person to write this book
• End with a call to action and expression of appreciation

Keep your letter to 1-2 pages, and be sure to address it to a specific editor or publisher contact if possible. A generic “To whom it may concern” does not make much impact.

The letter should provide an overview snapshot of your book, including the central concept, genre/category, target audience, page count or length, and sensibly projected word count. Share your credentials and platform briefly, but avoid simply repeating your full author bio.

You want to generate excitement without exaggerating. Include one or two key statistics or facts that capture the audience demand, relevance, or timeliness of your topic. This helps make the case for your book’s marketability.

Finally, close your letter with a call to action – ask for a meeting to discuss the proposal further or provide your availability for an interview. Express your appreciation for their time and consideration.

Here are examples of strong opening and closing lines:

“Over 10 million Americans now identify as vegan, yet plant-based recipes still rarely appear in mainstream media. My latest cookbook aims to change that…”

“American politics has become increasingly polarized over the past decade. My book will reveal the true causes behind this trend and concrete steps citizens can take to push back…”

“Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of my proposal. I am eager to discuss how we can work together and make this important book come to life.”

Crafting a Compelling Book Overview

The overview section, also known as a synopsis, summarizes the essence of your book in 1-3 pages. This is not a full, detailed synopsis but rather a high-level preview that quickly tells the publisher what your book is about and why readers will care.

The overview should touch on:

• Premise/concept – The subject matter and scope of your book explained in 1-3 sentences.
• Purpose – The specific aims and objectives of your book and the gap in the market it fills.
• Scope/focus – The parameters of the book’s content—the time period, setting, geographic location, etc.—that define the book’s boundaries.
• Organization – A brief description of each section or chapter and how content flows through the book.
• Key themes – The most important ideas, theories, lessons, or techniques readers will learn.
• Unique angle – What sets your book apart from others on the shelves and why it can’t be missed.
• Word count – The anticipated length of your full manuscript.
• Key selling points – Factors that make your book relevant, useful, or resonating right now. These could include current events, cultural trends, amusing stories, or timely examples that connect your concept to the readers’ world.
• Enthusiasm – Explain what excites you most about this book and convey that passion to get the publisher energized too.

This overview differs from a full synopsis, which summarizes each chapter in detail. Here, your goal is to intrigue rather than give away all the specifics.

Keep it short, succinct, and compelling. Focus on the hook—why this book demands to exist and why the editor can’t pass it up. Share your unique perspective and get the publisher eager to read more.

Here are examples of effective overview summaries:

“My proposed book, Men’s Yoga, will make the practice accessible to 12 million American men too intimidated to try yoga on their own. In plain language, it covers beginner-friendly poses and flows while busting myths about yoga and masculinity with good humor. With mindfulness now mainstream, the time is right for a yoga guide that speaks to men.”

“Climate change is the defining issue of our time, yet practical solutions can seem in short supply. My book, The Carbon-Free Home, cuts through the paralysis and empowers families to reduce their carbon footprint with 100 simple lifestyle tweaks. Each chapter focuses on one living area with cost-effective projects, product recommendations, and inspiring home examples. This hopeful, actionable guide gives families everywhere the tools to create climate-friendly homes.”

As you can see, these overviews grab interest right away. They identify the target audience, establish the author’s credibility, and capture the essence of the book – all in just a few paragraphs. Follow their template to craft an overview sure to impress.

Writing an Author Bio

Your author bio is 1-2 pages, summarizing your background, achievements, qualifications, and platform that make you the ideal writer for this book. It aims to establish your expertise and assure the publisher that you can reach your target audience.

Be sure to include:

• Credentials – Degrees, certifications, awards, fellowships, or designations relevant to your book’s subject matter. Lead with your most impressive ones first.
• Related experience – Positions held, years in the field, noteworthy accomplishments that reflect deep knowledge of this topic.
• Previous publications – Books, articles, or columns you have written, especially in similar genres or categories. List publisher names and dates.
• Speaking experience – Conferences where you have presented, keynote speeches delivered, expert panels you have participated in.
• Media and publicity – Major media interviews, podcasts, TV or radio appearances as an expert source.
• Existing audience and platform – website, social media followers, email list subscribers, membership in relevant professional groups. Quantify reach whenever possible.
• Promotion plan – Ways you intend to market the book through your network and media activities.

Any awards, grants, fellowships, or special designations in your field should be included to establish your reputation. While degrees and work history matter, recent activities more directly demonstrate your current standing and abilities.

Try to quantify achievements and audience/following with numbers whenever possible, e.g. “ Over 50,000 Twitter followers and 25,000 monthly newsletter subscribers.” This concretely proves you have channels to connect with readers.

Only include background information relevant to the book and establishing your authority. While childhood anecdotes can be interesting, focus on credentials so the bio retains an authoritative tone.

Here are two examples demonstrating different approaches:

“Jane Smith holds a Ph.D in Sociology from UC Berkeley and has taught race and gender studies for over 15 years. She has authored twelve books and textbooks, including Intersectional Identities, a college course staple since 2013. Her TEDx talk on diversity initiatives has over 250,000 views. With a long career applying sociological insights to real-world issues, Dr. Smith is well-positioned to pen My Sociological Life.”

“John Chen studied creative writing at Iowa State and spent years freelance writing before becoming an award-winning novelist. His cyber thrillers Net Threat and Hacked topped technothriller bestseller charts. With a passion for technology, Chen draws on his computer science degree and interviews with hacker confidants to create vividly realistic worlds. His avid fanbase of over 100,000 online followers and reputation for gimmick-free action make him the perfect fit to pen the TechWars series.”

As you can see, the bios emphasize different author strengths: academic and research credentials in one, and existing audience, and successful books in the genre for the other. Both establish relevant expertise and qualifications to write the proposed book.

Follow their template of focusing on your most relevant credentials, achievements, and audience. This quickly proves to publishers that you are the right author for the concept. Now let’s examine how to outline an effective book marketing plan.

Creating a Marketing Plan

A strong marketing plan is crucial for demonstrating your book’s publicity potential and audience reach. While the publisher will handle much of the marketing, the more exposure you can generate on your own, the better the book’s chances of success.

Your marketing plan section should span 3-10 pages, depending on the scope of your efforts. It should include:

• Target readership – Provide details on your ideal reader, including demographics, interests and where they consume similar media. Show you understand your audience.
• Leveraging your network and audience – Detail your existing author website, social media followings, professional associations, conference activity and local influence. Quantify your network.
• Media opportunities – Tie in potential interviews, guest articles, conference presentations, and media relationships you can utilize to promote the book.
• Partnerships – Are there organizations, brands, or influencers that align well with your book for cross-promotion?
• Promotional strategies – How will you generate excitement for the book? Ideas for book giveaways or tie-ins? Ways to attract traditional media?
• Online strategies – Could you serialize parts of the book on your website? What promotions will you do through email, social media, online ads? How can SEO help?
• Securing bulk orders – How can you get bulk orders from companies, schools, organizations? Can chapters be repurposed for textbooks or corporate education?
• Speaking opportunities – Conferences where you can showcase the book, do signings, and sell bulk orders.

Back up assertions with numbers whenever possible. Saying you have “a large Twitter following ” is vague. “ Over 50,000 Twitter followers eager for my insights” proves there is an audience excited for your work.

Include local/regional opportunities in addition to national ones. Local media, libraries, schools, and bookstores can become strong partners. Engage followers everywhere.

Here are some examples of creative book marketing tactics:

• Launch parties at bars/cafes with themes tied to book
• College campus tours, lectures, and workshop series
• Proposing excerpts in major magazines or serializing online
• Tie-in charitable campaigns around book themes
• Contests and sweepstakes for advance copies
• Instagram takeovers featuring book teasers

With nonfiction books, partnering with aligned organizations multiplies your reach tremendously. A cookbook author might partner with kitchen supply stores for demonstrations. Or a travel guide writer could work with tour companies to be featured in their packages and content.

The most effective plans combine digital promotion leveraging the author’s platform with real-world opportunities through conferences, events, local media, and community partners. Demonstrate that you are willing to put in the work to engage readers and sell books.

Writing Sample Chapters

Most book proposals require submitting 1-2 sample chapters to demonstrate writing quality and style. Choose sections that represent the book well while hooking the reader’s interest.

For fiction, submitting the first 1-2 chapters works best as they introduce the world and characters. Just be sure the writing shines. With nonfiction, sample almost any chapters that depict your writing skills in top form.

Some tips for selecting your sample chapters:

• Lead with a strong, engaging chapter to start off on the right foot. Avoid dense background or introductory material here.
• Pick a representative sample that feels familiar to the rest of the book in tone, style, and content.
• Include a chapter that contains unique elements you want to highlight, like your sense of humor or a complex theory.
• End with a cliffhanger or unresolved tension that leaves the editor eager for more.
• For memoir, consider one funny chapter and one poignant chapter to show range.
• For instructional books, select a lesson that flows well out of context and entices readers to learn more.

Introduce the chapters briefly in a paragraph or two. Explain your rationale for choosing these excerpts and the key takeaways you hope the editor gleans from reading the samples.

The writing quality must be polished and professional. However, refrain from exhaustively editing sample chapters before submitting. It is better for the editor to see pages somewhat representative of the entire work rather than chapters you have meticulously honed.

With strong sample writing, you prove you can deliver a compelling book as proposed. Weak samples cast doubt on the entire project and can sink your proposal. Use samples that exemplify your talents.

Analyzing the Competition

In your proposal, you must also demonstrate that your proposed book fills a hole in the market. Analyzing existing competitive titles and distinguishing your book shows there is a need and audience for your concept.

Your competitive analysis section should:

• List similar titles and authors with the date of publication, publisher, and format.
• Summarize the premise and content of each competing title.
• Explain how your book differs substantially and offers something new to readers. What gap does it fill?
• Detail the market demand and appetite for books on this topic, backed by sales data or Amazon rankings if possible.
• Highlight underserved niches or angles not adequately covered by the competition. Show how your book is positioning itself uniquely.

There are a few key ways to differentiate your book:

• Spotlighting an underserved audience – Competitors miss stay-at-home dads, religious African-Americans, non-traditional students, etc.
• Providing a new interpretative lens – Your sociological / feminist / scientific perspective.
• Focusing on an emerging trend competitors have not addressed yet
• Including more diverse voices and viewpoints than competitors
• Updating dated techniques and information from earlier books
• Offering a more modern, relevant, and engaging presentation of the content

Avoid excessive comparisons to brand-name competitors that may dwarf your accomplishments. There’s no need to endlessly contrast yourself to Malcolm Gladwell – focus on direct category competitors instead.

Research Books in Print, bestseller lists, Amazon rankings, bookstore shelves, and publisher catalogues to identify your true competition. Read through product descriptions and reviews to analyze how your concept differs and improves.

By demonstrating unsatisfied demand and creative differentiation, you can show publishers the market opportunity waiting for your book.

Crafting a winning book proposal requires thoughtfully developing each piece: – cover letter, overview, author bio, marketing plan, sample chapters, and competition analysis. While proposals take significant effort, a polished submission package gives your book the best shot at publication.

Remember, the proposal allows you to frame the vision for your book and begin making the case for why it deserves a place in the market. Take time to get each component right. Follow conventions while injecting your unique personality and enthusiasm. Test your concept with advance reviewers to hone your messaging.

With a compelling, professional proposal package, you can capture the publisher’s interest in your book and earn a book deal. Use this guide’s tips to develop strong proposals and advance your publishing dreams. The publishing journey starts here.

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We’ll interview the author and post those questions and answers on blogs and social medias so that readers get to know about author and his book. This will make author famous along with his book among the reading community.

Social Media Promotion

We have more than 170K followers on our social media channels who are interested in books and reading. We’ll create and publish different posts about book and author on our social media platforms.

Social Media Set up

Social Media is a significant tool to reaching out your readers and make them aware of your work. We’ll help you to setup and manage various social media profiles and fan pages for your book.

We’ll provide you our social media marketing guide, using which you may take advantage of these social media platforms to create and engage your fan base.

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One of the most effective and long-term strategies to increase your book sales is to create your own website. Author website is must have tool for authors today and it doesn’t just help you to promote book but also helps you to engage with your potential readers. Our full featured author website, with blog, social media integration and other cool features, is the best marketing tool you can have. You can list each of your titles and link them to buy from various online stores.

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How to Write a Proposal Cover Letter: Examples + Free Template

Posted by: Cinthya Soto

Proposal cover letters are brief overviews that introduce the more in-depth content of a proposal. Cover letters are normally the first page of a proposal, making them the first impression you will give and your first opportunity to convince the reader to work with you. These letters directly communicate with the client and set the stage for the following proposal details.

If your proposal cover letter is not convincing enough, the reader might not read your entire proposal and choose a competitor. That’s why understanding the do’s and don’ts of proposal cover letter writing is crucial. 

In this blog, we’ll teach you how to structure and write a proposal cover letter, what makes a good and a bad proposal, and we even provide a free downloadable template for your firm to use. 

What Is a Proposal Cover Letter? 

A proposal cover letter is a letter that accompanies an RFP response or bid submission. Its primary purpose is to introduce the proposal, explain its relevance to the recipient, and persuade the reader of the value and credibility of what’s being offered. It sets the tone for the entire proposal, so make sure it’s well-crafted. 

The cover letter needs to be persuasive and blow your prospect away because it provides a first impression. Since it’s often the first thing the recipient will see, it plays a key role in the recipient’s decision to even consider reading the full proposal. 

The cover letter is frequently the initial opportunity for your proposal to align with the reader’s objectives. While it goes on top of the proposal, it shouldn’t be confused with an executive summary that outlines the main highlights of your proposal. 

Why Your Proposal Cover Letter Matters 

Your proposal cover letter is made up of the most important paragraphs you’ll ever write because it’s the section everyone will read. That’s why it’s essential to nail it, or you stand the chance of losing the project. A cover letter helps busy clients decide if they’re interested in reading the complete proposal. Therefore, having a winning proposal cover letter is equally important as the actual proposal. 

The proposal cover letter gives you a chance to leave clients with a memorable first impression. While proposals lean towards factual information, cover letters offer a more personal touch. Establishing an emotional connection from the beginning significantly increases the likelihood of the reader engaging with your entire proposal. 

What Should Be on a Proposal Cover Letter? 

Though the specifics of your proposal may vary based on the nature of your offer and your sector, the proposal cover letter should consistently stick to the following structure: 

Contact Information 

It’s essential to include your contact details, including your name, email, and phone number, as well as your organization’s information such as its name, email, phone number, website, and even its social media handles. For bonus points, include the link to your LinkedIn profile in the heading too so the reader can get a deeper understanding of who you are. 

Make these details easy to find by placing them at the top or bottom of the cover letter, ensuring they’re in a bold and easy-to-read font so potential clients have no problem finding them. Using the company’s letterhead for the letter not only ensures the inclusion of this information but also gives a professional touch. 

Greeting 

This is your chance to introduce your company and what you do. It’s your first opportunity to make a positive impression and establish a connection with the reader. 

Begin with a concise statement about your company. This could be your mission statement, a brief history, or an overview of what makes your organization unique. This is your chance to highlight areas where your company excels, which helps you establish credibility. 

Additionally, highlight your primary areas of specialization or the main services/products you offer. This will give the reader a clear understanding of your role and what you do. 

Summary  

Often, decision-makers are drowned in proposals, and they might not have the time or patience to go through every detail initially. A concise summary ensures that they can quickly understand your proposal’s primary objectives and value.

You should provide details about your value propositions at a high level and connect how they meet your client’s requirements. By summarizing how your proposal addresses the client’s specific challenges or needs, you can instantly resonate with them, emphasizing that your solution is tailored to their situation.

Offer 

Continuing to the offer, this is where you should further explain how you can provide a personalized solution. Clarify to the client the unique value your solution brings to solve their problem. 

Having captured your potential client’s interest, you now have to focus on keeping it. Achieve this by highlighting the clear benefits that directly compellingly address their challenges, making it easy to understand. 

While you’ll be mentioning how your work will benefit the prospect, you should also explain what they will win from choosing to work with you. 

Here are some tips on how you can accomplish this: 

• Select the three to five primary attributes of your solution 
• Explain their advantages for your client in a concise statement 
• Be straightforward– This is what we provide. This is how it solves your issue 

References 

In situations where multiple firms submit proposals, having strong and relevant references can set you apart from competitors. It offers an added layer of reassurance to prospective clients about your experience and competence. Essentially, relevant references help the client understand why they should choose you over others. 

References also show the prospective client or partner that others have trusted you and that you’ve delivered results. By showcasing references from satisfied clients or partners, you demonstrate that you have been trusted in the past, which can solve any insecurity or concerns the potential client might have. 

Visuals 

Visuals aren’t a must for proposal cover letters. However, they can enhance its impact by emphasizing crucial information. If you have a designer on your team, you can incorporate graphics that highlight the key points of the letter. 

Some examples of what this might look like: 

• Highlighting a customer satisfaction quote in a different font to make it stand out 
• Using callout boxes to draw attention to your key value propositions (especially helpful for busy teams skimming the page) 
• Using the company letterhead
• Including the signature from a senior person at your company 

Conclusion 

Similar to introductions, many cover letters tend to focus more on the body content than the concluding paragraph. However, ending on a powerful note is as crucial as creating a compelling start. It’s recommended to conclude your cover letter by highlighting a significant benefit and the value your project will offer to the company. 

Additionally, when wrapping up your proposal cover letter, always encourage them to continue by reading the complete proposal.

How to Write a Proposal Cover Letter 

Now that you know the structure to follow on the proposal cover letter, it’s time to go into the details of how to write a proposal letter. 

Powerful First Sentence 

Starting with a powerful opening sentence can grab the reader’s attention immediately, encourage them to continue reading, and make your proposal stand out among the endless others they may have received. It’s beneficial to use impactful verbs and straightforward wording to ensure your initial sentence remains engaging and brief.  

Demonstrate You Understand the Problem 

In any proposal, it’s essential to demonstrate to your client that you understand the problem they’re facing. Highlight their goals and the reasons behind your collaboration. Present the company’s challenges in an easily comprehensible manner. Dedicate a section to focus on the company’s concerns, and later in the cover letter, you can introduce the proposed solutions. 

Offer to Discuss the Proposal Further 

Before ending your cover letter, you should stress your readiness to dive deeper into the proposal and address any questions or concerns the reader might have. Additionally, this serves as a chance for you to propose a face-to-face meeting with the potential client to further increase your chances of landing the project. 

Thank the Issuer for the Opportunity 

In the cover letter, you have the opportunity to express gratitude to the proposal’s recipients. Recognizing their participation in the process and expressing appreciation for the opportunity not only demonstrates courtesy but also signals to all reviewers that you’ve closely read the RFP guidelines. 

Persuasive Closing

After completing the structure and details of your proposal cover letter, end with a persuasive closing demonstrating your understanding of the next steps. Clients want to understand how you’ll assist them in achieving their objectives and the next steps for moving forward. This demonstrates to them that you can simplify the process by detailing the necessary steps to advance. 

As mentioned earlier, you’ll want to encourage the reader to read the entire proposal. However, you should also mention the opportunity to discuss the proposal further. Some examples of what this might look like include: 

• “We look forward to the opportunity to discuss our proposal further.” 
• “Once you’ve had an opportunity to review our proposal, please don’t hesitate to reach out and follow up with any questions.” 
• “Our team will be following up in a week for an update and see if there are any additional ways we can support your team. “

Signature 

Don’t forget to include a signature! But who signs it? Who signs the proposal cover letter varies based on different factors. The person who has the relationship with the client is in charge of the strategy, and probably carried out the research leading to the proposal is typically the one that should sign the proposal cover letter. 

However, it’s recommended that you have the proposal cover letter signed by the individual with the highest authorization level, ideally someone the client knows. 

Otherwise, you should consider having the executive director of your organization sign the cover letter and include their contact details for professionalism. People to consider for signing the proposal cover letter include: 

• Executive director 
• Account manager  
• Executive of executives 
• CEO (a strategy used by small firms or when the RFP represents a large portion of a responder’s annual revenue) 
• Someone with a senior title 

What Makes a Good Proposal Cover Letter?

So, now we know how to structure a proposal cover letter and how to write one, but how can we make it stand out? Here are some tips you should follow to craft a good proposal cover letter. 

Capture Reader’s Attention Early 

Within the framework of a proposal, the first paragraph is the best chance you have to catch your reader’s interest. This means the introduction is one of the most essential parts of your proposal cover letter. It’s crucial to catch the reader’s attention immediately, so think of an engaging way to introduce yourself and your company. You can do this by finding a way to relate to them or showing that you understand their needs. 

Mirror Clients’ Words and Phrases 

When writing a proposal cover letter, it’s essential to align your language with the client’s terminology to show that you understand their needs. Failing to do so might not only display a lack of alignment and agreement. 

Prioritize the Prospect 

A common mistake is making a proposal letter about yourself. Clients aren’t focused on your achievements or your professional journey. They want to understand how you’ll assist them in reaching their objectives. Therefore, the cover letter should focus on how you plan to help the client in reaching their objectives.

If you do want to mention special company achievements, make sure they are relevant to your client’s objectives and provide value. 

Get Straight to the Point

Keep it simple. Be clear and avoid any uncertainty. Being unclear can break trust quickly. So, gather all your information before writing, so you don’t sound unsure. Make sure what you write is accurate. You’re the expert. Write confidently and avoid wasting your client’s (or your) time by putting unnecessary information in your proposal cover letter. The goal is to have clients read to the conclusion and sign. 

Stand Out From the Competition

The proposal cover letter shows that you understand the client’s worries. It helps you be different from others and encourages clients to read your entire proposal. After reading the cover letter, they can then look at the more detailed parts.

Moreover, the proposal cover letter is your first chance to highlight your value proposition and what makes your offer unique compared to others. For the cover letter, you should focus on how you can distinguish yourself from competitors.  You don’t want to “sound” the same as the competition. 

RFP Cover Letter Mistakes to Avoid 

Now that we’ve seen what makes a cover letter good, let’s take a look at what makes a cover letter bad. Here are the proposal cover letter mistakes to avoid. 

Repeating the Executive Summary 

Avoid repeating content from the executive summary within your proposal cover letter. Each document — the executive summary, proposal, and cover letter — should be separate. Repetitive information can damage the impact of your message and possibly bore or discourage the reader. 

Not Utilizing the Right Software 

When creating RFP responses, you need to manage digital assets while keeping everything accurate and up to date. With the right software, like a DAM system , you can store and manage all your project images, videos, and other media in one place. This makes it easy to find and incorporate the most relevant and impressive visuals into your RFP to make it more compelling.

With a DAM, you can quickly search, access, and integrate assets from the software directly into your RFP documents. This means that with the right DAM integrations for your industry, you can create documents in seconds with pre-designed templates. 

Additionally, a DAM helps ensure that all images and media used are in line with your brand guidelines and accessed by the right people. 

TIP: Want to know more ways a digital asset management (DAM) system can help you create RFP responses and win more clients? Read our Ultimate DAM Guide now. 

Not Reading the RFP Multiple Times

Overlooking details is the first challenge in the RFP response process. The data presented by the client within the RFP serves to guide and inform your proposal. Hence, it’s crucial to carefully review the RFP multiple times to ensure all essential elements are seen and there is no critical information missing. 

Moreover, if you don’t follow the client’s RFP guidelines, they’ll most likely ignore your response, and all your effort will be lost to those who did thoroughly read the RFP.

Not Understanding the Client’s Needs 

This might seem like a general mistake, but it’s a big one. If you don’t understand what the client wants, your whole response won’t matter. For this reason, you need to read the RFP carefully to know what the client looking for. Don’t send a proposal that’s missing details or doesn’t match what they need. 

Making the Length Too Long 

Your cover letter should always be one page unless you’re dealing with a long proposal of 100+ pages. If you do end up with a longer cover letter, it might be because you are including too much detail. Instead of describing every detail of your proposal (save that for the executive summary), focus on the top three aspects that will catch the reader’s attention. This will leave the reader wanting to know more, encouraging them to read the entire proposal.  

Proposal Cover Letter Examples 

It’s time to take a look at good proposal cover letter examples to help you further understand what is expected. 

Construction Proposal Letter Example 

Here is a construction RFP response cover letter example that works: 

Source: Examples   

Architecture RFP Cover Page Example

Here is an architecture RFP cover page example that works: 

Source: Utley Strategies 

Engineering Cover Letter for a Proposal 

Here is an engineering cover letter example that works: 

Free Cover Letter for Proposal Template 

Below, you can download a FREE proposal cover letter template made for the AEC industry from OpenAsset partner and proposal writing guru, Rachelle Ray. Just enter your name and email for immediate access.

AEC Cover Letter Template

Responding to an RFP? The downloadable RFP cover letter sample has the structure you need for a proposal cover letter that wins more clients. 

How to Create Quality Proposal Cover Letters Every Time 

Creating quality proposal cover letters every time isn’t an easy task. However, as the #1 DAM for AEC and Real Estate, OpenAsset can help you find, share, and use the digital assets you need to create high-quality AEC proposals quickly and easily. 

With dozens of integrations and useful features, OpenAsset makes it easy to share and manage the heavy amounts of digital assets needed to create winning proposals . 

Get your free downloadable proposal cover letter template today. And if you’d like to learn more about our DAM technology, you can reach out to one of our digital asset experts today to schedule a demo . 

Get OpenAsset DAM Insights

How to Create Winning Proposals

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Blog • Understanding Publishing

Last updated on Apr 12, 2024

How to Write a Book Proposal in 7 Simple Steps

Do you have a nonfiction book idea and dream of securing a lucrative deal — all before you finish writing the actual book?

Well, you can.

We have two words for you: book proposal. In the nonfiction world, you can secure a book deal with a publisher by submitting a book proposal — a short document that pitches the essence and structure of your book.

In this post, we break down what a book proposal is, and how to write one that stands out from the slush pile. With the help of Reedsy's top editors, we’ve also created a free book proposal template you can download below. Let’s get started.

FREE RESOURCE

Book Proposal Template

Craft a professional pitch for your nonfiction book with our handy template.

What is a book proposal?

A book proposal is a document sent by nonfiction authors to pitch their book idea. Commonly 15-50 pages long, a book proposal includes an overview of the book, an author bio, comparable titles, potential marketing strategies, a chapter outline, as well as some sample chapters. It’s not a complete manuscript, but instead a chance to gain a publisher’s interest in your book.

It should build a complete argument for your book idea. According to developmental editor Katharine Barclay, every good proposal will cover:

• What the book is about,
• Why you're the perfect person to write this book,
• Who will buy the book, and
• How you are going to convey the message.

Above all, your proposal must also show an evidence of need . In other words: what is your unique premise? How will it benefit people who read it? Will readers care enough to buy it?

When successfully executed, a book proposal will convince a publisher to invest in you and your goal: a published book. 

What are the common elements of a book proposal?

While some publishers will have different specifications for their preferred format, most book proposals follow a similar structure. Here are the most common elements:

• Overview of the book
• Market analysis
• Author bio and platform
• Marketing plan
• Comp titles
• Chapter outline
• Sample chapters
• Conclusion and writing timeline

Put together, this is the document that will convince a publisher to take a chance on your book. 

How to write a book proposal

Bear in mind that there is no one-size-fit-all for book proposals. Think of the proposal as a house 一 depending on the circumstances, you may move the furniture around. Ultimately, the key is building the best argument for why your book idea deserves to be published.

1. Start the book proposal with an overview

Every proposal begins with an overview of the book you're planning to write. The overview covers what (or who) the book is about so that the acquisition editor has a clear idea of your proposed topic and the commercial appeal of the book.

Developmental editor and former literary agent Elizabeth Evans advises you to “write your overview as though you're writing the copy of your book jacket. Employ the same combination of vivid description, charm, and salesmanship the publisher will eventually use to woo book buyers.”

An overview will usually be less than two pages long and should hit the key facts about a book: its topic, themes, and intended audience. The overview will also provide insight into the significance and reach of the book, explaining why the subject matter is important and how this book is unique or will fill a gap in the market. 

Perhaps most importantly, an overview includes the all-important “ book hook .”

Hook them in with your elevator pitch

Andrew Crofts , a ghostwriter who’s worked on multiple proposals before, shares his pro-tip for hooking editors in: “The opening sentences should be the ‘elevator pitch,’ making readers want to find out more.”

For a better idea of what an overview should be, take a look at this example from an actual book proposal sample for a memoir that Andrew co-wrote with author Hyppolite Ntigurirwa:

This is the shocking and inspirational memoir of a boy who survived the Rwandan genocide. When he was seven years old, Hyppolite lost eighty members of his extended family and witnessed the murder of his beloved father.

Born in a mud hut without shoes, water, or power, he struggled after the genocide to gain an education and to learn to forgive the killers.

By the age of thirty, he had graduated from university in Rwanda and worked as a journalist and radio presenter, a playwright, and a theatre director.

Note that this “hook” distills the essence of the memoir into a simple sentence: This is the shocking and inspirational memoir of a boy who survived the Rwandan genocide. Then, with the editor’s attention captured, the next sentences unpack the main themes and story that will be explored in the book. Once the main message is covered, editor Jaimee Garbacik recommends wrapping up with “a note about the significance and reach of your subject matter.”

As Elmer Wheeler put it once in The New Yorker : “The sizzle’s sold more steaks than the cow ever sold, although the cow is, of course, mighty important.”

Your proposal needs that “sizzle” in the overview to keep publishers reading. It can be a story, anecdote, thought-provoking question, or compelling statistic — but it must make the subject of your book sound intriguing, new, or pressing. Think of the way the first paragraph in a magazine article grabs the reader’s attention, and try to capture that effect.

2. Identify your target audience

So you’ve ended your overview on a strong note and successfully hooked the reader. Great! Now, you want to elaborate on why your book is important — a.k.a. why it will sell. 

To do this, you need to identify your target audience , or the people who will be interested in buying your book. Spoiler alert: no, you can’t say, “My book is for everyone!” A teenager and a working parent simply do not share the same reading interests, and identifying a specific target market is essential in a nonfiction book proposal.

If you’re struggling to put your finger on who your nonfiction is for, try answering these questions, suggested by editor  Patrick Price :

• Whose needs do you meet? 
• What’s the age range of the audience?
• Where do they live? What’s their lifestyle like?
• What other similar books do they enjoy?

With these in mind, you can search for social media groups where your audience may unite, or survey previously published books on similar topics to see how popular they are. This will give you a better idea of the number of people who may be interested in your book — demonstrating that you’ve got a sizeable target audience will be helpful when it comes to suggesting marketing plans, which we’ll discuss later.

As ghostwriter Barry Fox points out, you are the expert about this specific market. If you’re a historian, you have a better idea than the publisher of the number of students who are interested in your research area. If you’re a doctor, you know your clients’ worries better than anyone else. Lean into that special insight when you research and write this part of your book proposal: let publishers know that there’s demand for a book like yours. 

3. Write a strong author bio

Beyond providing you with unique market insights, your experience also makes up your bona fides — giving your readers (and the publisher) faith that you can deliver the answer to what they’re wondering about. 

Your author bio should make all of this clear, but should also demonstrate that you’re connected and visible in your field. According to Elizabeth Evans, it should be thought of as a stone that can hit two birds: “First, it details what makes you the authority on your subject; and second, it elaborates on the size of your reach.” 

To that end, you can write a strong author bio by including information on your:

• Author platform,
• Qualifications (and any seminar you teach),
• Past awards and recognition,
• Previous publications (books and articles),
• Media appearances (e.g. lectures, speeches, interviews…),
• Connections to VIPs in the industry,
• Your personal media contacts, and
• An author photo.

In other words: what about your background, experience, and platform makes you the perfect fit to write this book?

Grab our Author Bio Template

Use this to write an awesome “about me” in less than 5 minutes.

Keep the Author Bio short and sweet — and exclude all irrelevant information (your eye color, the number of times you won Candy Crush, etc). Be honest and purposeful, highlighting your assets above all.

As well as bolstering the author’s credibility, the bio will also come in handy in the next section.

4. Create a realistic marketing plan

Some publishers may ask you for a marketing plan. If so, know they’re not saying, “Tell me what to do in order to sell your book.” Instead, they want to see that you are  currently able to reach your target market via your author platform.

The marketing plan will explain how the writer plans to leverage their pre-existing audience (as established in their author bio) into a successful launch. Again, the key is to be exact and specific — for instance, this isn’t a great example of a marketing plan, as editor Jeff Shreves points out: “I will create a website for the book.”

Consider these questions:

• Are there VIPs in the field you can ask for a blurb from?
• Have you guest spoken anywhere before? Could you reach out to the organizers for a future event?
• How about columns or articles — have you written some before and can you secure another one when the book comes out? What about an interview?
• Have you got a strong subscriber base to your newsletter?
• Do you have connections with bookstores or libraries who can distribute your book, like those of your alma mater, for instance?

You can find more marketing ideas in Barry Fox’s Reedsy Live webinar on book proposals, but the goal is to make use of all the assets you’ve listed in your Author Bio. That way, you show that you can contribute to the overall marketing efforts.  

5. Compile nonfiction comp titles for your book

Given all that information, the next question the acquisition editor will ask is whether there’s really space on bookshelves for your title. Others have probably written books on your topic already. So what else can you offer? 

To prove to the publisher that your book indeed deserves a place on the shelf, you need to know your predecessors and your competition. 

Identify the gap in the market

Where exactly can you find your competition? An actual bookshelf would be a good place to start, for one. Visit the nearest brick-and-mortar bookstore. Figure out where your book would sit, and check out the titles there. Then go onto Amazon.com and search for books in the category you just identified. Scroll down for the “Frequently Bought Together” and “Customers Who Bought This Book Also Bought” titles. This should give you a treasure trove of comparative books. You should note down:

• Publishing date
• Price and format

Carefully study the qualitative elements at this point. Who provided blurbs? What can the reviews of each comparative book tell you about the book’s strengths and faults? Is it a bestselling title? If so, why? What features made it stand out? How does your book compare and contrast?

Editor Geoffrey Stone warns you not to compare yourself to well-established authors, since their platform is likely far bigger than yours. Instead, search their books up on Amazon and see what else is suggested in the “Customers who bought this also bought” section. (And for timeliness’s sake, keep to more recent releases!) 

In other words, don't go for megahits like Atomic Habits — find respectable but less known alternatives! Having a variety of up-to-date and lesser-known titles will best demonstrate your knowledge of the existing market.

Analyze the competition

Once you pick your 4-8 comparative titles , the next step is to evaluate them. Keep it to a paragraph or so for each analysis. Sales figures aren’t obligatory, but might be useful if you can find them.

Now, for each competing title, talk about how your book compares with each of them. Explain how your book challenges, updates, or enhances each of the comp titles chosen. The point of this exercise is to show the publisher how your book is uniquely positioned in the existing market.

Just one other reminder from editor Jeff Shreve : “Don't shy away from describing other books' shortcomings, but be respectful. Odds are that you'll be submitting your proposal to the publishers of many of these competitive titles, after all.”

6. Include a chapter outline

Now that all market-related issues are covered, you’re ready to finally elaborate on your actual book! By this point, the publisher’s hopefully on board with your idea — they just need to know that your plans for actually writing the book are viable. 

Show that a full manuscript is right down the road by providing a chapter-by-chapter sketch of your book (just 1-2 paragraphs per chapter will do). If you don’t have a clear idea about where to begin yet, perhaps this guide on how to outline a nonfiction book can be of some use.

Remember that the chapter outline will show your approach to your idea. To that end, make sure that the progression of your chapters is clear and purposeful. Editors acquire books across a broad list, so you should also steer clear of industry-specific jargon such as: “This chapter will examine MSCI’s adjusted EBITDA, EPS, and beta of 1.5 in the context of its 2016 non-GAAP measures.” That may only fetch you glazed eyes in return!

7. Provide sample chapters from your manuscript

While you don’t need to produce a full manuscript yet, publishers will expect a sample chapter or two, demonstrating that you don’t just have the ideas — you also have the skills needed to put them into writing. 

In that spirit, you want to pick a chapter that best shows the essence of your book. Remember the hook at the beginning — which chapter exemplifies the selling point you promoted? Our Rwandan author from the book proposal example earlier might find the first chapter describing the lived experience of the genocide impactful. Or if you’re writing a business book, you might find that a later chapter about how your business took off after some experimentation in strategy could better show your potential. Try and find heavy-hitting chapters that stand well alone.

Sample chapters should follow the rules for proper manuscript formatting .

Download our free manuscript format template to present your sample chapters in the most professional way.

Manuscript Format Template

Get your manuscript ready for submission to agents and publishers.

Because you want the sample to strengthen other elements of your proposal, Jeff Shreve says that he likes to leave this to the very end of the proposal-writing process: “Once you have the full chapter outline and the overview nailed down, it will become much clearer which chapter you should highlight. And this can help you avoid duplicating the overview.” 

8. Finish with your writing timeline 

At this point, you can zero in on the logistics of writing your book. Let the publisher know:

• How long you might take to write the book;
• What range the word count might fall in; and 
• Whether you need any assistance throughout your process. 

Assistance might mean photographic material, special design needs for tables and graphs, or perhaps even a research assistant. Of course, these are open to discussion once you get an offer, but publishers will appreciate the heads-up!

Once you’ve written a pitch that ticks all the boxes, there’s nothing left to do but submit your proposal to publishers . For help keeping track of your submissions, download our free query tracker spreadsheet.

Query Submissions Tracker

Stay organized on your journey to find the right agent or publisher.

Download: Free Book Proposal Template

As a parting gift, we recommend that you download our free book proposal template to structure your book proposal.

We hope you’ve found all the tools and assistance you need to write a nonfiction book proposal to help you secure the right deal.

5 responses

liladiller says:

08/03/2018 – 03:42

Under #5, where is stage 2?

↪️ Reedsy replied:

14/03/2018 – 20:24

Hi Lila — Stage 2 is the analysis portion of the Competitive Titles section :) It's all evaluation of your 4-8 comps from that point on.

Patty says:

04/06/2018 – 11:17

The above post seems to be for commercial non-fiction. What about a memoir? Wouldn't that be different? How?

07/06/2018 – 04:45

You're correct, Patty — memoirs fall into a bit of a gray area when it comes to book proposals. Could you drop us an email at [email protected] with a brief description of your memoir? I'll be able to point you in the right direction from there :) – Yvonne from Reedsy

24/09/2019 – 20:12

What about a series? My book is an overview with human interest stories, how to do projects that lasting records of the several heroines.

Comments are currently closed.

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Table of Contents

What Is a Book Proposal?

Why do publishers want book proposals.

• How to Structure a Book Proposal - Must Haves
• How to Structure a Book Proposal - Optionals
• Book Proposal Template

How to Write a Non-Fiction Book Proposal (with Template)

You want to get your book picked up by a traditional publisher? Let me be very clear about this:

Most authors should skip traditional publishing and self-publish instead.

This is for many reasons; it’s nearly impossible for most authors to get a deal, and if you get one, you won’t own the rights to your book, you won’t have creative control over your book, it’ll take forever to publish, and you can’t market it in ways that benefit you (these reasons are explored in depth in our post on publishing options if you want to really dive in).

All that being said…there are some authors who can—and should—still get big deals from a traditional publisher. We even work with some of those authors here at Scribe (Todd Herman, Joey Coleman, Steve Sims, etc).

For those authors who can get a traditionally published deal, they still need to write what’s called a “book proposal” before they can take their book to a traditional publisher to try for a deal.

If you’re one of those authors who can still get a deal and wants to pursue it, then this blog post is for you. What I’ll do here is walk you through what a book proposal is, the purpose they serve, and how to structure them.

I just want to warn you:

Book proposals are a very unusual form of writing, unlike anything else you’ll ever do in your life.

They are counterintuitive. They are illogical. And they are, quite honestly, a pain in the ass to write.

I know this because I’ve written more than 20 book proposals that have sold to publishers at prices ranging from $150k on the low end to $2 million on the high end—and this blog post walks you exactly how to write your own (if it makes sense for you).

Note: Scribe has worked with over 2,000 Authors, including bestsellers like David Goggins and Tiffany Haddish. If you decide self-publishing is the best option for you, Scribe’s proven process can take you from book idea to published book in as quickly as 9 months. Schedule a consultation with one of our Author Strategists to learn more.

Think of a book proposal as a business plan for your book. It has one purpose: to convince a traditional publisher to give you money to write the book.

When you self-publish , you don’t need to write a book proposal. To work with a traditional publisher, you are in effect asking them to invest a lot of money into your book, and a book proposal is the document that will convince them to do that.

If you write a great proposal—one that convinces the publisher that your book idea, content, and marketing plan has a serious chance of commercial success—the publisher will make a monetary offer to you as an advance against royalties , and buy the rights to publish the book (and own the book and profits as well).

For a deeper explanation of the differences between traditional and self-publishing, read this .

The most common question I get from new authors is something along the lines of, “Can’t I just write it first? Don’t they just want to see the book?”

That’s a very logical question. In theory, it would make total sense to do that.

But in practice, it doesn’t work like that. Submitting an already written non-fiction book as a proposal is a great way to almost guarantee you will not get a book deal.

That is absolutely how the system works. Don’t try to use reason or logic to argue that it would be better a different way. Logic doesn’t matter when talking about how people actually do things—though, in this case, there IS a logic to it, most people just can’t see it from the outside.

Why is it this way? If you understand these two things, the book proposal format makes perfect sense:

1. Reducing publishers’ risk by showing you will sell copies This is the #1 thing that all traditional publishers want to see in a proposal—proof that you have a clear and definitive plan to move a lot of copies of your book.

Please don’t fall victim to thinking that publishers can sell books. They can’t. For real, traditional publishers are very bad at selling books. I know, it sounds crazy, but it’s true. Traditional publishers are very good at selling books to bookstores, not to readers.

They want a proposal because they want to know that YOU can do the job they can’t (I discuss this in more depth later on when we talk about marketing plans).

2. Signaling you understand traditional publishing and media The irrationality of a book proposal is actually a feature, not a bug. You see, by having such an unusual process, one that requires a person understand all the intricate unspoken rules of an “irrational” system, it acts as a filtering mechanism.

Traditional publishers can look at a proposal and know—in an instant—if the “right” format was followed. If it’s not, they know they can probably disregard the proposal, because the author doesn’t have the right social connections to have someone “in the know” teach them the “right” way to submit.

In effect, if the author can’t figure out their process—in their logic—they aren’t the right person to work with a traditional publisher. ______

Notice what isn’t in either of those headings?

The quality of the book idea.

I’m not saying the book idea doesn’t matter. At some houses, book ideas still matter a lot. At others, not so much.

The thing that does matter to all editors at traditional houses is sales. They are under intense pressure to produce results—which for them, is book sales. This means they need to know you and your book can sell copies (so they don’t lose their job).

The point of a proposal is to show them you can sell copies, and show them that you understand how the traditional book publishing processes work so that you are a “safe” author for them to publish.

Like I said—there’s a logic to it. It’s just not a logic that is apparent at first glance.

How to Structure a Book Proposal

Every proposal has to have a standard set of sections, and then there are some that are optional. I’ll start with the “must haves” and then explain the “optionals.”

The Must Haves:

1. overview.

For most acquisition editors, this is a very important part of the proposal. This is the section where you lay out the basic idea of the book and discuss why people will want to buy it.

The biggest mistake that authors make in this section is talking a lot about the book idea, why they want to write it, or why they think people should want to read it. Again, that seems like the logical thing to do here, but it’s not the ideal approach.

The overview should only focus on the content of the book enough so that the editor understands what the book will say.

If you want to talk about the content a lot, that’s fine, but you must talk about it only in relation to the needs, problems, and desires of your audience.

In short— the editor does not care about your idea, or even your book. They only care about you, your idea, or your book in relation to the problem it solves for readers, and thus its commercial potential.

In effect, your book needs to answer the questions in the editor’s mind:

Why do people care what you have to say? Why will anyone care about this book? What need does it fulfill? What problem does it solve? Ultimately, why will people want to buy it?

In effect, think of the Overview as a sales letter. You are selling the editor on the idea that there are a lot of people who have an urgent problem your book will solve, and that they will see your book as the solution to that problem.

2. About the Author

The mistake authors make here is bragging or talking about themselves too much. Again, it seems natural to talk about yourself in the About the Author section, but again—that is wrong.

Everything you say about yourself should be framed from the perspective of why you’re the perfect person to write this book for your audience.

So yeah, you will talk a lot about yourself, but only in the context of the book. You can probably skip over the things you’ve done in your life that have nothing to do with the book, (unless they are really impressive, like winning an Olympic medal).

This is not a place to brag or carry on needlessly about yourself. That sends a negative signal to the editor that you aren’t spending enough time worrying about the reader and their needs.

3. Marketing Plan

This is it, the section that makes or breaks almost all book proposals. Lemme explain the dirty little secret about why this section—that didn’t used to be very important as recently as 30 or 40 years ago—has become so utterly crucial to book proposals:

Traditional publishing companies do not know how to sell books to readers, and they now rely on the author to do that crucial task.

This is why the marketing plan is so important.

The problem is that traditional publishing companies spent 100 years with one customer: bookstores. But the world changed, and they did not change with it.

No traditional publisher (with a few notable exceptions, like Hay House and Rodale and a few others) has any ability to sell directly to their readers. They don’t have meaningful email lists, engaged social followings, or any set group of people waiting to buy books they publish.

Because of this, the editors that work at traditional publishing houses are in a tough spot. They have to rely on the author to have an audience waiting to buy their book.

You see, the acquisition editor is putting their reputation and their job at stake every time they make an offer to an author. If they sign a lot of authors whose books sell well, they will be respected and secure in their job. If they don’t, they won’t.

Before the internet and Amazon, editors used to be able to invest smaller amounts of money in a lot of authors, and see who could develop an audience organically. This is because there was little competition in book publishing, so it was easy to make money.

But once anyone could self-publish and everyone had access to every book ever published, the game changed. Traditional publishers saw most of their easy profits siphoned away, and they were forced to scale down their publishing and focus only on the “big hit” books.

What this means for you is one thing:

Your book proposal must convince the editor and publisher that you have tens of thousands of people waiting to buy your book.

Many authors make the mistake of trying to argue that the potential market for the book is huge. That may even be true, but that’s not how editors look at it. Without an established platform, without a confirmed set of readers ready to buy the book, the risk for a traditional publisher is usually too high.

I’m not just saying this. Book agent Byrd Leavell says this (he’s repped several #1 New York Times bestselling authors who have sold tens of millions of books):

“Publishers aren’t buying anything that doesn’t come with a built in audience that is waiting to buy it. They don’t take risks anymore, they don’t gamble on authors, they only want sure things. I won’t even take an author out unless they have an audience that can guarantee 20k pre-sales to them.”

This is why, in my breakdown of who can get a traditional publishing deal , I am very clear they usually only go to a select group of people:

• Famous people like celebrities/athletes/musicians
• Well-known business people and politicians (sometimes)
• People with built-in audiences waiting to buy their book
• Topical books that hit on specific subject matter at a specific moment in time (like books about Trump during his presidency)

So what, exactly, should you put in the marketing section? Here is what the editor is looking for and what you’ll see in the examples I provide later on:

• All the metrics about your audience. How big is your email list, how many social media followers do you have, how big is your YouTube channel, what other forms of owned media do you have, etc.
• Your earned media presence. Where do you write or get regular coverage, how will this interact with the book, what your plan is to use traditional media, etc.
• Public appearances and speaking, including your upcoming speaking schedule, how many copies you plan to sell through speaking or appearances, anything like that.
• Organizations and memberships you belong to, and how they intend to help.
• Your network, and how you plan to use it. Who are you friends with, how have they committed to help you, what organizations are backing you, what will they do with the book, etc.
• Optional, but huge: If you have published a book in the past and it sold well, put those numbers here. If you had a book that did not sell well, then explain why it didn’t.

4. Chapter Description/Outline

This is pretty simple. You want to create a Table of Contents for your book, with a quick description of what will be in each chapter.

The important thing here is that you can show how your book idea flows from beginning to end.

The big mistake most authors make here is taking a deep dive into an explanation about what is in each chapter. Don’t do that. Remember, this is NOT an informational document, it’s a sales document.

You want each chapter description to be interesting and engaging on its own. This is not the Table of Contents that will go in your book. The chapter descriptions should be fun to read, full of open loops, engaging questions, interesting tidbits and assertions.

5. Sample Chapter

This is a pretty important part of most book proposals, but the importance varies. The better your marketing plan, the less this matters.

That being said, always give yourself the best shot by writing up the most engaging chapter. The one that you think the editor and readers will be most interested in? Put that in here.

The Optionals:

Media links.

Media links should also go here: a list of any significant media hits you have received. Don’t include lesser hits (blog posts, unknown publications, etc.), which can actually work against you by making your platform look unimpressive—only the significant ones.

Comparable Titles

Not all editors consider this optional, but I’ve sold many deals without this section. This is a section that can help a lot if your book has an unusual angle or different positioning. Editors are like sheep—they all want to follow a leader. So if your book isn’t falling into an obvious positioning slot, then give them a bunch of examples of books just like it that have succeeded.

Advance Praise/Influencer Quotes

Only use this if you have some really good quotes here. This section is perfect if you’re one of those people who have a ton of famous and noteworthy friends ready to go to bat for you, but no one in the general public knows who you are. Otherwise, you can skip this.

Target Audiences

The best way to talk about target audiences is in the narrative of the Overview, or in the marketing plan.

That being said, I see lots of book proposals with this in there. I don’t think it matters, but obviously some agents do. Put it in if you want, but I’ve never used it.

Examples of Successful Book Proposals

If you look on the internet, you will have a very hard time finding actual book proposals. I don’t know why people won’t post these, but it gets back to what I was talking about with elitism in publishing.

Below are some examples of real book proposals that have actually sold to major publishers. As you can see, not all of them are the same, and some even violate the rules I am giving you. Like I told you, this is a fluid thing with many “unwritten” rules, and in spaces like that, you can break those rules at times and in certain cases, but usually that doesn’t work well.

Six Figure Proposal:

Steve Sims Proposal :  This is the proposal for author Steve Sims that became the book that became  Bluefishing: The Art of Making Things Happen . We helped Steve write this proposal, and he got a low six-figure advance for it from an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

Seven Figure Proposal:

Mate Proposal (Tucker Max/Geoffrey Miller) : I wrote this proposal with Nils Parker, and it sold for low seven figures to Little, Brown. This book started off being called Mate: Become The Man Women Want , and the publisher changed the name to What Women Want for the paperback.

Quick Book Proposal Template

I am going to go the extra mile here and actually give you a template to use for your book proposal. This is a very basic template because most of the value in a book proposal comes in the copywriting and sales of the actual proposal.

Get the Scribe Book Proposal Template here.

Note: You can convert this template from Google Docs format to Microsoft Word by first clicking Make a Copy, then by clicking File > Download > Microsoft Word (.docx).

Traditional publishing isn’t the right option for most Authors. If you’re serious about self-publishing your book and you’re ready to get started, schedule a consultation to speak with one of our Author Strategists. Scribe has helped over 2,000 Authors publish their books—we can help you too.

The Scribe Crew

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How to Write a Winning Proposal Cover Letter (Plus 5 Real Examples)

First impressions are important—especially in the world of proposals.

That’s why writing a good cover letter is an essential step towards winning a bid. In the request for proposal (RFP) process, this single-page letter marks your first opportunity to grab a prospect’s attention and make it clear that your company is uniquely positioned to solve their problem. So if you’re currently using boilerplate copy… Stop. Immediately .

In this blog, you’ll learn how to write custom proposal cover letters that grab a prospect’s attention and increase your chances of winning RFP responses . Plus, five examples of real proposal cover letters from industry pros.

In this article, you’ll learn: 

What is a Proposal Cover Letter?

• What to Include in a Proposal Cover Letter
• How to Write a Proposal Cover Letter
• 5 Real Proposal Cover Letter Examples ⭐

Next Steps: Build Quality Proposals Faster

A proposal cover letter is a single-page document used to pitch your business offerings to a potential client. In it, the customer can tell whether you’re genuinely engaged and have done your research—or if you’ve simply copy and pasted generic language from past business proposals.

It’s also your first opportunity to convince a client to why they should continue reading your proposal. Considering the average team spends 32 hours writing a single RFP response , it’s critical that your proposal cover letter makes a good impression.

“This is the most important five paragraphs one can write as it’s the only part everyone will read. You must knock it out of the park or you’ll lose.”

What Should You Include in a Proposal Cover Letter?

Like any good cover letter, your proposal should open with a unique offer or positioning. It’s important to establish early on why your team is best suited to solve a client’s problem.

A strong proposal cover letter includes:

• A greeting : Introduce your company and what you do.
• Clear summary: Describe your value propositions at a high-level. Be sure to connect these points to your client’s needs. ( Also known as an executive summary. )
• Personalized offer: Explain to the client what you can uniquely provide to solve their problem.
• Relevant references: Help the prospect understand why they should choose you over competitors.
• Visuals: If you have a designer on your team, include visuals that help emphasize the most important content on this page. For example, use callout boxes to make value propositions stand out for busy procurement teams who are skimming the page.

From the offer you present, to the visuals you include, the details in your proposal cover letter should be all about the client. The goal is to show how your company shines before they even get into the details of your proposal. Demonstrate the qualities that you bring to this potential customer by starting out your relationship on the right foot.

Jon Williams, Managing Director of Strategic Proposals , shares the key points you should concisely hit to be successful.

“Thank the customer, show enthusiasm, demonstrate senior sponsorship, briefly introduce win themes–and then shut up and leave the rest to a brilliant exec summary!”

How to Write a Winning Proposal Cover Letter

From reading the RFP thoroughly, to outlining a clear offer, there are six critical steps that seasoned proposal professionals recommend you take to craft a quality cover letter. ( Psst…you can fast-track these steps by using AI for proposal writing . )

Step 1: Read the RFP Cover to Cover

This step seems obvious, but it’s surprising how many teams skip it. You must read the RFP thoroughly, from cover to cover, before beginning your letter.

While reading, take note of any recurring themes from your prospect. Perhaps they focus on quality of design and ease of use. Or maybe they emphasize needing certain functionalities or features—whatever the case, Kori Warriner of KCI Technologies recommends you consider the following questions as you read through the request for proposal:

Questions to consider:

• What is the client’s reason behind the project? (revitalization, aging infrastructure, etc.)
• ​​Where is the funding for the project coming from?
• Does the client have any hot-button issues regarding the project?
• What is the desired end-result?
• What would speak to the client? (retirement-friendly, aesthetics, budget, etc.)

“You need to make the client feel as though you are speaking directly to them.”

While questions may differ by industry, the idea remains the same. Reading the RFP thoroughly helps you better understand the problems your prospect is facing. Which in turn help you paint a clearer picture of how your company can support them.

(It can also help spark ideas for win themes, or specific language, that truly resonates with the prospect—more on that later.)

“Instead of saying ‘we are pleased’ or other overused statements such as that, I introduce my company, and then switch back to talking about what we can do to help the client reach their goals,” Kori explains.

Step 2: Capture Your Prospect’s Attention Early

Chances are, your prospect is extremely busy. They’re likely to skim your proposal cover letter—which is why you should focus on making it memorable. Use it to create a connection to your prospect and capture their attention early in the proposal.

In the structure of a proposal , the first paragraph is the best place to earn your reader’s attention, shares Senior Proposal Consultant Kelly Allen.

“Try to capture the reader in the first paragraph by relating to them in some way. If they are a current client, leverage your relationship. If not, demonstrate a clear understanding of what they need.” Kelly Allen, Senior Proposal Consultant, UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group)

Step 3: Use Clear, Competitive Win Themes

Once you identify their distinct needs, you can formulate which key themes need to be identified in your cover letter. Then, narrow it down to the most persuasive reasons that your prospect should choose your proposal over a competitor. Eileen Kent, President of Custom Keynotes, explains that these are also known as “ win themes ”.

Win themes should be based on what the customer told you they wanted. Position yourself as the one company that can deliver exactly what your prospect is looking for. To do this well, it’s essential that you also understand what your competition is doing.

Here’s how to brush up on what your competitors are offering:

• Review competitors’ websites
• Read competitors’ financial statements
• Look at review websites like G2 or Forrester reports including your competition
• Ask if clients are willing to share competitors’ past RFPs (You never know, unless you ask)

At this stage, you’ll want to focus on how you can stand out from the competition. Eileen also recommends acknowledging any elephants in the room. By that, she means anything that the client may consider your team’s weakness.

She recommends addressing weak points head on to leave a good impression, “The elephant in the room could be your business size. Address it by talking about how you formed a tight team who have exceeded performance expectations, and worked together for years, so they see that as a strength instead,” she explains.

Step 4: Provide a Personalized Offer

Now that you’ve grabbed your prospect’s attention, you need to maintain it. Do this by outlining clear benefits, which speak directly to their pain points in an enticing and clear way.

You should outline how your product will positively impact the buyer and identify what they will get out of your partnership.

“Choose the top 3-5 features of your solution and describe how they will benefit your customer in a single line. Be direct: Here’s what we offer. Here’s how it will solve your problem.”

Step 5: Use a Strong Closing Statement

Your closing statement should be concise, reiterate your capabilities, and highlight the value you deliver. But don’t forget that it’s also an opportunity to connect with your prospect through the proposal process.

“To build a connection, you have to ignore outdated writing advice and not be afraid to use real language” says Rebecca Baumgartner, Sr. Manager, Proposals, PFS .

“Whoever is reading your cover letter can immediately tell if you’re hiding behind jargon or parroting the language of the RFP because you don’t understand what they need,” she explains.

“But when you write authentically, you have the opportunity to show the client you’ve been listening.”

“A great cover letter isn’t stuffy or formal–it’s a conversation between real people, a chance to put aside the technical language of procurement and connect with the human being on the other side.”

Step 6: Add the Finishing Touches

When crafting your proposal cover letter, there are a few final checkpoints to leave your prospect with a good impression.

Graphics aren’t necessary for a proposal cover letter, but they can be helpful. For example: highlighting a quote from a customer in a different font, or using callout boxes to emphasize your key value propositions. Use visuals that help to emphasize your main points, not distract from them.

Here’s what Izane Cloete-Hamilton, CPP APMP, of nFold recommends.

• Use a company letterhead
• Address the letter to the individual specified in the RFP
• Sign the cover letter from a senior person at your company
• If the response is from a strategic partnership between two companies, use dual signatures
• Ensure your letter is no longer than one page

“Sign the proposal cover letter from the highest-level person with signature authority, preferably someone that the customer knows personally.”

Proposal Cover Letters (5 Real Templates)

Now that you know what steps to follow, it’s time to look at some real examples of business proposal cover letters. While you don’t want to copy a boilerplate letter, these templates may provide helpful guidance for your next proposal.

Here are the types of proposal cover letter examples you’ll see above:

• Real proposal cover letter example from a security company
• Example proposal cover letter for an amusement park
• Real proposal letter & executive summary from an enterprise design consultancy
• Winning cover letter example from KCI technologies
• Another proposal cover letter example from a security company

Looking for a sample grant proposal cover letter? Check out this article .

“Remember, your cover letter isn’t about you, it’s about your client. Let them know that you understand them. Then you can talk about how your company can solve their potential challenge.”

To make more time for writing winning proposal cover letters, you’ll need to make some efficiency gains in your overall RFP process. Start by setting your team up with a proposal software that can improve speed and collaboration amongst your team.

Take Aspen Medical for example. Their business development team started using Loopio’s proposal platform in October of 2019. Within a few short months, they were putting together proactive proposals in just 15-30 minutes and seeing a big return on investment (ROI).

In fact, a survey of 165 companies RFP ROI found that those who consistently use proposal software have achieved results of:

• 51% more RFP responses
• 42% less time spent answering proposal questions
• 85% of companies win more business

If you’re looking to improve the pace of your next proposal, try Loopio’s software.

Improve Your Proposal Writing 📝

Want to learn how to master your craft? Read more about proposal writing skills or how to craft a repeatable RFP response template .

Related posts

The best proposal software for 2024 (top four tools), the raci chart: how to respond faster to security questionnaires, 51 fascinating rfp statistics on the state of bidding in 2023.

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How To Write a Covering Letter

Literary agents will read the manuscript you send, and some the synopsis, but all will read the covering letter. Writing an effective one may take you a long time, but it is well worth the trouble. 

The whole thing should:

• Be well written – you are writing to people who care about words
• Be concise (don’t waste their time; you want to direct them to the manuscript rather than tell them everything about you). One side of the page is plenty
• Look attractive (it is the spaces on a page that draw the eye in, not the text, so paragraphs of different lengths and a ragged right-hand margin really help to attract the reader and keep them going)
• Be knowledgeable about the agency 
• Begin well (according to David Ogilvy, the copywriting guru, the first 11 words are crucial)
• Describe the project briefly (in no more than two or three sentences) so that the reader is clear about what kind of book is on offer, and wants to know more
• Never say at the end of the letter that you’ll telephone in a few days to follow up your submission – it sounds rather menacing (but do email to check on progress if you haven’t heard anything in a month or so).

Some agents and publishers acknowledge what they receive; others do not. Do bear in mind that some small agencies or publishers only deal with the unsolicited submission pile every few weeks, and so the waiting time may be slightly longer.

An agent’s advice

Here is the advice of  literary agent Simon Trewin on writing an introductory letter:

" Life is short and less is more. No letter should be more than one side of A4 and in a good-sized (12pt) clear typeface.

Sell yourself. The covering letter is one of the most important pages you will ever write. I will be honest here and say I find selling myself very difficult, so I can see how tricky this is – there is a thin line between appearing interesting/switched-on/professional and arrogant/unreasonable.

The letters that include phrases like “I am a genius and the world doesn't understand me” or “My Mum thinks this book is the best thing she has ever read” (of course she does – that is her job!) don’t exactly fill my heart with longing! In your pitch letter you are trying to achieve some simple things: you want me to feel that you take your work seriously. Wear your writing history with pride. Tell me about that short story you had published or that writing course you attended and the fact that you are writing alongside a demanding job or in the evenings and weekends when the kids are asleep. Tell me why you write – I love hearing about the different paths that have led people to the moment when they think “I want to write”.

Tell me who your influences are and tell me about the book you are sending me. A few lines will do the job here; I just want to get a sense of the territory I am going to enter. Tell me what you want to write next. Hopefully you won’t be following your commercial romantic comedy with a three-volume science fantasy epic or vice-versa!

At the end of your letter I want to feel in good company and ready to turn the page. I am not interested in seeing what you look like or how old you are – we are not running a model agency here! Publishing isn’t as obsessed with age and beauty as you might think, but it is obsessed with finding distinctive new voices. And a final point: get a friend to read the letter and give you some honest feedback. Put it to one side for a day or two and come back to it – distance is a great editor. "

Simon Trewin

Case Study. The Night Attila Died: Solving the Murder of Attila the Hun by Dr Michael Babcock  

Dear [Literary Agent]:

I am seeking representation for a non-fiction book entitled The Night Attila Died: Solving an Ancient Murder Mystery. I am a college professor with a PhD in medieval languages and literature from the University of Minnesota and a MFA in Creative Writing from the University of North Carolina. [1]

Historians tell us that Attila the Hun died on his wedding night in 453 AD. Drunk and flat on his back, he died of natural causes – an internal haemorrhage. The only problem with this account (and it’s a big one) is that it’s a complete fabrication. The Night Attila Died challenges 1,500 years of history by presenting evidence that Attila was murdered and that the truth was covered up in the official imperial records. [2]

The events and characters are among the most interesting that history has ever assembled on one stage. There’s Aetius, the ruthless Roman general and boyhood friend of Attila who defeated the Hun in a decisive battle in Gaul. There’s the weak and stupid emperor, Valentinian III, who pulled a dagger from his robe and assassinated Aetius in a jealous rage. There’s the emperor’s older sister, Honoria, who secretly plotted to wrest power from her brother and managed to start a world war in the process. [3]

In the eastern Empire, the characters are just as colourful: Emperor Theodosius II, a weak ruler who bungled the first assassination plot against Attila, and Emperor Marcian, whom I accuse of masterminding the plot that finally destroyed the Empire’s greatest enemy. Throw in, for good measure, a scheming eunuch and a pathetic little dwarf named Zerko. It’s a great set of characters. [4]

But what the book is really about is philology. The textual science pioneered two centuries ago by the Brothers Grimm is the tool that lets us peel away layers of conspiracy and propaganda. Through the philological method we can reconstruct what really happened and how the conspiracy to kill Attila was covered up as official history. Chapter by chapter the reader participates in the detective work. In the end the threads of an ancient conspiracy are revealed and the verdict of history is overturned. [5]

There’s more at stake than just a good detective story. This is ultimately about what happens when two cultures with irreconcilable worldviews collide. It’s how we confront the Other with all the power of the sword and pen. What emerges from these violent confrontations is a skewed understanding of the past. We may call it history, but it’s often just propaganda. The Night Attila Died is rooted in the historical moment of the late Roman Empire, but the conclusions I draw are deeply connected to our own time. [6]

My publications to date are academic, in particular a book on the literary representations of Attila. I am uniquely qualified to write The Night Attila Died, having spent 15 years studying the historical and literary records as preserved in Latin, Greek, Old Church Slavonic, Old Icelandic, Old French, and Middle High German. (But that isn’t keeping me from writing a lively narrative!) I am recognised as an expert in this field and have consulted for a History Channel documentary on “famous deaths”. As an enthusiastic and dynamic speaker who speaks widely at conferences, I intend to promote the book aggressively. [7]

May I send you a full proposal with a sample chapter? [8]

Michael A Babcock, PhD

Commentary (keyed to the paragraph numbers)

[1] Direct introduction. No beating around the bush. No ‘clever’ attempt to hook the agent. Identify the type of book it is. Briefly identify yourself and your credentials.

[2] The hook. What’s unique about this book? Why should the agent keep reading the query letter?

[3] What you’re trying to demonstrate in the body of the letter is your style, your personality, and the ‘interest factor’ of the subject itself.

[4] With carefully selected details, you can pique the interest of the agent. Agents and editors love books – that’s why they do what they do. So show them what the pay-off will be for reading this book. You are also conveying the depth of the subject and your expert handle on the material.

[5] Establish the significance of the topic and its relevance. Establish points of contact with general knowledge (the Brothers Grimm).

[6] Again, this draws out the significance and timeliness of the subject – that is, you’re trying to answer the ‘So what?’ question.

[7] Return to your credentials and qualifications as to why you're the best person to be writing this book. 

[8] End with a direct, unambiguous appeal that requests a specific follow-up action.  

How it worked

‘This letter was sent out by e-mail to agents and out of the ten I submitted to, I heard back from nine and all nine wanted to see the full proposal. Of these nine I had three agents who were interested in representing the project and one, in particular, who pursued it aggressively. This agent called me up and expressed such enthusiasm for the concept and my writing style, that I felt he was the natural choice. Even though there were better known agents who were interested in the project, I opted for the lesser known agent on the theory that he was highly motivated to sell my book. The book sold in less than a month. There were three editors who were interested in making an offer on the book; in the end it came down to two and the higher bid won out. As a side note, the book sold on the strength of the formal proposal and a single sample chapter. The book was sold in December 2003 and submitted in final form to my editor in July 2004. It was published in July 2005 by Berkley Books.’

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5 Simple Steps to Writing a Better Proposal Cover Letter

From getting the prospect’s attention to showing you have the right solution, your proposal’s cover letter has a big job to do. I’m breaking down 15 examples to show you how to create your most persuasive cover letter ever, one that makes prospects excited to read on and sign on the dotted line.

11 min. read

Proposal cover letters.

Does that phrase strike fear in your heart? Or at least give you some anxiety?

From job applications to business proposals, writing a good cover letter, executive summary, or some other introduction isn’t easy.

So, this post will give you an easy-to-follow five-step process to create a killer CUSTOMIZED cover letter for every proposal you send out.

A proposal cover letter is important. It’s your proposal’s first impression with your prospect. It sets the tone, for better or for worse. And writing it can sometimes provide clarity on what should or shouldn’t be included in your proposal.

It shouldn’t be something you slap together before moving on to the ‘meat’ of the proposal or a dull fill-in-the-blank exercise that ends up sounding more canned than Campbell’s.

No more chunky and clunky cover letters.

But, at the same time, you can’t spend hours upon hours crafting a bespoke one. You have a deal waiting on that proposal to get done.

So, what you need is a good writing formula.

I’m borrowing from the outline that my colleague Jennifer set out in her proposal executive summary post . She knows what’s up, having written dozens of cover letters/executive summaries during her time in the digital agency world.

If you’re looking for the why and when, plus some dos and don’ts, of writing one of these bad boys, be sure to check out her post.

Now, let’s dive into the who, what, where, and how here, including some examples.

Executive summary vs. cover letter

What do these phrases actually mean?

It’s tricky because the terms ‘executive summary’ and ‘cover letter’ are sometimes used interchangeably in the world of proposals.

I mean, I just used both in the intro to this very post.

Me taking a photo of the culprit.

You might also hear other terms, like overview or introduction, being tossed around for this piece of proposal writing. But rest assured we’re all talking about the same thing.

Technically, there is some nuance to how each of these sections function in a B2B proposal.

First, a proposal cover letter and an executive summary have some things in common:

• They should appear at the beginning of your proposal.
• They should be one page long, maximum.
• They should be prospect-focused.
• They should NOT be overly sales-y or pitchy.
• They should NOT be a detailed rehash of the entire proposal.
• They should get the recipient excited to read on.

Now, here’s where they differ.

What is a proposal cover letter?

A proposal cover letter:

• Is more conversational.
• Is formatted as a letter with salutation and sign-off.
• Doesn’t contain strategy or execution.
• Can be more persuasive (like how a cover letter for a job mentions why you’re the best person for it).

What is a proposal executive summary?

A proposal executive summary:

• May be formatted as a statement.
• Tells the story of how you provide solutions for your clients and the impact (evidence) of your solutions.
• Stays quite high-level.

Sometimes a prospect will specify that your proposal should include one or the other or both, like when you’re responding to an RFP . However, if there are no client specifications it’s up to you which one you include, how you write and structure it, and what you want to label that section in your proposal document.

Okay, now let’s get writing—with some examples to help you visualize the steps and tips.

How to write a cover letter for your proposal in 5 simple steps

One of the hardest aspects of writing a cover letter is including all the information you want to convey while keeping it as brief as possible and being compelling or even entertaining at the same time.

It’s okay. Here’s how to achieve all that in just five steps.

Step 1: Get their attention Step 2: Show you understand the challenge Step 3: Show you have the right solution Step 4: Show your work Step 5: Tell them what’s next

Step 1: Get their attention

“Snoozefest Co. is excited to submit this proposal to you.”

Are they though?

It reads more like this to a prospective client: “Snoozefest Co. is going through the motions in this proposal intro so we can cash your cheque.”

This is the very first thing the prospect will read in your business proposal! It needs to grab some attention.

Here are some examples of more impactful ways to open your cover letter.

Cover Letter Example 1 - Business consulting

Cover Letter Example 2 - Electrical

Cover Letter Example 3 - Public relations

Why these examples work

They put the focus on the client.

Congratulate them on a recent (relevant) company achievement. Show that you get what it’s like to be in their shoes . Offer up a fun fact or industry statistic that signals you’re already thinking about their market niche.

They build curiosity.

Segue your way to success. Each of these first paragraph examples creates build-up, curiosity, and excitement for what the prospect will read next and throughout the rest of the proposal. Ask a question. Don’t give away all the answers just yet. (what is the “light at the end of the tunnel”?)

They start to allude to the pain point.

You’ll go more in-depth into the challenges you’re solving in the next few paragraphs but it’s good to get it out there up top. It could be more explicit, like in example 1 (how to go from good to great when you’re already at capacity), or it could be more subtle, like how the specific mention of “heritage home” starts to set up the challenge in example 2.

Step 2: Show you understand the challenge

Sometimes when we write, we gloss over the pain point. It can be awkward to write about the challenges someone is facing in their professional life; you don’t want to suggest they don’t know what they’re doing or they’re not good at their job.

In a cover letter, though, it’s essential to dig into the ‘pain point’ they’re feeling in order to close the deal. Showing you understand the obstacles they’re facing is the best way to position your company as the only solution to their challenges. (See Step 3.)

But avoid any urge to make it about you. It can come off as “Look how smart I am!” Again, turn it back to the prospect. A good way to do this is to make sure you use the word ‘you’ more than ‘I’ or ‘we’ in this section.

Cover Letter Example 4 - Legal services

Cover Letter Example 5 - SaaS/Social

Cover Letter Example 6 - Insurance

Why these examples work:

They say what the prospect is likely thinking.

Show you understand all aspects of the prospect’s challenge by bringing up objections before they have a chance to, and then knock them down. Legal advice is too expensive and complicated? Not when you partner with us!

They’re complimentary.

Butter your prospect up a bit. They’re not experiencing these challenges that you understand so well because they’re bad at their jobs. No, maybe it’s just a resourcing issue! Like in Example 5, you can position your team as the experts who take challenging tasks off people’s plates.

They show off the benefits of doing business with an expert.

Give them peace of mind. You’ve done this before and this isn’t your first rodeo. You see and understand the full challenge so you can help clients avoid problems before they crop up.

Step 3: Show you have the right solution

Okay, NOW you can talk about yourself. With a few cautions:

• Keep it relevant. Your company’s Best Float win at the local parade is cool and all but now’s not the time.
• Keep it concise. It’s time to ‘elevator pitch’ your solution.
• And keep it upbeat without overhyping. You want your solution to sound attractive, but don’t write cheques with your cover letter that the rest of the proposal can’t cash.

Cover Letter Example 7 - Solar

Cover Letter Example 8 - Web design

Cover Letter Example 9 - PR

They keep things high-level

No need to outline the eight different ways you’ll test their website or every single PR tactic you’ll use. This isn’t a book report on your proposal.

They still stay specific.

“Public relations...creates and maintains your public image, and positions you as a leader in your industry” is better than “we make you look good”.

But notice that these examples don’t use jargon. If a jargon-y phrase is used, like responsive design, it’s immediately explained in a non-technical way. Stick to plain language like this, unless you cater to a highly-specialized specialized audience that will understand acronyms and look for that industry-insider lingo.

They show how you’re putting everything on the table.

Look at how these cover letters talk about the sales document they’re about to read over. For example, the proposal is not just a package; it’s a “comprehensive package”.

It’s the difference between presenting the proposal as ‘here’s some info’ and ‘we’re presenting you with all the details, including facts and figures’. Let the reader know that your proposal gives them everything they need to make an informed decision.

Step 4: Show your work

Time for a not-so-humble humblebrag .

Maybe it’s a team skill set you’re known for. Or some original research you’ve done that would resonate with this prospect.

You could showcase how your company is a power-player in your niche via previous work you’re especially proud of or awards you’ve received. Or give a quick preview of your proprietary process.

Basically, the information you include in this paragraph should provide an answer to the question on every prospect’s mind: why should they work with you ?

Cover Letter Example 10 - Exterior pressure washing

Cover Letter Example 11 - Content marketing

Cover Letter Example 12 - Construction

They give the references some ‘meat’.

If you’re talking about existing customers, don’t just name drop. Highlight some impressive outcomes you’ve achieved for them as well. For example, they didn’t just construct a building at NYU, it’s an award-winning building they built at NYU.

They cite the facts.

If there’s a specific accreditation that clients will need to know about (i.e.: are you licensed, bonded, board-approved, etc.?), now’s the time to mention it. Basically, anything that would differentiate you from competitors. In a market dominated by big national brands? Talk about how your business is family-run. Or vice-versa.

They go granular but don’t get into the nitty-gritty.

Again, be as specific as possible without going into too much detail.

Talking about “our process” is okay. But “Our four-step process” is an ideal amount of information for the purposes of this cover letter since you’re going to explain the steps later on in the proposal.

Step 5: Tell them what’s next

Your sales team wouldn’t end a sales call without discussing next steps. Your proposal cover letter is no different.

The closing is your chance to set expectations, either for the prospect or yourself. Don’t forget that you have to keep your end of the bargain. If your cover letter says you’ll follow up with them in a certain amount of time, for Pete Campbell’s sake, do it.

(Bonus: If you’re using proposal software, you’ll be notified when your prospect opens your proposal so you can perfectly time your follow up.)

Cover Letter Example 13 - Construction

Cover Letter Example 14 - Financial Services

Cover Letter Example 15 - Public Relations

They show how the vendor and the prospect together.

Why will this specific partnership work? You’ve talked about them, you’ve talked about yourself, now it’s time to talk about why you’ll go together like a square-hole colander and quinoa. (A square shape keeps the round grains from falling through while you’re rinsing it. Obviously.)

They ask for the sale.

You’ve refrained from selling throughout this cover letter. Now’s the time to ask for the close. Don’t shy away from presuming that you’ll be the winning proposal, that you “hope” they’ll pick you.

They talk about the next steps.

What literally happens next? Should they sign now? Will you be meeting to walk through the proposal before a signature is expected? Are you going to follow up with them? Let the reader know what’s expected of them and what they should expect from you.

A quick caveat before you rush off to write your proposal

There you have it. And now you just plug these pieces into your cover letter and copy these examples word for word and…

Not so fast.

The 15 example snippets above are all pulled from our proposal templates , all written by professional writers. Templates and samples like these are amazing starting points. But they aren’t the end-all, be-all.

Notice that all these samples are written in a slightly different voice? How you word your proposal if you’re in legal or financial services might be different than how you would write one in the marketing industry or the world of pressure washing.

And how YOU word your proposal should be consistent with your brand voice, including language, tone, and style . The information you include should speak to YOUR ideal customer. Remember, the cover letter is your proposal’s first opportunity to persuade your prospect that you’re the best choice to hire.

Conversions don’t come from canned, uncustomized content. Use these steps and examples as the catalyst for your own authentic version of a pitch-perfect cover letter for your proposal.

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Writing Query Letters and Book Proposals

by Carrie Cantor | Dec 5, 2019 | Book Marketing and Publishing

Big 5 Publishers and Imprints

Today’s book publishing market is tighter than ever. Ongoing consolidation within the publishing industry has meant that there are fewer major houses to submit to. Since 2013, the industry has been known for the so-called Big 5 publishers all headquartered in New York City— Penguin Random House (by far the largest), HarperCollins , Hachette Livre , Macmillan , and Simon & Schuster . All have imprints that were originally individual houses, and a strikeout at one of the subsidiaries may limit a writer’s opportunities to submit the same manuscript to the other imprints under the same corporate publishing umbrella.

Together, the Big 5 represent roughly 80% of all trade publishing in the U.S. Over the years, an increasing focus on the needs of shareholders has turned the mentality of the publishing industry into something more corporate than literary, with an eye toward blockbusters and less willingness to take chances on “midlist” books. Nevertheless, some lesser-known authors do break through. If you hope to be among them, it is essential that your book be exceptionally engaging and that it speak to a current interest or trend.

Do You Need an Agent?

The short answer is yes. If you can get one, you really do have a leg up . The Big 5 and most of the mid-sized publishers rely almost entirely on either agents or their own editors’ connections in the literary world. They don’t take direct submissions from the general public. The agents act as gate-keepers, weeding out the higher quality manuscripts from the others, and the publishers appreciate their role. So, your first task is to find an agent who falls in love with your book and/or believes it has commercial potential.

When you attempt to enter the literary world to make your pitch, it is essential that you do it right. Your query letter and your book proposal are your vehicles for making your case.

Your Query Letter as Initial Contact

In the old days, authors often sent their manuscripts to agents “over the transom,” but that is no longer the practice. Today, you send a query letter via email to introduce yourself and your book in order to find out if the agent has any interest. If so, they will ask you for a proposal and possibly for your full manuscript, usually as an attached Word document or pdf.

Your query letter should be addressed to a specific person (not “To whom it may concern” or “Dear Sir/Madam”), and you should know something about this person and what he or she has done. Be sure to peruse each agency’s website, as well as the particular agent’s profile, so you can say something that shows that you know to whom you are writing. Look at the books they have represented and try to find some link to your book, if possible.

The query letter should be no more than a page long. It should give a sense of what the book is about—in one sentence, if possible—and make any relevant comparisons to what is currently popular. It should answer the question Why will this book sell? It should also say something about you as an author—your writing experience, your platform, and your ability to market the book. Keep in mind that publishers (and therefore, agents) are most interested in whether the book will sell. Publishing is about the bottom line. Sad, perhaps, but true.

Without being too cute, try to show something about your personality or the tone of your book. Provide a brief synopsis of your book and, if possible, compare it to other books that have been successful and whose audience might be attracted to your book.

It goes without saying that the query letter must be thoroughly professional and contain no mistakes. It is essential to have a professional publishing industry professional advise you on content and then have a copy editor check the letter for errors. You, as author, are much too close to it to be objective.

If you are writing directly to a publisher (many small publishers accept direct submissions), your letter should show familiarity with the press’s list and address how your manuscript is suitable for it. Be sure to read the submission instructions posted on the company website, since they might have particular requirements—for example, some take submissions only at certain times of the year.

Query Letter Example

Following is an example of a query letter from someone who is not a famous or highly experienced writer but who shows a certain level of sophistication. A letter like this would likely get due consideration from an agent because it touches all the bases.

Dear Ms. Agent, What happens when a Nigerian dog-walker in Brooklyn Heights who is trying to find a way to stay in the U.S. strikes up a friendship with a married Orthodox Jew mired in doubts about his faith and beginning to suspect he’s an alcoholic? The answer is a good deal of family drama but ultimately a reckoning about values and a meeting of minds and souls. [BOOK TITLE] is a work that explores intense emotions but also contains comic moments, taut scenes, and crisp dialogue—an unconventional romance that will resonate especially with millennials.

[Skip with pleasantries. Grab the agent’s attention by getting right to the essence of the story and making it sound unique and exciting. Make the agent think, Oh, I must take a peak at this, no matter how busy they are. Most attractive will be a story that speaks to current trends; in this example, there are several—a non-European culture, religious questioning, biracial coupling, and addiction.

Next, you might want to include a beautifully constructed sentence or two from the novel to show off your stellar writing or a particular moment of intrigue.]

I wrote this 80,000-word novel while on a writing retreat in Massachusetts. It grows out of my experience working for twenty years in several African capitals with the U.S. State Department. [BOOK TITLE] began taking shape as part of a writing workshop that I co-lead in Washington, D.C. Further, I am currently celebrating my sixteenth year of sobriety, and so I can speak with compassion and first-hand knowledge about the addiction element of the story. I am currently an active mentor to others in the addiction community and regularly co-lead meetings. My work involves regular speaking engagements throughout the country and brings me in touch with…

[Use the paragraph above as a model but, of course, fill in information that is true for you and shows off your experience in the world and in the field of writing as well as your personal connection to the themes in the story, if there is one.]

I see that you represent [TITLE A] and [TITLE B] in recent years and have an interest in novels that are both of high literary quality and tell a gripping story, often about clashes between cultures. I respect your standing in the industry and would be honored if you would consider representing my book. My own literary heroes include those such as [FAMOUS AUTHOR A] and [FAMOUS AUTHOR B] [name some writers you try to emulate], whose writing styles are quirky and insightful, who say so much with few words. [Modify this to reflect your own preferences in literary style.] I see my novel fitting on the shelf with the likes of … [name two or three books that are somewhat similar to yours.] I have numerous ideas for marketing the book thanks to help from several book-marketing specialists with whom I am consulting. My story will lend itself well to a video trailer. I regularly blog about writing issues and post often on GoodReads as part of a women’s literary group and on several LinkedIn groups related to writing. I post short stories and poems on my website, and my analytics show a growing audience every month. As a former member of the D.C. Council on Economic Development, I have connections with local media and know the owners of several bookstores in the metropolitan area.

[The goal in the paragraph above is to show some familiarity with the process of marketing a book and creating a platform. Play up your connections with the world around you and demonstrate savvy.]

I have included the first chapter of [BOOK TITLE] at the end of this letter. I’d be happy to send you the proposal and the full manuscript upon request. Best regards,

How to Write a Book Proposal

If you make a good impression with your query letter, you will be asked for a book proposal. This twenty- to thirty-page document is much more detailed and usually includes at least one sample chapter of your book. It must have a one- or two-page overview of the book, a chapter-by-chapter synopsis, an author bio section, an analysis of the audience for the book, and marketing and promotion sections. Include a sample chapter¬—usually the best choice is the first chapter, and it should be engaging right from the start.

The overview is similar to the query letter but provides more detail: what the book is about, what’s unique about it, what you the author bring to it, and why this book is needed now.

For a nonfiction book, the overview is generally going to be longer and will include information about the specific market that will find the book useful. So, for example, if it’s a book about a new method of smoking cessation, the overview would include statistics on the number of smokers in the country and in the world, how many try to quit each year, what percentage quit and then take it up again within a year, etc.

If the book is a novel, the overview would talk about its genre (mystery, romance, literary) and subgenre (cozy mystery, historical romance, dystopian) and any particular topics that the novel includes, such as adoption or southern Florida, that might have an appeal to certain groups. The overview tries to lay out the case for why the book is needed, why the book is excellent, why the book will sell. The focus is not only on the book but also on the wider world and cultural trends.

The chapter-by-chapter synopsis should provide a sense of the narrative arc, characters, and basic plot points of the story. Typically, you would write up a paragraph or two for each chapter. Make sure the writing in the synopsis is of high quality to reflect the writing in the book.

The author bio should include the author’s location; educational and professional credentials; previously published books or articles; participation in a writer-in-residence program; writing awards; social media following; connection to specific group(s) that might buy the book; media connections; speaking engagements past and future; and lastly, some personal details.

Audience Analysis

It is important to show an awareness that you are not writing alone at your desk into a void but rather that you have a sense of who you are writing for. Agents/editors don’t want to hear “My book is great!”; rather, they want to hear, “I know exactly which group of people will buy this book!” For nonfiction books, the audience will tend to be obvious.

For fiction books, you want to talk about your genre and subgenre and show familiarity with current trends within them, in terms of subject matter or style or both. Ideally, if your audience is easy to target, easy to find, easy to sell to, you will have a real advantage. Don’t try to make the argument that your book “is for everyone,” because no one can find “everyone” to sell to. But if your market is, say, reptile-enthusiasts, well, those are people who read reptile-focused publications, visit reptile-themed websites, go to reptile conventions, and might be found at the pet store or at the zoo. And the audience will easily stumble upon the book when they type “reptiles” into the Amazon search box. Ideally, you want to show there’s an audience and that it is identifiable and reachable.

Part of the audience analysis should include a list of books similar to yours that have sold well in recent years. The point to make is that people who bought these books are likely to be interested in your book as well. Do a brief analysis comparing your book to each of these similar books, emphasizing how your book takes another view of a controversy or expands on a conversation, to show that your book is needed and will be attractive to this audience. (Obviously, this discussion is more relevant for nonfiction books.)

Marketing and Promotion

If you already have a marketing platform to boast about (say, you are a sought-after speaker, the mayor of a town, a newspaper columnist), you are ahead of the game and should detail how your platform will help you market the book. If your platform is a minor one (say, you have a blog with a decent number of followers), then you need to detail actions you are taking to broaden your platform and show how you will use it to market your book. If you don’t have a platform—and most writers don’t—it’s essential to at least show that you are not naïve about marketing and that you are aware of how much work you will need to do and that you already have some ideas and plans in the works. Don’t just throw out generalities, like “I will make myself available to local media for interviews.” Say specifically who you think would interview you and why they would do so and who their market is. The more specific, the better.

If you have the budget for it, hire a book-marketing consultant and pick that person’s brain for ideas you can use to beef up the marketing section of your proposal. If you don’t have the budget, spend some hours using the internet to see how other people who have marketed books similar to yours have gone about it.

Help from a Book Editor with Publishing Experience

Your query letter and book proposal are your selling documents. If they are not stellar, your book will not even be considered for publication. These documents represent the first impression you will make on agents and/or acquiring editors, so they must showcase your writing abilities and convince these key people that your book has something to offer the current market. You want your first contact to do the best possible job of convincing them to read your manuscript.

The published writers and professional book editors at Book Editing Associates can help you write or revise query letters for both fiction and nonfiction books. Don’t wing it with something so important. You’ll never have another chance to make a first impression. If you believe in your book, give it the very best shot by working with experts in the field.

Recent Posts

• 9 Writing Tips For Novelists - January 16, 2023
• Writing Query Letters and Book Proposals - December 5, 2019
• Editing a Nonfiction Book - August 20, 2018

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The Professor Is In

Guidance for all things PhD: Graduate School, Job Market and Careers

How To Write A Book Proposal

By Karen Kelsky | July 2, 2015

You all know that the book proposal is the cornerstone to a successful tenure track career in most areas of the humanities and social sciences. Sure, some parts of psychology and economics and other fields are not book-based, but basically, the law of the land is: write a book.

What you may not be aware of is that the book proposal should be an element in your job applications. I don’t mean you send a proposal with your job applications, of course, but rather that you dedicate several sentences in the job letter to the book proposal and where you are in discussions with presses.

In this job market, you have to be looking ahead to the book, and able to speak intelligently about the book and its publishing plan, from the earliest days, ie, even when you are ABD and still finishing the dissertation. You don’t yet need a book to get a job in most cases (although yes, it’s true, assistant professors with books under their belt will have an advantage over new Ph.D.s for some jobs), but you do need a book PLAN to get a job, and the more substantive that plan is—as in, accompanied by a completed book proposal, a timeline for submission to presses, actual discussions with specific presses, or best of all, an advance contract—the better you’ll do on the market.

The fact is, the dissertation does not get you a job. The anticipated book gets you the job.

OK, having established the necessity of writing a book proposal from early, early stages in your career, we now turn to the proposal itself.

I’m going to start by speaking in general terms about what you must submit to a press to get a contract. This is actually a collection of items, and not just a proposal.

In general, you do not submit a complete dissertation manuscript to a press.

Repeat: do NOT submit your full dissertation manuscript to presses!

Why? Two reasons:

• Because editors at presses are as overworked and overwhelmed as the rest of us and don’t have the time to wade through 300 pages of unknown quality.
• Because, frankly, your dissertation isn’t that good. No, I’m sorry, it really isn’t. This is true even if it won awards at your university and got passed with distinction, etc. etc. Here’s why: dissertations are not books. They’re dissertations. And the best dissertation in the world is not going to be the same as a marketable book. Dissertations are written to prove your legitimacy and to demonstrate mastery and to satisfy an impossible set of mutually contradictory demands set up by your advisor and committee. None of these things make for a marketable book that appeals to the widest possible audience. I will elaborate further below.

So what do you submit to presses? You submit the following:

• an 6-8 page proposal (shorter if so specified by the press)
• an annotated table of contents for the book
• 2 sample chapters
• a cover letter

Every one of these elements is indispensable, most especially the cover letter. Today, however, we will restrict ourselves to discussing the book proposal itself.

I will pause to say that of course, you should carefully check the requirements for submission listed on the press website. They may differ from what I’ve written above, and they will of course take precedence.  And ideally, you will have been in conversations with an editor or series editor at the press prior to submitting your package.  Blind, or unsolicited submissions, with no advance footwork, have a significantly lower success rate.  Please refer to my post, How To Work the Conference (Part 3 of 3) for ideas on using your national conference’s Book Exhibit as an opportunity to encounter editors at presses.

Be aware that you ARE permitted to multiple-submit to different presses simultaneously! This differs from refereed journal articles.   This simply has to be fully disclosed in the cover letter.

The Book Proposal

The book proposal is a sales document. It is entirely dedicated to showing that your book has a market and will sell.

Gary Smailes of BubbleCow , in a guest post on the excellent PhD2Published blog , says it best:

Here’s the first mistake most writers make when preparing a book pitch: They think like writers and forget they are selling a product! Book publishers are in the business of making money – even not-for-profit academic publishers need to keep themselves afloat. It’s true that many of them love books and want to see new knowledge disseminated, but at the end of the day they will not acquire a book unless they think it will sell enough copies to make back enough money to at least break even. It’s your job to convince publishers that your book has what it takes to make it in the marketplace that that publisher specialises in. In reality this means you must pitch more than a unique contribution to knowledge. You must demonstrate that your book has a readymade, and accessible, academic readership, which means that your query letter and proposal are, in a sense, sales documents. So, you thought you were in the business of having ideas, but what you must now take onboard is that you also in the business of selling them!

Hear, hear, Gary of Bubblecow (and be sure and check out Bubblecow for more information–albeit UK-focused– on book proposals)! The sad fact is that university presses are dropping like flies in this economic downturn, and can no longer publish small, obscure specialized monographs the way they used to when our disciplines were younger. University libraries are also under extreme budgetary strain, and have drastically reduced their purchases of new monographs, so the potential market for university press books has shrunk considerably.

Read what Ken Wissoker, the Editorial Director of Duke University Press, has to say (in another recent post on PhD2Published ) about the state of academic publishing and library acquisitions:

Libraries have made deeper and deeper cuts in their budget for books to pay for…big journal packages.  In the early 80s a huge proportion of a library budget went on books. Now the proportions are reversed and books make up only a small percentage of a library’s budget. The recent library trend of “patron-driven acquisitions” which sounds like patrons choosing (it’s a great neoliberal term), but really means postponing or avoiding purchases as long as possible, will only make this worse. This results in a whole set of books that would have been publishable in a form individual scholars could afford five or ten years ago, but which will no longer have enough sales to be viable.  It means books (and fields) that I would have been proud to publish a decade ago, I no longer consider.

Nowadays presses will not accept a book unless they are sure that it will make a profit or at least make back the expenses of publication. So, as you conceptualize your dissertation (while you’re still writing it), and as you plan your revisions (after you’re done), make sure that foremost in your mind are the elements that have the widest, most interdisciplinary, and potentially popular (think NYT readership) appeal.  Refer to this post for suggestions on how to do this.

Above all, be aware that the book mss. has to be shorter rather than longer. Publishers recoil in horror from over-long manuscripts because more pages mean more costs.   One of your top priorities should be to ensure that your book manuscript is within the acceptable word count of standard books recently published by that press in your field.

The book proposal has to summarize your ideas, but it has to do it in a way that shows

a) there is a market for them

b) they are market-ready

These are two huge variables. Your treatise on the image of the turtle in 14th century Ottoman religious iconography may have pleased you and your advisor, but if there isn’t a market of scholars and students out there seeking to know more about 1) the Ottoman Empire; 2) medieval iconography; 3) pictures of turtles, then you are in trouble. And secondarily, suppose there are no fewer than three separate markets of scholars clamoring for more information on 14th century Ottoman turtle pictures, but your manuscript bears all the marks of a classic narrow, boring dissertation, is far too long, and has not been revised for prime time…then you are still in trouble.

So in summary, the book proposal proves that you have valid ideas, that those ideas have a market, and that those ideas are presented in a marketable way.

How to do this?

Opinions vary widely on what makes a good book proposal as a piece of writing, so I want to state at the outset that I am suggesting what worked for me and most of the colleagues and students with whom I’ve worked closely in the humanities and humanistically-oriented social sciences.

My recommended book proposal contains the following:

Introductory Section of one to two paragraphs that follows the model of the introduction in Karen’s Foolproof Grant Proposal —ie, begins with a large topic of widespread interest, discusses 2+ bodies of scholarly work on that topic, reveals a gap in that work, demonstrates the urgency of that gap (ie, the dire consequences of ignorance), introduces the author as Hero filling that gap, and unveils a clear statement of the book project as Heroic Enterprise.

A Deeper Background/Elaboration of Topic section will go more in-depth into the “story” of the topic—the who, what, when, where and how. Information for non-specialists on the historical or geographical or cultural context, the major players, the touchstone events, and major texts and their reception, etc. will also be provided. This is a tricky section, actually, because you can’t lose focus and drone on and on. It has to stay focused and concise, with each piece of information providing essential information for a new reader with no background in your field or topic to grasp the core issues to understand that context and import of your topic.

A brief Summary and Chapter Breakdown of the proposed book, which will give a basic word length for the finished manuscript, and then walk through the chapters, no more than three to four sentences dedicated to each chapter, with particular attention to the Introduction and Conclusion. This section will also reference how any lingering dissertation-ese will be eradicated and how dissertation-centric chapters such as the “literature review” and “methodology” will be removed.

A BRIEF Disciplinary and Inter-disciplinary Discussion of the scholarly context of the work—who has written what about this subject over the years, how has a major debate in the field emerged, and how does this book intervene in that debate/turn that debate on its head. If your field is tiny, then you want to show that you intervene in debates beyond your immediate disciplinary context. This not a comps exam and you need not be comprehensive.  This is a quick sketch of major works to establish the scholarly context only.

A Timeline to Completion section, which clearly articulates the revisions that have been/will be made that eradicate every last trace of dissertation-ese from the prose and that complete the chapters in a timely and feasible manner. Any new research that is anticipated—new fieldwork or archival research, etc.–will be clearly noted in this timeline as well. You will also list here the research leave time that you have gained/expect to gain to complete the book (particularly important if you are on the tenure track). Finally you will clearly disclose your plan for other publications, such as journal articles, based on the research, and show a savvy calculation for using these articles in high status journals to build excitement and anticipation for the book. This section should give a specific month-by-month timeline for the work, and give a deadline for completion of the manuscript for submission.

Finally, you will have the Marketing section. This is the section in which you explicitly discuss how well you expect the book to sell, who it will sell to, and how the press should best market it.

Now the market for most scholarly monographs is admittedly small and no amount of verbiage will change that. But if it’s a narrow but deep market, then you want to make sure you communicate that. And if your work spans several small markets, then you most definitely want to communicate that.

The markets to consider here are:

• the market of academic libraries
• the market of fellow scholars in your field(s)
• the market of courses in your discipline (especially large courses)
• the market of educated readers generally (again, think NYT readers)

You will want to address each of these markets individually, by showing how your work will appeal to it. This is the place where you mention other scholarly works that are similar to your work, and discuss, to the best of your knowledge, how well they sold and how big an impact they had on the field/fields. You will focus particularly on books published by the press to which you are currently submitting, and speak directly, to the extent possible, to the major themes prioritized in their recent and current lists, and to specific book series they are currently promoting.

You will write something like, “my book investigates similar themes to those in XXX by xxx, recently published by University of California Press. That book has had a major impact on the field and was widely reviewed in journals such as XXX and YYY. As I wrote my book to refute XXX, and to be explicitly in dialogue with xxxx, I anticipate that it will similarly gain wide exposure and be acquired by scholars and readers who are interested to see two sides of a pressing contemporary problem.”

The primary way that academic presses make money is through the sale of books for use in large undergraduate classes. Just think: if your book becomes the go-to case study on xxx in the Introduction to U.S. Society and Culture course, enrollment 350, taught in both Fall and Spring semesters in 25 universities across the nation—-how much cha-ching is that for the press? The more you can envision your book as a core text for use in large undergraduate classes, the better off you’ll be. You can certainly mention graduate seminars, but seriously—how much good are 10 graduate seminars annually, enrollment 8 students each, going to do the press?

Finally, you will end with a strong, concise Conclusion. This is an often neglected element to many genres of proposal, and one that I feel is indispensable. Remember that you want to sound, throughout this entire book proposal document, powerful, important, influential, well-prepared, and confident. The Conclusion is where you drive home this tone. In the Conclusion you end with a broad and expansive gesture toward the wider import and significance of your work. You strongly imply that your work is going to radically change the state of your field/fields, and have a major impact on scholarship and public discourse for years to come, and that the press would be foolish to miss the opportunity to be the publisher of your work.

As in all professional documents, the book proposal must reject any hint of querulousness or insecurity or inadequacy or anxiety. It must, from first sentence to last, display a calm command of the material, the genre, and your professional trajectory. You will engage with the press as a full-fledged professional who is confident in your abilities and excited to work with them on this next stage in your professional development. When you write, “I anticipate that this book will have a major impact on the fields of xxx, yyy, and zzz, and look forward to working with XXX Press in its publication,” that is the message you are conveying.

Similar Posts:

• Does the Status of the Press Matter?
• Should I Send Out a Book Proposal Before the Manuscript is Completely Finished?
• My Top Five Tips for Turning Your Dissertation Into a Book–A Special Request Post
• The Status of the Press Matters, Still!
• Pitfalls of the Publication Para

Reader Interactions

September 6, 2011 at 8:46 pm

Do you advise sending out proposals before the entire manuscript is ready? Or waiting until you can send the MS at a moment’s notice if an editor requests it?

September 7, 2011 at 5:32 pm

My advice would be to to send it out prior to the manuscript being completely done. The mss. is going to undergo considerable revisions during the review process, and possibly as a result of the initial inquiry package, so having it in a “perfect” completed state is not necessary, in my opinion. Please remember that the review process of just the initial inquiry package will in itself take 1-2 months at least, and you will be industriously working away at the full mss. during that time.

September 8, 2011 at 3:26 pm

I did this and got enthusiastic response, and they also wanted to know whether I had anything already finished. I said, yes but I am not sure you are going to want it. I’ll send it and see what you say.

So I did this (it was my dissertation manuscript, which I had already discovered by talking with presses was not easily marketable because it was a single author study on a poet not famous in US) and they said well yes, we like this too but to sell the book, this author has to be packaged as having a certain programmatic point of view.

I said yes because one is supposed to publish books and advice is to publish your dissertation, but with very great misgivings because this was advice from people not in research field. The book itself, had it been published saying those things about that author, would have been a laughingstock in field and for good reason. This was at a very prestigious press but evaluators were in a different literary field than I.

I did not know enough to know I could afford to turn it down and I really tried to write that book and say those things, promising myself that this would be the last time I lied about my views and research findings in print, and that I could repudiate the text as soon as I got tenure, and things like that. Still, I couldn’t find it in me to do it.

Where I think people need actual insider advice is on things like this. Had I known a little more about how things work, how you can argue with editors later, how you can say yes to xyz revisions and then do different ones, things would have gone very differently. At the time, though, all I got from any senior faculty person was “Count yourself very lucky and do exactly as they say, right now!” which was off point and uninformed, as well as destructive.

May 16, 2012 at 9:27 am

This is a very useful discussion (I like the grant application template too); however, I do have one question. The proposal length you suggest seems to be much longer than that suggested at any other “advice” websites I’ve looked at, or than what university presses themselves say (though they often don’t specify)? One publisher’s site suggested “in the neighborhood of 2000 words” and other templates I’ve looked at seem to be describing something of similar length. Is what you’ve describe here based on your experience at Duke? (They are among the sites that don’t specify, but somehow I got the impression they wanted something shorter).

May 16, 2012 at 10:35 am

D, thanks for pointing this out. Other readers and clients have as well, by email. I believe I have overestimated the preferred length, and I also believe the preferred length has been shrinking in recent years. So, yes: I believe many presses are asking for a 6-8 page version now. It should still contains all these elements, just more briefly.

May 31, 2012 at 5:15 am

Thanks for the clarification.

June 19, 2012 at 11:59 am

Karen, can I ask you to elaborate on the advice you give earlier in this comment thread, to prepare and send your proposal out before the manuscript is completely revised? I’m eager to make progress toward getting my book published, but I feel like I still don’t completely understand how the different stages in the process relate to one another.

Here’s my situation. I have a dissertation that has more or lain fallow while I spent a year in a teaching-focused position and went on the market. I’ve got one chapter that needs a lot of work, one that needs a bit of work, and two others that are more or less in their finished form. But also, my sense of the project and its stakes has evolved over the last year, and I’m planning to hash all that out in a revised introduction.

So, does it make sense to draft the prospectus now, so I can begin the process of circulating it to presses while I work on making revisions this fall (which will be my first year on the TT)? Or should I focus my energies on refining the manuscript further before setting to work on the prospectus?

June 20, 2012 at 9:38 am

This is an excellent question and one that I am often asked. It’s delicate, and in the end, only you know the state of your manuscript. But basically, I generally advise writing up the proposal and sending it out BEFORE the mss. is in “perfect” shape, because in that way, if you get a bite from an editor with the proposal, then you have some clear ideas and parameters for what the revisions should focus on and look like. And also a formal or informal deadline for completing them. I think that it’s always easier to write with a clear goal than in a vacuum of uncertainty. So in a way, the order I propose is also a psychological tool to get you launched and directed, rather than endlessly and fruitlessly “revising” to no clear end.

Logistically, the editor/reviewers are going to demand certain revisions in the revision process as well, and you won’t know what those are prior to sending out a proposal, so that too can help to prevent lost time and ease the process.

If you work up a proposal and send it out, and get some bites, and they ask to see the complete manuscript while giving you some general comments on the project, then, you can write back and say, “I’ll have it to you in 2 months.” Then do some revisions that reflect any cues or reactions you’ve gotten, and do a modest set of revisions in that two months, and then send them the damned mss. They will then demand more substantial revisions which you can execute moving forward.

The only caveat here is, if your dissertation/manuscript is truly an appalling mess. Then, if you write up a terrific proposal, send it, get requests for the full mss and send it, then you will immediately destroy your chances.

I am trusting that this is not the case, while knowing full well that MANY dissertations are allowed to pass committees and defenses that have no business whatsoever being passed. This relates to the phenomenon of the “nice advisor” that I discuss in the post, “It’s Not About You.” And in truth, some graduate students are so impossible to work with that committees/advisors pass them simply to get them out of their hair. And that’s NOT the committee/advisor’s fault. I have no idea which kind of dissertation experience you, or any reader, had, and what the quality of your dissertation/manuscript is. So just be aware that you must have it read by real, blunt, critical readers in your field, for a reality-check about whether it can pass muster as a manuscript to be reviewed.

A manuscript that is not quite book-ready is totally fine. But one that is a complete train wreck is not.

November 8, 2012 at 1:20 pm

Here’s a reminder to please do a post on the cover letter for book proposal. Thanks!

August 12, 2013 at 10:34 am

yes, I’d love to see this!

August 13, 2013 at 6:58 pm

February 9, 2014 at 3:54 pm

Yes, please!!!!

March 20, 2014 at 7:06 am

Yes please!

January 15, 2013 at 11:08 am

Regarding the marketing section: what would you think of footnoting the Amazon.com “Best Seller Rank” for similar scholarly books? I’ve drafted it, and frankly it looks persuasive to me. I list the ranking of 8 books both within and outside the series I’m pitching it too, saying that my project is most in line with XXX book (with a relatively low/good rating and published by another press), but also follows in the tradition of books from your series like XXX, XXX (which have a higher/worse rating but won scholarly book awards). Per your advice, I also list a few books that my project is similar to that have been covered in the NYT, listing their ranks as well.

Again, the ranks are footnoted so they don’t jump off the page, but my concern is with looking “gauche”–that is, with “pitching the sale” too hard.

Any feedback?

January 16, 2013 at 10:01 am

This is one of those things that ultimately can only be evaluated by seeing the actual whole document, and judging for overall tone and desperation/gaucheness level, but other things being acceptable, this could be ok.

February 13, 2013 at 1:27 pm

Thank you for all of this – it’s incredibly useful. My question is this: is there a point at which you’ve published too much of the ms. in journals to send it out as a book ms. that a publisher would be interested in? I’ve been out of grad school for quite some time, but without a t-t job (due to a 2-body problem), and so have turned nearly all of the ms. into articles that have been accepted to good journals. Is it now to the point where a publisher would no longer be interested? The chapters are longer than the articles, of course, but I wonder if I need a new project altogether. Thanks!

April 6, 2013 at 10:11 am

It may be too late to join this conversation, but I wanted to follow up on the point about sending blind submissions and the type of “footwork” that can be done to avoid sending blind submissions. I would prefer to meet with editors at the national conference for my discipline (the AAAs) but in terms of timing/getting the show on the road would rather submit the book proposal prior to November 2013. Are there other other ways to plant the seed or lay the groundwork for submission besides conference meetings with editors? And is it always inadvisable to send a proposal “cold”? Essentially I’m wondering whether I should wait until I can meet with editors at the national conference or whether it makes sense to take a risk and send it off prior to that. Thank you!

April 6, 2013 at 12:46 pm

You can send an initial inquiry email with a self-intro and short abstract, and if they express interest you can follow up with the proposal package.

April 10, 2013 at 7:36 am

This may be a late addition, but FWIW I’ve attended a few presentations from University Press editors, and they consistently say that a major mistake of book proposals is that scholars put the academic library market as the book’s primary one. These particular presses (not the very top, but very good presses) claimed that academic libraries constituted a very small portion of their market (and had a definite ceiling) and that the best proposals make claims for a much wider marketability. They suggest thinking bigger because if it appeals to NYT, then an academic library is certainly going to want the book too. Like Karen has said in her other post about writing the dissertation like a book, these editors also claim that the convincing book proposals are the ones that show how the book is perfect for use in the undergraduate classroom, where it will be adopted again and again by professors who teach the same courses each year.

July 21, 2013 at 10:42 am

Quick question: the press I’m hoping to go with offers a fairly specific template for their proposal, but one of the sections they wish me to include is describing the existing competition for a book on my theme (and asking me to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of this competition). This makes sense, but my book will be the first monograph-length study of the literary work in question (though there is a special edition of a journal devoted to it and two scholarly commentaries). Do they want me to discuss here the strengths and weaknesses of articles (which I do elsewhere in the brief lit review) or are they really interested in just marketing monograph competitors? And since there aren’t any in particular, what should I do?

September 16, 2013 at 5:26 am

Hello Karen, Thanks for this post. I cannot quite understand the difference between these two sections of the proposal: “A BRIEF Disciplinary and Inter-disciplinary Discussion” and “A Deeper Background/Elaboration of Topic section.” Could you elaborate on this please?

I recently submitted my proposal and sample chapter to a publisher, which has asked me to expand the proposal. Now I realise that it’s these two sections that are missing–I had followed you Foolproof Grant Proposal in the first part of my proposal. I’m a bit at a loss about the “Deeper Background” in particular; the “brief discussion” sounds to me like a reduced literature review from the thesis. Also, my summary of the chapters was one paragraph long and they’ve asked me to make it twice as long.

Thank you very much for your help,

September 19, 2013 at 2:41 am

Dear Karen, Thank you for this. It’s very helpful as always. I have sent an initial inquiry email with a self-intro and short abstract to a reputable scholarly press and they have expressed an interest. How long do yo you think I have to send them a proposal package? Should I be sending them a proposal package right away or is it OK to spend a week or so refining the package? Thank you again!

September 30, 2013 at 10:47 pm

Dear Karen,

This is great advice. Thank you so much!

Can I just ask — What are the basic elements I should include in a cover letter when I am submitting a proposal? How detailed/long should it be and what should it basically say?

October 15, 2013 at 12:04 pm

From what I’ve seen and heard elsewhere, I’m not sure whether it’s a good idea to multiple-submit to different presses simultaneously. Kahan’s _Getting Published in the Humanities_ for example notes that doing so conflicts with your need to make a special connection with your editor, and that in a small field multiple presses could send your manuscript to the same readers. See also this tipsheet by an Oxford University Press editor. Does anyone have any thoughts about whether this advice may no longer hold?

October 16, 2013 at 7:23 am

you make that special connection later, after you’ve gotten the best possible deal for your book. Indeed, you will feel quite warmly toward the ed, and she toward you, after she has fought for the book with her press, and won the book against possible competition.

June 17, 2015 at 6:41 pm

I submitted my prospectus to four publishers at around the same time, and disclosed this fact as advised. One (U. Toronto) said they had no problem with that, and are interested in the manuscript in due course; two others (Yale and Oxford) declined to look at it as soon as they found out that it was under consideration elsewhere. Just the prospectus, mind you, not the whole manuscript. The fourth hasn’t responded yet. But Toronto would require a big subvention, and there’s no way I or my institution could come up with that cash. If publisher #4 also declines to consider the prospectus, would it be possible to withdraw it from consideration at U of T and re-approach the others, one at a time?

July 3, 2015 at 4:23 pm

Ditto. I had an editor — from the top press in my field — tell me that multiple submissions would can the project for the press. That is, even at the proposal stage, they wanted it exclusively. Luckily for me, their turn-around was quick and they took it, but multiple submissions may be something that is changing, informally if not officially.

March 9, 2014 at 9:04 am

At the moment I have a few articles under review for journals, but no publications just yet. Do you suggest I wait to have a few publications under my belt before I submit a book proposal to a university press, particularly the more prestigious presses?

June 3, 2014 at 7:07 pm

I submitted my PhD thesis a few weeks ago. A year ago, it was already written, and I’ve spent the last year editing it, reorganizing it substantially, and addressing comments generously offered by over a dozen authorities in their respective fields. All of this was done with the aim of eventually turning the thesis into a book. My supervisor tells me I’ve done more work than is usual for a PhD and I should get a book proposal out soon. I really want to do this and believe I am prepared.

However, I also think that I can write five or six journal articles from material within my thesis in addition to the three or four papers I think I can write from material not included in my thesis. Because it is acceptable for books to contain chapters that are similar to articles previously published by the author, but articles are not accepted if their arguments and content have already been published in a book, I am wondering if it would be more prudent first to work on the articles that will later be in the book, then work on the book, and finally to work on the material I cut from the thesis and will not contain in the book.

Could you give me any advice?

Best wishes,

June 4, 2014 at 11:20 am

I don’t know your total profile and record, but you need a couple articles for the job market, so get those out, if you don’t have them now. Then focus on the book proposal and getting an advance contract. Then hold the other articles until either, a) you are in a tt position, or b) you need to keep showing productivity as you continue your job search.

June 5, 2014 at 6:20 am

Thanks, Karen. I have tenure at a small, friendly university in Japan, teaching seven and half hours a week with most of my other time left to focus on my research. I’m happy with the position, but might one day wish to return to work in an English-speaking country. I only have a couple of peer reviewed papers, and only one in my field, so want to improve that. I think my next move is, after your suggestion, to write a couple of papers from my thesis, write a book proposal too, and just sit on the book proposal for six months of so, tweaking it as I go along.

As I said, I received many generous comments from a dozen or so authorities famous in their fields, and each of them said some good things about my work. I am thinking about including quotes from them as a ‘Praise’ or ‘Positive Comments’ section of my book proposal. E.g. ‘Very exciting’ , ‘the range of connections you made always is illuminating’, ‘The very live core of your argument is exciting and important, the thing to hold onto because it’s rare, the very lack of which makes for a surplus of dull writing on [this topic]’ Prof. ABC; ‘The argument is not just descriptive, it is an embodiment of what it describes and that is a rare thing’, ‘Very elegant’ Prof. DEF; ‘The discussion on . . . is excellent (I underlined that word three times!)’ Prof. GHI.

Have you heard of a book proposal including such a section? Do you think it is a good idea? Naturally I would tell my reader-commentators first, and be sure they don’t mind.

June 5, 2014 at 11:13 am

No. don’t do it; it’s tacky.

June 5, 2014 at 1:13 pm

July 11, 2014 at 9:45 am

Hello, I saw your article when making an internet query regarding when it might be appropriate to contact an editor following submission of a non-fiction book proposal. I sent a query to a small house with an appropriate list for my concept, and was told that it piqued their interest and could i send a TOC. Once received I was asked for more as they were truly interested and wanted their content folks to review some of my content. I sent a few chapters in prior to the date requested. When is it appropriate to ask about status (their site says that one will hear back within 2-4 weeks and it’s been 4+).

Thanks so much, Ira

September 8, 2014 at 2:05 pm

Maybe this is a stupid question…. but I assume the more hard numbers one can bring to the “Marketing” section, the better. So… how can a person find out / calculate (even approximately) the size of the market of courses related to one’s sub-discipline? There must be an easier way than poring through course catalogs, school-by-school…

September 8, 2014 at 4:45 pm

no need to go that detailed; nobody expects it. Just a broad sketch of the types of courses for which it can be assigned.

September 9, 2014 at 6:44 pm

November 28, 2014 at 7:09 pm

I have a BA in History which I received in 2012. I am currently writing an American history book on the three most important founding documents which were written at the birth of our nation. I will be done with the majority of my primary research in about another week. I hope to be done with the introduction and prologue by Christmas. I am writing this book because it has always been a dream of mine to be a published author and that it will help me get into a Master’s Degree program and eventually a PHD program. I plan on writing my book proposal after writing the introduction and prologue because the introduction will help me write the book proposal. Should I be looking for a literary agent while writing the book? If, yes, will literary agents charge a fee up front?

July 15, 2015 at 6:37 pm

Hi Dr. Karen, I’m an avid reader and so grateful for all the resources you provide at this blog and at Vitae. I preordered your book and am wondering if the material in your “Professor’s Guide to the Book Proposal” is similar to what’s covered in the book. Looking forward to its arrival!

I know this is probably not the place, but as long as I’m writing, I would like to request a post on how to do a “Statement of Contribution to Mission” requested by a hiring university. In this case it’s a religious university, I don’t know if this is requested other places.

THANK YOU again for what you do!

July 19, 2015 at 7:58 pm

I have collected feedback on this on a Facebook thread from May 2015 or so–please do scroll through the Prof Is In FB page to find that. There is great advice there. I will compile it into a blog post soon.

July 23, 2015 at 11:05 am

Thanks very much!

October 14, 2015 at 4:50 am

Were you able to find the relevant blog post? I have the same question and I can’t seem to locate it.

September 21, 2015 at 7:04 am

The advice I got from junior and senior faculty in North America is that, one has to have at least one journal article out in a good journal before even thinking about submitting a proposal. What do you think about this advice Karen?

September 21, 2015 at 7:20 am

I think that’s basically good advice. The press needs to know that you are capable of writing for publication.

May 24, 2016 at 8:55 am

I’m in a rush to get my book accepted for outside review as soon as possible, as it will likely affect a job offer. One press has expressed interest in an e-mail inquiry, and I’ve sent them a full proposal+sample chapters. But I have no idea how long they’ll take to decide (1-2 months is typical?).

In the meantime, should I keep sending out inquiries and/or proposals to increase the chances of getting an offer for outside review quickly, or might I shoot myself in the foot by sending to an editor who knows it’s being considered elsewhere (I believe we must disclose this, even at this stage?), and therefore puts it on the back burner?

May 25, 2016 at 8:47 am

book proposals can be sent to multiple presses as long as you disclose it in the cover letter. But you should be aware that book proposals to academic presses take at least 3-6 months for a response – the proposal and chapters go out to 2-3 external reviewers and they are given several months for a response usually. This cannot be rushed. Don’t try and rush the editor, you’ll just piss him or her off.

May 25, 2016 at 10:47 am

Thank you. I’m not in a rush to get it accepted for publication. I’m just in a rush to get a major press, based on a proposal and sample chapters, to agree to send it to external reviewers–that is, to request the full manuscript (which won’t be ready for 3 months, I stated in my proposal). I understand once one press has the full manuscript, and has agreed to have it reviewed, they have the right of refusal.

Or do you mean they send the proposal and sample chapters to reviewers before deciding to ask for the full manuscript, and even that can take 3-6 months?

Right now, one major press requested a formal proposal and sample chapters based on an e-mail inquiry. I’ve sent that to them. Meanwhile, another press asked for a formal proposal in response to another e-mail inquiry. Do I need to disclose to them that press 1 is already considering the proposal, even at this stage (before anyone has agreed to have it externally reviewed or seen the full manuscript)? Thank you.

May 26, 2016 at 12:13 pm

Many presses send the proposal and chapters out to external reviewers and that can take more than 2 months. I just checked with a major univ. press Editorial Director and he said, No, they don’t normally send the proposal and sample chapters out to reviewers! So you’re ok on that front. Although I wouldn’t feel totally sanguine that you’d have a response on a 6week-2 month timeline.

And, Yes, you need to disclose to all presses that other presses are considering the proposal. You need to name the presses to all, full disclosure.

May 26, 2016 at 4:50 pm

Okay, thank you!

May 28, 2016 at 1:25 pm

Dear Dr. Karen, I have looked all over the internet to try to find an answer to my question. I hope that you can help me. Six years ago I published a book. The contract that I signed gives the publisher the right of first refusal. They must response with 30 days after I submit a new work to them.

I have just completed a manuscript for a new book. I plan to send a copy of the manuscript to Palgrave Macmillan. However, I also plan to send book proposals to other publishers but negotiate with Palgrave Macmillan first. Would this violate my contract? Thank you.

May 28, 2016 at 6:47 pm

I believe that violates your contract, yes. But I’ll put this query on facebook (totally anonymously) and see what folks in publishing say.

May 28, 2016 at 8:34 pm

Thanks Karen.

June 27, 2016 at 1:05 pm

Hope you haven’t already addressed this topic: when hoping to make a dissertation into a book, is it helpful to send out a “feeler” email to gauge interest or just send the proposal package without any previous contact?

September 13, 2016 at 3:03 pm

Dear Karen, I am currently working on turning my dissertation into a book. My awarding university uploads all dissertations to its online and open access library, unless the dissertation or parts of it are under contract with a publisher. A colleague recently told me that presses are publishing fewer books based on dissertations because many dissertations can now be accessed fully online. Do you think manuscripts based on dissertations that are accessible online are less appealing to academic presses? Does it diminish possibilities of obtaining a book contract?

March 3, 2017 at 10:46 pm

Hello. I’m having this same issue. Have you heard any feedback?

March 6, 2017 at 11:53 am

I am not an expert on this issue, but if you google dissertation embargo, you’ll find lots of writing on this question. My sense is that yes, it’s somewhat a problem, but not a devastating one. People really don’t seek out dissertations online to read… Books are still the way knowledge is disseminated in a broad public way. So I would anticipate that you can still sell a book despite this.

August 24, 2017 at 10:19 am

I agree. This is not as big of an issue as some articles online and advice from colleagues make it out to be, for a few reasons. First, authors of academic publications tend to cite other peer-reviewed research (journal articles, monographs, edited volumes) rather than dissertations, so it seems to follow that university presses know that publishing an author’s first book based on the dissertation (which is available online) does not diminish its value for other scholars. Second, your book will NOT be the same as your dissertation. It should be substantially revised, so it will likely not be the same work as your freely available dissertation. I would still advise trying to embargo the dissertation as long as your university allows (I was able to select 5 years; my book was published after 3), but regardless of embargo length, it shouldn’t be a huge deal.

August 29, 2020 at 12:03 pm

A dissertation is not published in a book form as it is. It needs to be reworked and what needs to be added, changed, or deleted, it is the publisher who will guide after looking at the dissertation. The dissertation is written for two examiners and a book is written for general readers. It should be broader, simple, and devoid of any jargon; references should be few. The other tip is to change the title of the dissertation and choose a different title for a book.

December 15, 2016 at 10:23 am

Madam, Does a meeting with the editors, through acquaintances, increase the chance of accepting my book proposal?

March 29, 2018 at 8:21 pm

Dear Karen, I’m drafting a proposal now, very happy that I came across your site. Question: is it bad form, or alright, to attach bibliography/reference list at the end? I presume if the editor likes the idea of the book, the proposal will be sent out to reviewers who are scholars, and for them references may be something helpful? But again, proposals have a strong commercial purpose, and in that sense, bibliography should probably be avoided? What is your suggestion? Your help will be very appreciated.

May 28, 2019 at 10:57 am

How do you know whether similar books in the field marketed ‘well’ or not? I can think of books in my area (Christianity in China) that I’ve seen around frequently and are popular in the circles I run in, which I think are absolutely key and important and have really changed the field…. but I have no idea if those were actually good sellers for the publishers or not! I’m a little afraid of saying, ‘My book is similar to X/Y/Z’ if it turns out those were actually economic duds for the presses! How does one do the market research to actually figure out the market dynamics?

July 29, 2019 at 10:09 am

I’m struggling with the same problem. I stumbled across this thread: https://writing.stackexchange.com/questions/1483/where-can-i-find-sales-numbers-for-books Long story short: There’s not really a good resource to get these numbers from. I for my part will probably rely on # of google scholar citations as a very rough approximation for the “success” of a book.

[…] their successful proposals (and don’t hesitate to ask them!), check out the sage advice at The Professor Is In.  The blog post(s) there speak to the various sections of a proposal as well as the submission […]

[…] This is a Q and A that arose on the blog this week, following the blog post, How To Write a Book Proposal. […]

[…] have a good handle on what we need to do for this proposal– but I’m going to share this blog post on proposal writing from the Professor is In, in case you want some […]

[…] For professors and academics, I recommend taking a look at advice from The Professor Is In […]

[…] The Professor is In – “How to Write a Book Proposal” […]

[…] I suggest consulting the following resources about three months before you’re ready to begin preparing the proposal, so that you have time to understand the genre before actually writing one. At this stage, you should read chapters 4-6 (“Selecting a Publisher” through “What Editors Look For”) of Germano’s Getting it Published. Then, return to Rachel Toor’s two articles and check out Karen Kelsky’s (of The Professor is In) How to Write a Book Proposal. […]

[…] I suggest consulting the following resources about three months before you’re ready to begin preparing the proposal, so that you have time to understand the genre before actually writing one. At this stage, you should read chapters 4-6 (“Selecting a Publisher” through “What Editors Look For”) of Germano’s Getting it Published. Then, return to Rachel Toor’s two articles and check out Karen Kelsky’s (of The Professor is In) How to Write a Book Proposal. […]

[…] “How To Write A Book Proposal,” 2 July 2015. […]

[…] several current and former acquisitions editors underscore, before the 1980s, university presses could rely on […]

[…] myself from tons of advice starting out, and relied upon articles like Karen Kelsky’s overview of a book proposal  and samples shared from colleagues and friends, but I still don’t think I’ve found any […]

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Home / Book Publishing / How to Write a Book Proposal in 2024 + Free Template

How to Write a Book Proposal in 2024 + Free Template

Table of contents.

• What is a book proposal?
• What should you include in a book proposal?
• 9 Tips for Writing a Book Proposal
• Do self-publishers need a book proposal?
• Template to Copy + Paste
• You’ve written a book proposal. What now?

A book proposal is a comprehensive document you create to propose your book to traditional publishing houses, typically alongside your literary agent. It’s like a business plan for your book.

Don’t get a book proposal confused with a query letter, which is what you write and send to potential literary agents . Despite what some popular Google results say on the topic, a book proposal is not a query letter.

However, you almost always need an agent before you write and send a book proposal, so writing a query letter should also be on your radar.

What does the perfect book proposal accomplish? Ultimately, your book proposal should perfectly answer these 3 questions:

• Why this story?
• Who would buy this book?
• Why are you the person to tell this story?

Let me take you through how to write the best book proposal possible as you answer these 3 questions effectively and excitingly.

• What to include in a book proposal
• Who needs a book proposal
• Book proposal template
• 9 steps to writing a compelling book proposal

Quick note: As you probably already know, I’m a big proponent of self-publishing . Traditional publishing is almost impossible nowadays. Self-publishing can be more profitable and is a lot more achievable.

However, if you already have an agent, or a publishing house solicited your manuscript, you should still keep reading for valuable information.

A book proposal acts as a business plan in the eyes of publishers. Traditional publishers want to see how marketable your book is and to whom they can sell it. This is why you (and often your literary agent) craft a book proposal and send it to multiple prints in the publishing industry.

You need a book proposal for both fiction books and nonfiction books, although fiction proposals and nonfiction proposals are slightly different.

Your book proposal is critical to landing a traditional book deal . First book? First-time author? If you can guarantee a publisher tens of thousands of pre-sales, then you could land a book deal even if you’re a new book writer.

How do you propose a book to a publisher ? 95% of the time, you will need to secure a literary agent to propose your book to a traditional publisher, such as Penguin/Random House or Simon and Schuster.

5% of the time, you will find a traditional publisher accepting unsolicited, unagented submissions . In their submission guidelines, they may ask for a full-on book proposal. Remember that they’re going to receive thousands of submissions and only choose a few to publish. 

Nevertheless, submitting an unsolicited submission might be worth a shot if the opportunity is there.

Rarely, a traditional publisher will solicit a book proposal from you . This may happen if you have a large following on social media or a friend or family member in the biz. However, if publishers are soliciting you for a manuscript, chances are high that you already have an agent.

What is the purpose of a book proposal? The purpose of a book proposal is to show publishers that your book will sell. With these proposals, publishers are looking for authors who already understand the way traditional publishing works. In their minds, that equals sales.

How many pages is a nonfiction book proposal? A typical nonfiction book proposal contains 20-50 pages, usually landing on the lower end of that spectrum. This length is standard for fiction book proposals as well.

How much does a book proposal cost? A book proposal shouldn’t cost anything unless you hire a professional ghostwriter to write it or a professional editor to edit it — both of which are valid considerations.

What is included in a book proposal? With the help of an agent, you should include the following in any book proposal:

• Header: The header should include basic information such as the title, your name, email, and phone number.
• Synopsis: You can have a brief synopsis and often a longer synopsis of the book. The book synopsis should include a succinct and compelling one-to-five paragraph description of the project, as well as a longer narrative description answering questions about the project, your qualifications, and potential commercial viability, including target audience and methods for reaching them.
• Chapter breakdown: In creating a book proposal, it is recommended to create a chapter list with a brief summary of each chapter, including images if applicable, and potential ideas for a foreword by a well-known person to increase sales, though the chapter breakdown may change throughout the book's development.
• Sample chapter (sometimes optional, see the editor's requirements): Non-fiction book proposals should include the introduction and one or two sample chapters, while fiction proposals should submit the first 40-50 pages or the entire manuscript, with a focus on high-quality writing and crafting a captivating beginning to draw in readers.
• Word count : Be sure to include the word count or estimated word count of your book.
• Author bio : In the book proposal, it is important to make a convincing argument for why you are the right person to write the book, including relevant published articles or books, press outlets that have reported on your work, and lectures you have given, as well as potential for public speaking or TV appearances, to demonstrate your capability of reaching a buying audience.
• Platform, target audience, market profile: publishers want to see that you can reach an audience that will buy your book. In your book proposal, you should include a section that demonstrates your reach, such as your social media stats, website or blog metrics, and the number of people on your mailing list, among other things. Additionally, you should include a section that outlines the market profile for your book, including a narrative on the book's market and a list of similar books with synopses, to show that your book fills a gap in a viable market.
• Influencers: If you know people who might provide a foreword or blurb on the back cover, you should include that information as well
• Schedule to publish: Include a preliminary schedule on how long it will take you to finish the final draft, any images or other needs that will take time, etc.
• Competitive titles analysis (5-10 comparable titles with shared audiences)

How do you structure a book proposal? The structure of a book proposal is usually title , synopsis, chapter outline, sample chapter (if needed), and then the other details, such as about the author, marketing analysis, competitor analysis, etc.

• Don’t write the book first. For nonfiction writers, do not complete the entire book before you send out book proposals. Publishers like to accept nonfiction book proposals before the proposed book is fully written. (However, for fiction authors, it is customary to propose a complete book.)
• Focus on how your book will benefit the reader, not just what your book is about. Experts call this “evidence of need.” This aspect is especially vital for nonfiction proposals.
• Be specific about your book. If it sounds like your book idea is derivative and same-old-same-old, then no one will want to publish it (or buy it).
• Make sure your book proposal has a hook . Just like any good story, your book proposal needs to hook the editor who reads it, so they send it to their superiors. For your proposal to have a hook, your book needs a hook. There’s an art to hooking your readers .
• Avoid generic statements. Don’t say, “A Google search turns up more than 10 million results!” or “Everyone will be talking about this book, so everyone is my target market.”  Generic statements often cross over into laughable hyperbole or annoying irrelevance. Instead, name-drop recent trends, making a clear connection between the increased relevancy of your book and current events or specific statistics.
• Don’t be modest. Mention if you know famous people, publishing biz pros, other writers, etc. Mention all your experience and natural talent. Answer the question: Why are you the right person to write this? You can be modest some other time — not during a book proposal.
• Start networking years ago. This is cynical, but you already need to have laid the groundwork for marketing and outreach long before you publish. Traditional publishers are looking for authors who already boast a network of high-profile influencers (such as book reviewers ). Publishers seldom accept a book proposal if you can’t guarantee 20k pre-sales.
• Be realistic. Publishers may take you less seriously if you compare your book to New York Times bestsellers. Instead, be realistic about your audience size and compare your work to reasonably successful competitors.
• Build your platform as early as possible. Nowadays, you need a pre-established platform to sell books . Whether self-publishing or hoping to land a traditional publisher, start building your platform as early as possible. If you haven’t started yet, start now. This can include social media, email list, guest blogging, vlogging , or even procuring subscribers on YouTube . (Think Jena Moreci’s successful channel that has gotten her brand in front of hundreds of thousands of new eyes.)
• Proofread. Please, do not send a book proposal with spelling and grammatical errors. This often equals an automatic toss in the bin. Check out my list of Best Proofreading Software for more info.

No, self-publishing authors very rarely need a book proposal.

You may find a traditional publisher accepting unsolicited, unagented submissions. If they require a book proposal in their submission guidelines, you will need to write a book proposal even though you don’t have an agent.

At that point, you would be seeking traditional publishing, so you wouldn’t really be considered a self-publisher anymore.

Free Book Proposal Template

Use this free template as a sample proposal. Copy and paste the following text into a document, and follow the directions after the asterisks. Delete the instructions (and asterisks) from the text once you have done what the directions say.

Alternatively, you can download Kindlepreneur’s free book proposal template here .

***Halfway down page, centered. Replace all text in brackets with your own text that applies to your own book proposal.

[BOOK TITLE; 16-point Times New Roman, can be in all caps]

[Book Subtitle, 12-point Times New Roman]

***Bottom of title page

[Author name]

[Email address]

[Phone number]

***Insert page break (CTRL+ENTER on PCs, CMND+ENTER on Macs). Don’t just press ENTER until you reach a new page. The text from here on should be left-aligned (not justified), 12-point black Times New Roman, double-spaced, with either first-line indents of 0.5” or an extra 10 points of space between paragraphs.

[This is where you describe the overall point of your book, as well as the need it fills in your market. Include a brief summary.]

***Page break

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

[This is where you describe yourself in immodest detail. Stick to 2-5 paragraphs. Mention your credentials, experience, author platform, marketing potential, who you know, what qualifies you to write this book, etc.

Don’t waste time talking about your step-by-step writing process. Be sure to include a high-quality headshot at the end of this page.]

MARKETING PLAN

[Also called a market analysis. Here, you answer the editor’s inevitable question: Why will people buy your book? Be specific. No vague generalizations of, “Everyone will want to buy this book!” Instead, focus on why a select market of people will spend their money on your work. Include what celebrities or influencers you can get to plug your book, if applicable.

Publishers like to see steps: for example, step 1) write a great book , step 2) push pre-sales on Twitter and email list, step 3) have the following influential friends mention the book on Instagram , step 4) tour the country on speaking engagements at colleges and business functions where I can push my book, step 5) book media appearances on national news and talk shows. Bonus points if you say you’re going to spend part of your advance on marketing.]

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

[This is where you analyze 5-10 competitor books, why they succeeded, how your book compares and contrasts, and how your book’s marketability compares to theirs. A book published less than 5 years ago is preferred. Break this section down by each competitor. List the title, subtitle , author name, publisher, year of publication, price, page count, and ISBN number.]

CHAPTER OUTLINE

[Some writers start with a simple table of contents, but this is optional. The required part is outlining what each chapter entails. Remember, publishers don’t really care about what’s in your book, as much as they care to know that it flows and is an interesting, relevant take on the subject matter. Break this section down by chapter. You may use bullet points below each chapter title if that helps your organization. Don’t include your entire manuscript.]

SAMPLE CHAPTER

[Choose the most intriguing chapter, preferably from the first half of the book.]

Where to Submit the Book Proposal?

One of the best ways to find successful publishing companies (so you can submit your proposal to them) is to analyze the genre for your book and see what other companies are publishing books in that genre.

If you're doing this manually, this can take a very long time, and you'll end up finding a lot of other companies that aren't really great.

Thankfully, there's a tool that makes it easy to see all of the major publishers for the bestsellers of any genre.

That tool is Publisher Rocket .

With Rocket's category analysis tool, you can easily find a list of publishers for any genre by doing the following:

• Finding your desired category/genre through the Category Search
• Clicking on the “Insights” link
• Hover over the “i” icon under the Large Publisher tile
• Find a list of large publishers in that genre

A lot of these publishing companies will be traditional publishers, so you can reach out to them if you want a traditional publishing deal. Or you might find some hidden gems, like lesser known but successful small publishers.

Congrats! You know how to write a book proposal. Now it’s time to land that book deal if that’s what you’re going for.

Note: Most publishers will require your book proposal in DOCX file format , if not printed on standard 8.5” x 11” paper.

Check out my Book Marketing Podcast . Even if you land a traditional book deal, you’ll still have to do most of your own marketing . (Traditional publishers are astonishingly bad at actually selling books to readers.) And check out my free course on Amazon Ads for Authors .

Best to get ahead on your marketing endeavors now for future success!

Dave Chesson

When I’m not sipping tea with princesses or lightsaber dueling with little Jedi, I’m a book marketing nut. Having consulted multiple publishing companies and NYT best-selling authors, I created Kindlepreneur to help authors sell more books. I’ve even been called “The Kindlepreneur” by Amazon publicly, and I’m here to help you with your author journey.

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Book Proposal

Are you planning to publish an autobiography, a memoir, or perhaps a self-help guide? If you are here, then your answer is yes. You might be dreaming of being named as one of the highest-paid authors for your best-selling book. Imagine your name listed with the big names, such as Stephen Hawking, Maya Angelou, and Michelle Obama. It is a good picture. Something worth achieving. Take a step forward in accomplishing that dream by composing a gripping book proposal.

11+ Book Proposal Examples

1. book proposal template.

• Google Docs
• Apple Pages

Size: 50 KB

2. Ideal Book Proposal

Size: 56 KB

3. Book Proposal Cover Letter

Size: 149 KB

4. Fiction Book Proposal Template

Size: 229 KB

5. Printable Book Proposal

Size: 438 KB

6. Book Proposal Questionnaire

Size: 159 KB

7. Book Proposal Example

Size: 376 KB

8. Mathematical Book Proposal

Size: 481 KB

9. New Book Proposal Form

Size: 97 KB

10. Book Publisher Proposal

Size: 137 KB

11. Educational Book Proposal

Size: 224 KB

12. Non-Fiction Book Proposal

What Is a Book Proposal?

A book proposal is a business document that aims to appeal to publishers or publishing houses to invest in a book. This proposal letter provides arguments and a summary that details why the book is worth their investment. It also includes a marketing business plan and strategies on how to ensure profitability. 

How to Compose an Enticing Book Proposal

If you are in the process of writing a nonfiction book and you are planning to look for potential investors, it is advisable to take a break. You should give it a rest and start writing another document instead. Before completing your book, you should go ahead and look for publishers who would be willing to take a risk and invest in your book. That way, you can still make adjustments based on the opinions of the publisher.

1. Write a Compelling Cover Letter

A proposal cover letter delivers the first blow to your clients in negotiating a proposal. This one-page document plays a considerable role in your whole book proposal. In this letter, you should introduce your hook and your book. You should write a statement that would engage the publishers to continue reading. After that, you can go ahead and offer an overview of your book.

2. Devise a Short Biography

If your successful with the first page of your business proposal , the next thing the prospective clients would want to know is essential information about you. That said, you should devise a short biography of yourself. This segment is equivalent to a project portfolio in other business proposals. It is where you highlight your previous works and prove your capabilities. If they have any doubts about whether you can walk the talk in your proposal document, this is the part where you should erase them. 

3. Outline the Table of Contents

As they flip the page, the next segment they should see is the table of contents of the book you are proposing. List the chapter titles as well as include a short description for each of them. In your summary writing , you should explain how each chapter is related to the next. That way, the flow of the content of your book will be more comprehensive for the readers of your proposal. In addition, you should also choose one chapter that you would present fully. You should choose the best chapter in your opinion as your sample chapter.

4. Include an Analysis of Essential Elements

There plenty of others that are just as necessary aside from the segments mentioned above. That said, these documents include competitive analysis and also a target market analysis. The next ones are your book marketing plan , project timeline, and budget plan. These parts are all crucial for the business negotiation of your book. The publishers will pay a lot of attention to these elements.

How long does it take to write a book proposal?

If you do not have a deadline, then you can go ahead take your time. Most authors write their book proposals in months. Proposal writing is a lengthy process, it involves twenty to fifty or maybe even more pages. Do not rush making your proposal letter. Ensure that each segment is well-crafted. Also, you should conduct your business analysis accordingly.

What are the different kinds of nonfiction books?

There are numerous types of nonfiction books. There is always a nonfiction book for you, whether you are into a children’s book or an instruction manual. Some nonfiction books include biographies, autobiographies, travel journals , memoir, journals, thesaurus, and almanac. There are also colorful nonfiction picture books featuring true stories, and others present facts about science and various fascinating academic topics.

What is a fiction proposal?

A fiction proposal is a counterpart for proposal letters for nonfiction. When you say book proposals, people automatically incorporate them with nonfiction books. It is because publishers rarely demand a proposal document for fiction novels. That said, people called book proposals for a fictional story a fiction proposal. Despite having a slightly different name, they include similar elements and formatting.

Various business ventures require writing several documents. This statement means, in writing your book, it is additional paperwork on top of another paperwork. Despite that, you have an advantage. You write a thousand words every day. Writing more can be a little easier for you. If you craft your book proposal well enough, maybe in the future other authors will be writing about you.

Proposal Maker

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

Generate a proposal for a new school recycling program

Compose a proposal for a school field trip to a science museum.

• A Letter From Paris

How to write your memoir book proposal

Memoir book proposals differ from book proposals for other types of nonfiction such as a biography, a business leadership book or something else. So if you’re wanting to sell your memoir to a literary agent, publisher or editor, you need to put together a book proposal. But you’ll need to keep a few things in mind with memoir that are different from book proposals for other types of nonfiction. Namely – the importance of your chapter samples and what, in publishing, is referred to as the ‘Book, the Hook, The Cook’.

But first – do you need a book proposal to sell your manuscript?

A book proposal is both a sales document and a chance for you to envision the full scope of the book and outline how you will approach it. The value of writing a book proposal is that it will help you clarify a lot about your book, the way you’ll tell the story and where it sits in the marketplace. You CAN sell a memoir without a book proposal – I did, with my first memoir. But I did have a synopsis, a great query letter, and the complete (and revised) FULL memoir draft. I sold my second memoir (A Letter From Paris) on a very short proposal. This wasn’t the standard 30+ page proposal, because the first published memoir acted as ‘proof’ of a lot of what a book proposal would prove: namely, that you as the author are a safe bet for a publisher or agent to sign. I’d proven I could write a memoir from start-to-finish, publishers and agents can look up sales for any of your previous books, so I wasn’t starting ‘from scratch’ with this second memoir proposal.

To publishers, agents and editors, the book proposal is their ‘proof’ that you’ve thought the idea through and considered all aspects involved in writing it. It also shows them a valid sample of your writing style.

It’s not enough to just say “I have a great idea for a book” and expect someone to send you some money to write it…. (YES I’ve had writers ask me why they can’t do this?!) You need to show that you’ve considered your book idea deeply , and you do this via crafting a book proposal. You also need some ‘skin in the game’ so-to-speak, and writing a book proposal is that skin. I’m editing this post to add: YOU NEED TO WRITE SOME OR ALL OF THE MEMOIR MATERIAL TO WRITE A GOOD BOOK PROPOSAL FOR MEMOIR.

Because it’s a narrative nonfiction, your sample material will show publishers and agents that there is a CLEAR and CONSISTENT narrative thread, a strong voice, and a strong hook.

The size and scope of book proposals varies wildly, but I’ll take you through the basics of a memoir book proposal, because that’s what I’ve written and sold.

Book proposals and story pitches

When I was a freelance journalist I learnt very quickly that getting a story commissioned was all about crafting a great ‘pitch’. The book proposal is simply a longer pitch document. The stakes are higher (a 4,5 or 6 figure deal Vs a $500 or $2K story commission), but it essentially does the same thing. You’re proposing a project to a publisher, showing them how you would approach it, ‘selling’ them on why you are the best person to write it, in the hopes that they will agree and commission the work!

Non-fiction book proposals vs memoir book proposals

While non-fiction books such as health, spiritual, self-help etc typically are sold on proposal-only, a memoir is slightly different. Non-fiction book proposals are much more sales and platform-focussed, where with memoirs it’s much more about the writing style.

Many publishers like to see the full manuscript before commissioning a memoir, particularly if the author has never published a book before. But many editors and agents are happy to work with an author to shape the material, if the proposal shows enough potential. Because selling a memoir is more connected with the author’s writing style, the hook and the voice than the author’s expertise , the sample material is much more important in the memoir proposal.

Memoir book proposals:

If you’ve never published a book before, your proposal will need to be much meatier and extensive. You need to show the potential publishers that you have the chops and the know-how to finish this book and do it well.

Because I’d already published a memoir when I wrote the proposal for A Letter From Paris (so my first memoir did the ‘heavy lifting’ of showing the potential publishers that I could deliver a manuscript), my book proposal was a little shorter than many I’ve seen for unpublished authors.

For my literary agent to sell A Letter From Paris to potential publishers, my book proposal included:

• Synopsis  / Overview – and this included comparative titles and a sense of where it would sit in the marketplace.
• Author Bio  / Platform (including published works)
• Chapter Outlines (detailed and with a paragraph for each).
• Sample material of 10 000 words.

My agent also wrote her own pitch for the project, when she sent it out (this was a short introductory email).

Non-Fiction Proposals

Non-fiction book proposals are much larger documents. I’ve ghost-written numerous book proposals, edited and seen many successful ones, and the emphasis is much larger on author expertise and platform. If you’re selling a non-fiction book whether or not it’s a memoir, I’d suggest getting your hands on a copy of this excellent book by Jody Rein and Michael Larsen , which breaks down each section and answers most of your common questions (eg. Where to include links etc).  There’s also plenty of book proposal workshops out and about at the moment. Before you pay for a workshop, I would suggest getting as clear as you can on your book’s genre, first, and simply finding some comparative titles.

What goes into your memoir book proposal?

Here’s a very basic rundown of what to include in your memoir book proposal:

1. Synopsis or Overview

This can be the hardest thing to write but once it’s done, it’s like your map and your guide for the rest of the proposal.

A synopsis is anywhere between 350 and 500 words outlining the story, the hook, the style, the time-span, and finishing with some comparative titles and style reference points is good. I teach you exactly how to structure your synopsis for memoir in my signature programme, The Art of Memoir . Again, I’ll stress that you will need a draft of your memoir to pitch a memoir if this is your first book. The Art of Memoir takes you through the draft and revision process completely.

2. Author Bio

Here I’ll give an idea of the audiences I regularly reach, my writing experience, top tier publications where I’ve had bylines and any other relevant information that conveys my writing background as it relates to this specific book. This is where you ONLY include relevant and pertinent media, bylines, facts. If you have an essay coming out soon, I would omit the name of the publication until it’s actually out – I had an essay in Vogue that was held for a year after they’d paid me for it. I didn’t use Vogue in my bio until it was actually published.

3. Chapter Outlines

This is when you really need to start visioning your book as a whole. You simply cannot sell a book without writing a fair chunk of it, and this is often where writers slip up. At a minimum include a paragraph for each, including titles (if they have titles), and include the word count of the entire book (or the goal word count) up the top of this section. If your memoir has a unique structure (say, it’s a collection of related essays), this needs to be clear from the Chapter Outlines. You can go really in-depth with your chapter outlines (which is tedious), so I recommend ONLY doing a detailed chapter outline summary when you have revised and polished the full manuscript draft. why? Because you’ll have to completely rewrite them!

4. Sample material

In my experience this is the hardest and most important part of a memoir book proposal. If you’re selling a memoir on proposal only, you need to show the voice AND the slice of life AND the major themes the book will cover. You need to throw the reader into the story and make the ‘road ahead’ clear from this sample. You want it to be as good as possible – potential isn’t enough. At a minimum, include three sample chapters. You want these sample chapters to be AS GOOD AS YOU CAN POSSIBLY GET THEM. So spend some time on your manuscript before you start writing the proposal. This is why, for a first memoir, I recommend drafting the manuscript first.

My sample for A Letter From Paris was around 8000 words, but I suggest doing much more (and will write much more for the next proposal). The more of the book you’ve crafted and drafted, the better shape the sample will be in. Remember that writing is re-writing! And you want it to be as close to what you’ll be delivering as the finished manuscript, too. No publisher wants to get a different book to what they commissioned.

In summary:

Writing a book proposal for your memoir is a valuable exercise even if you aren’t pitching your book before completing the full manuscript. Why? Because it helps you start to phrase and frame your work in publishing terms: eg. intergenerational memoir, medical memoir and mystery with elements of XX meets XXX. The more you practise your pitch, the better it gets. Want to know more about pitching a memoir well? Download my pitch guide for memoir by clicking on the picture below.

Hi! I wrote a memoir, self help book. It has 184 pages. I published it on my own, git 800 prints to test and ask around and work on the feedback. I’ve been doing that for some years now, the feedback is great. My next step is that I need a book proposal, cover letter and Query letter. I need this to participate on a contest in Hay House writer’s workshop. Can you help me on my proposal and query letter? Please send me the cost, the time frame and any suggestions.

Hello – I am starting on a memoir book proposal now and find your suggestions very helpful. Other authors on this subject stress more about explaining why your book matters, what need does it fulfill, why will the reader care, how will the book benefit the reader – as well as what you mention about the “Hook” and “Benefit Appeal” to the marketplace. They stress that more than telling the potential agent what the book is about. Should I include everything? I have finished the book but I’m still shaping it. Right now it sits around 89,000 words. I have more than enough for a 10,000 word sample and all the chapters are finished – though not titled. Should I title every chapter? Thanks, J

Hey James! Thanks for reaching out. I would most definitely make your proposal as ‘finished’ as possible – ie. show them what the book will look like, read like (even down to chapter titles if you do have them) as a completed manuscript. Hope this answers your question – memoir is unique in that the sample is equally important to the marketing ‘proof’. So just make sure that is your absolute best sample that you include! All the very best, Louisa

Hey Louisa,

Working through a memoir proposal right meow about my relationship with my best-friend: my 95 year old grandfather. I’ve been working through the table of content sections for each chapter. Samples I’ve seen are very brief and to the point — telling, more than showing. Mine have gotten a titch longer — 400ish words, some longer. I think it more vividly tells the story, but all signs point to this being a non-starter. Is it a hard-no to have chapter descriptions that are little longer than the two paragraph format I see everywhere else? Thanks!

Hi Eric I think for narrative non-fiction (which memoir falls into!) you can definitely do longer. It’s more work for you, but definitely OK for memoir.

Hi, Louisa, I’ve written a complete memoir as well (89,000 words). It’s taken me over seven years and is about as polished as I can get it. I’ve considered having it professionally edited, but since I’m on a fixed income have not followed through. Do you think I should get it edited anyway, or just go ahead and take my chances with it the way it is? Would it help to say that I am ready to revise as necessary, or is that not necessary?

Hi Neil, I wouldn’t advise a professional edit – you need to know how to revise, yourself. And Publishers will assume you are ready to revise but you still need to get it as polished as possible if you want them to read it and want to publish it! If you’re interested in learning the revision techniques I’ve used, you might like my self-study Manuscript Finishing School course.

Hi Louisa! For a memoir proposal, do I write in this or first person? And what are your thoughts on the proposal having the sale time and voice as the memoir?

Hi- Thanks for all the helpful info! My memoir is 85,000 words and has many short chapters, 75ish. Should I combine them to make longer ones or I actually write a paragraph for each in the proposal?

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Hints for a Great Cover Letter

[I originally posted this piece over 12 years ago. The information still holds true, but I suspect many have not found the necessary information elsewhere, so I dare post it again. I’ve left all the comments intact since they add to the ongoing conversation. Feel free to add your thoughts.]]

_________________________

Here are a few suggestions for you to consider when approaching an agent or an editor. Remember to use these as hints…do not follow them slavishly as if a literary agent will spend their time critiquing your cover letter.

By the way, we distinguish between a cover letter and a query letter. A cover letter goes on top of a longer proposal and sample chapters. The query letter is a stand-alone letter that goes to the editor/agent without a proposal or sample chapters. We prefer the cover letter and the rest of the package. Why? Because a query only shows that you can write a letter. A proposal begins the process of showing that you know how to write a book.

Address the letter to a specific person. If sending something to The Steve Laube Agency, simply address the appropriate agent. Every proposal will cross the desk of the designated agent eventually. (Please do NOT send it to all of us at the same time)

Use this cover letter in the body of your email, but NOT the proposal and sample chapters! You’d be stunned to see how many people contact us with a blank email carrying only a subject line of “here it is.”

Don’t waste your time or ours. Do your homework! If you are submitting to an agent, visit their website and follow their guidelines!!! We cannot emphasize this enough! Make certain to spell the person’s name right. (My name is spelled, Steve Laube. Not “Laub” “Labe” “Lobby” “Looby” etc. But note that Bob Hostetler has to address me as “sir” or “the honorable” or “Mr. Boss”.)

If you use The Christian Writers Market Guide or some online database listing agents or editors, make sure you have the most current information because addresses do change (go to their website). Our main office changed its mailing address in February of 2007…and we still discover material is being sent to the old address. You would be astounded by the number of calls or inquiries we receive from writers who have not done their research. Someone called the Phoenix office the other day looking to talk to one of our agents who does not live or work in Phoenix.

Whatever you do, do  not say your book is the next bestseller like Purpose Driven Life , Eat Pray Love, Left Behind , or  The Shack , or that it will sell better than  The Da Vinci Code ,  Twilight ,  Harry Potter , or  The Chronicles of Narnia . That shows an ignorance of the market that is best left alone. [update note: These examples will date you really fast. The Harry Potter books are over 25 years old, published in 1997.]

In addition, please do not claim “God gave me this book so you must represent or publish it.” We are firm believers in the inspiration that comes from a faith-filled life, but making it part of your pitch is a big mistake. Read this blog post for a larger discussion on this point.

____________

The 4-part Cover letter:

1) A simple introductory sentence is sufficient. Basically, you are saying “Hi. Thank you for the opportunity…”

2)  Use a “sound bite” statement. A “sound bite” statement is the essence of your novel or non-fiction book idea in 40 words or less.

The fiction sound bite could include:

a. The heroic character b. The central issue of the story c. The heroic goal d. The worthy adversary e. Action f. The ending g. A grabber h. Or a twist

The non-fiction sound bite should include the main focus or topic. One suggestion is to describe the Problem, Solution, and Application.

If someone were to ask about your book you would answer, “My book is about (write in your sound bite.)”

Another word for sound bite is “hook.”

3)  Tell why your book is distinctive – identify who will read it . (Targeted age group….adult, teen, youth) – point out what’s fresh, new, and different.

One suggestion would be, for your intended genre, read several recent books in the same genre as your own to familiarize yourself with the market.

4)  G ive pertinent manuscript details : a) mention whether or not your book is completed (if it is not, then give an estimate as to when it will be finished) b) word length of the complete manuscript, even if it is an estimate (approximate – round off the number) c) pertinent biographical info d) tell the agent if it is a simultaneous submission e) let the agent know they can discard the proposal if rejected.

Click here to review a sample non-fiction cover letter from someone who approached us via an email inquiry. We signed her as a client.

Keep the letter to one page!!

Please don’t use narrow margins or tiny print to fit it all on one sheet. That is silly. We once received a cover letter with an 8-point font and 1/4-inch margins. It was virtually unreadable.

About Steve Laube

Steve Laube, president and founder of The Steve Laube Agency, a veteran of the bookselling industry with 40 years of experience. View all posts by Steve Laube →

Reader Interactions

January 17, 2011 at 5:45 pm

Thanks for clarifying the difference between a query and a cover letter. And I never thought about including a note about discarding the proposal if it’s rejected. I’ll remember that next time.

January 17, 2011 at 8:40 pm

Thanks for the helpful information. Appreciate, too, your making it print friendly. This is going into my “Writing Aids” file.

January 19, 2011 at 2:52 pm

This is very helpful. Thank you for this overview of the cover letter. I critique manuscripts at writers conferences, and I plan to refer them to this post!

January 19, 2011 at 11:09 pm

I am confused; this article requires a cover letter be ONE page, double-spaced, exactly while the Guidelines article requests the story be summed up in up to THREE pages, single-spaced. So what are you supposed to do since these contradict and I would like to present myself as expected by Mr.Laube?

January 20, 2011 at 8:24 am

Let me clarify so as there is no confusion.

This article is about the cover letter. Keep that to one page.

The synopsis is not the cover letter. That piece is where you tell the whole story of the novel in a maximum of three single spaced pages.

Any presentation package to an agent or a publisher has three parts. 1) The cover letter (one page) 2) The proposal – which includes, among other things, a synopsis of the book or story 3) Sample chapters

Hope that helps!

March 8, 2012 at 11:53 am

Thank you Steve. Any bits of wisdom imparted to the masses is wonderful.

February 4, 2016 at 11:54 am

So, just to clarify, should the promo sentence, sales handle and back cover copy be included in the same document as the synopsis?

The word count, target audience and platform are all mentioned briefly in the cover letter. Should they also be reiterated more in-depth in the proposal?

Just trying to line up my wayward ducks. There’s no point in submitting a manuscript if it isn’t submitted properly.

September 21, 2017 at 8:20 am

Thank you for your guidance and clarification. It helps to have every aspect broken down so well.

May 21, 2021 at 4:29 am

thanks for the offered clarification, one further point please. Perhaps I am reading too deeply and detailed, but cover letter, sample chapters, synopsis, we are talking three separate attachments to the email, given the different structures of each piece. Thanks

January 20, 2011 at 10:33 am

Now I understand. Thank you for taking the time to reply 🙂

As an aside, for further clarification – the sample chapters should always be the first three correct? (No other chapters instead?) And if you have a prelude, I would assume that would not be counted as the first chapter, particularly if it is only a few pages?

One last question please: in the cover letter should you use specific names of characters or simply be broad until you arrive at the synopsis?

Thank you so much for making things clear and God bless you.

January 20, 2011 at 11:06 am

Sample chapters. Always the first pages. Include a prelude or a preface if applicable. The idea for the limitation is to keep what you send under 50 pages of text. Some chapters are very short, some are long. But sending too much will put you in the “I’ll read this someday, when I have the time” pile.

As for the cover letter? You aren’t retelling the whole story in the cover letter so character names are not as critical. But they can be used if appropriate. Don’t write something like “Snow White along with Sneezy, Sleepy, Dopey, Doc, Happy, Bashful, and Grumpy went to the local grocery store to buy some apples.” That can wait for the manuscript or the synopsis if you want to use those names.

January 20, 2011 at 1:37 pm

Great! Thank you again and one absolutely necessary (and final) question please: my prelude is the first 4 pages and that with the first three chapters bring you to page 60. Is that a problem? Should I just cut the story off at page 50? Thank you and this is my final question 🙂

January 20, 2011 at 1:44 pm

I can safely say, without seeing your work or reading a word, that your chapters are too long to begin with.

Cut your chapter length by thinking in terms of scenes. Make chapter breaks more frequent. A twenty page chapter in a novel is far too long in today’s market.

To be even safer, consider hiring a good freelance editor ( click here for a list ) to give you help and advice before ever sending it to us. If a manuscript is pretty good, we will reject it. It has to be magnificent and nearly ready for market.

March 20, 2017 at 10:23 am

Any idea of the price range for a freelance editor that you have listed on you link?

January 20, 2011 at 7:17 pm

Thank you for the input. My work is Christian fiction, so a few of the chapters are for world-building so that is why some of the chapters may be a little longer. I have plenty of chapters that are 8 or 11 or 14 pages long, but the third one in particular is 27 pages. I suppose I will have to split that up of course, and I do think in terms of scenes (as in a movie)…So be it then.

January 21, 2011 at 1:43 pm

One more question: if you are writing a trilogy and are only submitting the first book thus far, would the synopsis cover only the 1st book or would it encompass all 3? Thank you!

January 21, 2011 at 1:47 pm

Ryan, There is no hard and fast rule. It is usually a good idea, when submitting a trilogy, to have at least a half page worth of synopsis included in the proposal. A publisher needs to have something they can see in order to buy.

March 16, 2013 at 4:14 am

I have a project encompassing 5 books on the religious beliefs of the Founding Fathers which uses the historical record to refute the Internet claim that the FF were deists and atheists. The first book is done, 2 others are 85% done. There are over 600 separate cited sources in the first book, two-thirds of which are in the public domain. Must I get written permission from the other 200 sources before I can publish the book or will footnoting the quotes used with TITLE, AUTHOR, PUBLISHER INFO, DATE, AND PAGE NUMBER be sufficient ?

Thanks very much for your help.

January 21, 2011 at 9:38 pm

Great, and with that, I have run out of questions, much to your satisfaction 🙂 Thank you and I will be sending you something soon.

February 15, 2011 at 4:58 pm

This is a great post. Thank you.

I do have a question, though. I have published my book (11/8/09), but I would like to be represented. What kind of pages do I submit? The book or the final draft of the ms before it went to print?

Also, this book is the first of a series of books that I have outlined at this point with one other ms done (children’s book, which is apart form the series).

How would I document this in a cover letter (the book and subsequent ideas I have outlined as I know you don’t accept children’s books)?

I appreciate your time and attention.

February 19, 2011 at 11:05 pm

A necessary question: are the sales handle, promo sentence & back cover copy lumped in with the synopsis or are they separate in a fiction proposal so that the proposal would contain a cover letter, synopsis, sample chapters and then another page with those 3 items? It just is not clear from what I have read on here. Thank you for clearing this up! God bless you in His name, Ryan

May 17, 2011 at 6:58 am

Dear Steve,

Thank you for explaining what you expect of our submissions to your office. I spent the night finishing my proposal and cover letter to your specifications and sent out my package today.

Faithfully, Christopher Holms

August 19, 2011 at 8:33 pm

Steve, I’ve finished my first Biblical historical novel about Jesus, the God-man. While my goal was to stay with twenty pages per chapter, some are a couple of pages longer. And how many lines per page do you suggest? I’ve tried to stick with the typical publisher’s guideline, but would appreciate your comments on this area. Also since you state that you’re open to all genres of fiction, does this include Biblical historical?

August 20, 2011 at 11:13 am

Simply use the computer’s double-space format. Also use one inch margins on all four sides. And use a Times Roman 12 point font. Whatever you do, do NOT try to squeeze more lines on a page. That will only irritate a reviewer.

In general, when using the above formatting you will end up with about 300 words on a page…which is very similar to the word count on a finished book.

A chapter that runs to 20 pages is probably going to feel long, depending on the action and dialogue included. That is over 6,000 words in a chapter.

As for our agency’s interest? I personally tend to stay away from most Biblical fiction. The only exception is Tosca Lee (see her novel HAVAH: The Story of Eve). But you may find that our other two agents may be more interested.

And be aware that if your novel is based on the life of Jesus you will need to compare it to the classic novels by Marjorie Holmes and the novel by Walter Wangerin…all of which are still in print.

October 2, 2011 at 7:35 pm

As as up and coming writer, it’s so important to attend conferences, begin networking, but most of all, read about your craft. In order to put your best foot forward, a writer needs to know what is expected. I’ve learned the answer to many of the questions above through writers groups, networking at conferences and obtaining an editor to work with me on my projects.

October 8, 2011 at 8:58 pm

Thank you for this practical advice! Much appreciated. I in preparing the proposal to send off, I am grateful for your graceful bluntness of what you are looking for. Saves us both time and energy when communicating.

October 20, 2011 at 11:46 am

Thank you for outlining so clearly what exactly you expect in a cover letter! I was unclear on one point, however; the first part you identify – “a simple introductory statement is sufficient.”

I confess, I’m unsure on what you are looking for in that statement. Your example is, “Hi, thanks for the opportunity,” but I can’t imagine that you’re looking for something to blunt and plain. What are you wanting from the author in this statement; what are you seeking to know? Is this statement really necessary, or could a cover letter open with the second part, the sound bite?

Thank you for taking the time to clarify this matter.

November 5, 2011 at 10:55 am

I have the same question regarding the Introductory Statement. Thank you for posting this information about the cover letter. It is a huge help!

November 25, 2011 at 4:21 am

Steve, when submitting a proposal for a novel that is intended as the first of a trilogy, is this something that should be mentioned in the cover letter? I’m uncertain as the second book is not yet written and the first works as a stand-alone.

Thanks so much,

November 26, 2011 at 8:43 am

Marge, If you intend to propose a series, even if book one stands alone, that should be mentioned in the cover letter and the proposal. If you are doing a query letter without a proposal then most definitely reveal the plan for a trilogy.

But if you are not certain a second book can be written then do not mention it, instead go with the stand alone.

There are times where the success of a first book creates demand for a sequel. However, most agents and publishers like to know that there is a career or a future with a particular author beyond the first book. One-book wonders do happen, and with some success. But generally we look at the total potential of an author.

May 9, 2014 at 5:50 am

Steve, Is your answer intended to convey to those of us in later life that we have little chance of finding agents and publishers? Now that I am in my early sixties and have retired I finally have the time to write but I am realistic enough to see that my literary career is unlikely to be long.

How do foreign authors work with American agents? Our style and spelling do not always align well with yours – I am English but I write (and speak) in British English not American.

Many thanks Steve

May 9, 2014 at 9:09 am

Steve Long,

We have no idea of the age of an author because we are reviewing the content of a proposal. The age of the author is immaterial.

Our primary audience is the U.S. reader. If you write with British English a U.S. based publisher will note that they will have to work harder at the various editing stages to change the style to fit U.S. English standards. Some contracts even name the Chicago Manual of Style as the standard to which the submitted manuscript must comply.

My advice? Change to the American style of English and it won’t be a potential barrier.

December 5, 2011 at 7:03 am

We write for the love of it, to entertain and educate and nobody knows for certain what will fly, so don’t worry too much about anything.

Yes, being professional is good so one ought to be polite and open minded, but we need to write compelling stories – – those that will pull readers in and not let them out easily.

Set our tone, grab a theme and move the story along like an expert, keeping us engaged, questionning and interested. Action, drama, suspense, pathos and transformative characters are excellent pieces of narrative. Hook ’em and don’t let them go.

January 24, 2012 at 12:59 pm

If I have a self-published book but hope to see it reach a greater audience, do I make copies of the pages to submit to you? I do not have them on a Word document form any longer. Thanks!

February 9, 2012 at 12:11 pm

You will need to have your manuscript in digital form at some point (Word is preferred by most publishers). If you self-published it had to be in digital form at some point. Even your printer should be able to provide a file. If it is a PDF it can be converted back to Word with the right software.

Just copying pages and mailing them is not a good idea.

January 25, 2012 at 3:19 pm

I’m a Canadian who has a completed manuscript about a personal family tragedy that garnered both political and public support. It tells how our faith and God’s intervention brought discoveries that eluded authorities after the failure of the largest search launched in 30 years.

Although this is a personal story, the case is now being used at symposiums for both Crown and Defence attorneys in Canada.

Does this story fall into the category of anything you’ve worked with or be willing to work with. I am looking for an agent in a very competitive field.

February 9, 2012 at 12:14 pm

Hard to comment in a blog comment like this because technically I still don’t know what the story is about. Best not to use the comment section to make the pitch.

We have, on occasion, represented a personal story if it is highly unusual and has commercial appeal. In 2013, look for UNTIL WE ALL COME HOME by Kim de Blecourt as an example (published by FaithWords).

March 2, 2012 at 10:40 pm

Steve – I am seriously impressed to see that you are still tracking new comments on this post a year after it was first posted.

April 30, 2012 at 2:41 pm

Thanks for the how-to on the cover letter.

May 7, 2012 at 2:46 pm

Hello: I’d like to receive an example of a one page cover letter to an agent. I have query and synopsis letters and some agents want a cover letter as well. Thank you for your help! Brenda Sue (This is a fiction, suspenseful, murder, romantic novel dealing with international art theft.)

June 19, 2012 at 1:08 pm

Hi Steve, Thanks so much for going far beyond the call of duty and explaining exactly what is a cover letter. Now, it’s up to me. I’ll do my best.

Blessings, Jackie King-Scott

July 7, 2012 at 11:58 am

Steve, I have a quick question. I am nearing completion on a Biblical fiction novel about the nativity of Jesus. Since everyone is already familiar with the story, should I take a different approach to the cover letter and synopsis?

Thank you for any advise.

Respectfully, Deborah

January 18, 2014 at 11:03 am

Your cover letter should focus on what makes your story unique. That “selling point” is critical for a publisher when considering whether or not they can make room for it in the marketplace.

July 23, 2012 at 7:03 pm

Thanks so much for all the help you’ve given us in this post.

Sincerely, Jackie

August 8, 2012 at 7:49 pm

I’m curious to know if you can provide a sample cover letter as an example. I’m sure it would help others who are visual learners like myself.

In Christ, Fletch

January 18, 2014 at 5:56 pm

A sample non-fiction cover letter is now available for review on our site: https://stevelaube2.wpengine.com/sample-cover-letter/

August 23, 2012 at 10:04 am

Hello Steve, I have a question. I published a book with another publishing company that turned out to be a POD. My book has a part two to it. The way that I wrote part two you really don’t need to read part one to understand. I would like to send it to you. Would this be a good idea to send in part two.

January 18, 2014 at 11:01 am

That is risky because while you may think the reader doesn’t need part one, in reality there may be things in the story that are confusing to a reader of book two.

I’ve never seen a publisher jump at the chance to publish book two in a series if they do not also publish book one.

August 23, 2012 at 6:46 pm

Hello, I am currently self published under a freewill contract in which I can cease printing at anytime. I have had issues getting proper statements and wish to be represented for traditional publishing. Will this be an issue for you to accept a manuscript?

January 18, 2014 at 11:00 am

Not an issue if you own the publication rights. It is your book to sell to another publisher.

January 13, 2014 at 11:08 am

Thank you for the helpful information. I have one question: when sending a proposal by email, do you want a query letter in the body of the email and the a cover letter, sample chapters and synopsis attached as a file, or is the cover letter in the body of the email? Thank you, Lara Van Hulzen

January 18, 2014 at 10:59 am

The body of the email should contain a pitch of some sort. The content of the cover letter described above would serve that purpose well.

A HUGE mistake is made by some who send an email with the body of the email blank or with a sentence like “Here is my book. Take a look.”

Or “If you want to read my book go to this web page.”

January 18, 2014 at 10:39 am

Do you prefer single or double-spacing in a cover letter?

January 18, 2014 at 10:56 am

Single spaced. Just like a regular letter.

The only thing that is double-spaced is the sample chapters or manuscript itself.

January 18, 2014 at 11:57 am

Thank you, sir, for the fast reply.

April 29, 2014 at 9:03 am

I have nothing to submit in the moment except my deep gratitude for your site, so full of so much a writer needs to understand and apply. It’s like a free tutorial, clean, clear, concise, a true resource for the explanation of the sticky things, like query, and proposal and what to send to whom, what never to do, what’s absolutely necessary to do, and anything else that causes a writer to do the Stupid Stumble. You save our face over and over with all this help.

I just want to express my pleasure to have discovered such a credible site run by a gifted teacher. Okay. Back to the memoir.

July 22, 2014 at 11:23 am

I am now confused over the length of chapters. My chapters in standard spacing are between 8-13 pages in length. When I double space them as asked the first three chapters are 19 pages in length. So when you recommend chapters be less than 20 pages are you talking about double-spaced print or standard print? Thanks for your reply.

July 23, 2014 at 6:42 am

Always send a manuscript using Double-spaced text. The proposal and synopsis is single spaced.

Thus your chapters are very long. But it may be that they are just fine as is. Sometimes you can get away with longer chapters.

I do recommend leaning toward shorter…

March 7, 2015 at 8:30 pm

Within the first paragraph (second sentence) one reads, “…As if a literary agent is going to spend their time….” I would have thought someone in the “profession” would be a bit more capable of matching a singular subject with a singular pronoun. This confusion of “number” has become acceptable I suppose because so many are willing to worship at the altar of political correctness, so as not to appear behind the times while ruffling feathers.

March 7, 2015 at 10:31 pm

I suppose I could have use “his or her” or “his/her” instead of “their.” But instead I used what is called the “Singular Their.”

See this post about that topic: https://stevelaube2.wpengine.com/the-singular-they/

Hope that helps clarify.

May 18, 2015 at 2:49 pm

I have written a memoir and believe that Karen Ball is most likely the agent with your group who would be interested.

I understand that a cover letter, proposal and sample chapters should be sent to her. In reviewing your instructions for submissions, it seems that much of the information in the cover letter gets repeated in the proposal (or is it just me?!)

Should I therefore just keep the cover letter very succinct? Or do a combo cover letter/proposal and attach sample chapters? Thank you! I’m very new to this.

June 5, 2015 at 11:48 am

So when writing a cover letter you should specify that you are writing or have written a series of books? I am on my third book and plan on making at least two more. I was told before when writing the manuscript to only focus on that one book, and to reveal the ending of that one book.

October 27, 2015 at 5:50 pm

Hi Mr. Laube, After reading through the post and the comments, I just want to make sure I understand. Do you prefer the cover letter and proposal to be emailed or mailed?

November 8, 2015 at 8:00 am

When researching agents and their submission requirements, I see “query, synopsis and first 3 chapters or 50 pages”. I’ve never heard of a “cover letter”. My novel is a 29,000 word middle grade story.

February 3, 2016 at 8:43 pm

It’s really, really hard to boil down a 200 page book to 40 words. I feel like I”m trying to write a haiku of my entire life….

February 10, 2016 at 11:35 am

When you write or type a query letter; should you follow the guidelines of literary sites or not to follow the submission guidelines? There were a few writers who didn’t follow the guide-lines and sent a query letter and got represented.

June 13, 2016 at 3:33 pm

Steve, can you offer a sample 40-word sound bite for a historical? Struggling with the 40 word concept.

Always learn from you.

August 22, 2016 at 2:29 am

if you are writing a cover letter, or book review, synopsis etc. you should take a glance at this page to find out some tips

September 19, 2016 at 9:50 am

I was hoping you might clarify for me concerning your guidelines for submission of a query letter versus a cover letter. Do you prefer a query letter be sent via email with the book proposal and sample three chapters or a cover letter sent through the mail with an attached book proposal and sample three chapters? I am slightly confused because its appears the cover letter would only be sent if you were interested in the query letter. Would it be possible to send the covered letter instead via email with the attachments for the book proposal and sample chapters?

July 4, 2017 at 7:55 am

Daniel, I can see how that might be confusing. Try not to overthink it.

Let me clarify…as far as our agency goes, which is not a universal thing.

Never send us a query letter. That one page, if sent by itself, will not help us evaluate your writing in any way.

Always send a full proposal. A part of that proposal will be your cover letter, which is basically a “hello my name is” sort of introduction.

November 2, 2016 at 7:32 pm

Great post. I didn’t think I could shorten my pitch to a 40 word sound bite, but I did. Thanks

April 6, 2017 at 9:09 am

Hi Steve This is great. I just watched your interview in the Masters class in the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild. That was very informative. Thank you. If I want to use a pen name do I include this information in the cover letter? Thank you for your time.

July 4, 2017 at 7:52 am

Yes. It can be as as simple as “I write under the pen name of I. Noah Tall, which you will notice on the title page of the proposal.”

July 3, 2017 at 11:18 pm

Thanks so much for this helpful post! I just have one question–where can I find the book Hope for Anxiety Girl from the example cover letter? I am 100% the target audience and I so want to read it! I can’t find it online and I’m wondering if a) it was retitled, b) it’s not yet published, or c) it was repurposed into a different book. Thanks again! 🙂

July 4, 2017 at 7:50 am

Rebecca. That specific book idea has gone through multiple iterations but has yet to be published. However, the writer has had other successful projects released. The latest is a co-authored book (with Kathy Lipp) called OVERWHELMED.

https://www.amazon.com/Overwhelmed-Quiet-Chaos-Restore-Sanity/dp/0736965386/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1499179781&sr=1-1&keywords=cheri+gregory

July 4, 2017 at 8:52 am

Thanks! I purchased a copy of Overwhelmed last night. 🙂

July 28, 2017 at 10:50 am

In the Proposal Guidelines, it says to include:

Promo Sentence Sales Handles Back Cover Copy

Do you actually want to see those headings in the proposal? Sorry if this is a dumb question.

September 22, 2017 at 11:37 am

You’re my kind of girl! Although we’ve seasons and waxing and waning needs, I’ve grown comfortable in the book club porch hammock with a tome of my own selection. I hate someone else deciding where I need to mature or what I’m going to spend a month devouring.

“Teach us to number our days aright, o Lord, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” With a barrage of published and digital words stalking us, we need discernment on what edifies.

October 9, 2017 at 12:41 pm

I’m a man with a unique name and a unique manuscript searching for a unique agent. I found your answers very helpful, practical and instructive. Thank you.

July 18, 2018 at 3:09 pm

Hello! I’m not sure if you still check a post this old, but I’ll give it a try. Should the cover letter be the body of the email with the rest of the proposal as the attachment, or should it be a part of the attachment with the rest of the proposal?

August 15, 2018 at 7:51 am

Thank you for the helpful post! It’s nice to have a concrete idea of what the agent is looking for before sending out the book proposal.

April 11, 2019 at 12:48 pm

This is wonderfully informative. Thank you!

June 10, 2019 at 5:47 pm

In looking at the guidelines for a proposal, it lists a number of things for non-fiction, compares fiction and adds a few additional notes. My question is, in non-fiction it asks for a half page to one page overview. If all of the additional topics are addressed for fiction it seems to cover a lot of what is described in the overview. Do you want a half page to one page overview for a fiction proposal as well?

June 13, 2022 at 6:54 am

Steve, Thank you for this terrific perennial post! The patient answers to the many questions demonstrate your passion for supporting writers. Thank you for taking the time to instill such great knowledge. It is much appreciated by this new author.

June 13, 2022 at 8:10 am

Thanks so much, Steve! These posts with examples for how to do the basics are always so helpful. I look back on them whenever I work on my proposals. Such a great resource!

June 13, 2022 at 1:26 pm

Steve, I’ve published numerous articles and love my work as an editor of books and articles and author and editor of academic research. If I submit everything you described in this great article correctly and well, and my contemporary and historical women’s fiction books have been alpha and beta reviewed with strong support and appropriately edited, but I have virtually no platform (only 1046 Followers on my website), is there realistically any point in submitting a proposal to an agent before I build a larger platform? Thanks to reading Writer’s Guide and this column for many years, I think I’ve mastered and actually enjoy the submission process you described, but I keep running into the platform roadblock. If there is no platform of thousands to cite in the proposal, is it likely to generate an offer to represent or publish? Thanks!

August 2, 2022 at 9:59 am

Okay, so I got to eat a little crow here(which isn’t bad if you put a little A-1 on it), I didn’t read the submission instructions properly and submitted my information, and a portion of my book totally wrong. I have since gone back and read as I should have done in the first place. Now I will PROPERLY submit my work as it should be. I hope this didn’t cause too much of a headache for you and your staff and please forgive my anxious foolishness. I do have a couple of questions: 1. Do I have to wait a certain amount of time before I can re-submit my work? 2. The manuscript is being edited, should I wait until the edit is complete before I resubmit it?

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Biden and Trump, trading barbs, agree to 2 presidential debates, in June and September

President Joe Biden and Donald Trump have agreed to participate in two general election debates, one in June and one in September.

In this combination photo, President Joe Biden speaks May 2, 2024, in Wilmington, N.C., left, and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally, May 1, 2024, in Waukesha, Wis. (AP Photo)

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President Joe Biden speaks at the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies’ 30th annual gala, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

Former President Donald Trump, standing with defense attorney Todd Blanche, speaks after a court session outside his trial at Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle, Pool)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on Wednesday agreed to hold two campaign debates — the first on June 27 hosted by CNN and the second on Sept. 10 hosted by ABC — setting the stage for their first presidential face-off to play out in just over a month.

The quick agreement on the timetable followed the Democrat’s announcement that he would not participate in fall presidential debates sponsored by the nonpartisan commission that has organized them for more than three decades. Biden’s campaign instead proposed that media outlets directly organize the debates between the presumptive Democratic and Republican nominees .

The debate is so unusually early on the political calendar that neither Biden nor Trump will have formally accepted his party’s nomination.

Hours later, Biden said he had accepted an invitation from CNN, adding, “Over to you, Donald.” Trump, who had insisted he would debate Biden anytime and anyplace, said on Truth Social he’d be there, too, adding, “Let’s get ready to Rumble!!!” Soon after that, they agreed to the second debate on ABC.

“Trump says he’ll arrange his own transportation,” Biden wrote on X, working in a jab about the perks of incumbency. “I’ll bring my plane, too. I plan on keeping it for another four years.”

The swiftness with which the matchups came together reflects how each of the two unpopular candidates thinks he can get the better of his opponent in a head-to-head showdown. Trump and his team are convinced the debates will exacerbate voters’ concerns about Biden’s age and competence, while Biden’s team believes Trump’s often-incendiary rhetoric will remind voters of why they voted him out of the White House four years ago.

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The presidential debates, always a critical moment on the political calendar, could be particularly important in a year when voters are underwhelmed with their choices and have expressed concerns about the candidates’ advanced ages — Biden is 81 and Trump 77.

Sprightly on social media, the rivals traded barbs — each claiming victory the last time they faced off in 2020.

“Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020, since then he hasn’t shown up for a debate,” Biden said in a post on X. “Now he’s acting like he wants to debate me again. Well, make my day, pal.”

Trump, for his part, said Biden was the “WORST debater I have ever faced - He can’t put two sentences together!”

The June debate is likely to cap a busy and unsettled stretch, following the likely conclusion of Trump’s criminal hush money trial in New York , foreign trips by Biden to France and Italy, the end of the Supreme Court’s term, and the expected start of two criminal trials for the president’s son, Hunter Biden.

CNN said that its debate would be held at 9 p.m. ET in its Atlanta studios with no audience present in a break from recent precedent. Moderators will be anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, CNN said. ABC did not offer details on where its event would be held, but the network said it would be moderated by anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis. Disagreements about moderators and rules were some of the questions that prompted the formation of the Commission on Presidential Debates in 1987.

The two campaigns and television networks had held weeks of informal talks on ways to circumvent the commission’s grip on presidential debates following years of complaints and perceived slights, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke about internal discussions on condition of anonymity.

Biden’s campaign had proposed excluding third-party candidates, such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. , from the debates outright. Under the debate commission’s rules, Kennedy or other third-party candidates could qualify if they secured ballot access sufficient to claim 270 Electoral Votes and polled at 15% or higher in a selection of national surveys.

Both CNN and ABC announced the same qualification threshold, saying candidates will need to reach at least 15% in four separate national polls of registered or likely voters that meet their standards.

In response, Kennedy accused Biden and Trump of “trying to exclude me from their debate because they are afraid I would win.” He said, “Keeping viable candidates off the debate stage undermines democracy.”

The debates will be the first televised general election matchups to be hosted by individual networks. The 1960 debates, which helped show the power of the medium to influence public opinion, were hosted jointly by the leading networks of the day. Before the commission was formed in 1987, the presidential debates of 1976, 1980 and 1984 were organized by the League of Women Voters.

Plans for a vice presidential debate have yet to be announced.

Trump has been pushing for more and earlier debates, arguing voters should be able to see the two men face off well before early voting begins in September. He has even proposed a debate outside the Manhattan courthouse where he is currently on trial. He also has been taunting Biden with an empty lectern at some of his rallies.

In a memorandum to Biden campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon on Wednesday, Trump senior campaign advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles challenged Biden to agree to at least two additional debates, suggesting one be held each month, with events in June, July, August and September, in addition to a vice presidential debate.

“Additional dates will allow voters to have maximum exposure to the records and future visions of each candidate,” they wrote.

Trump later posted on Truth Social that he had agreed to a third debate, this one hosted by Fox.

“Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that I hereby accept debating Crooked Joe Biden on FoxNews. The date will be Wednesday, October 2nd. The Hosts will be Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum. Thank you, DJT!” he wrote.

O’Malley Dillon responded with a statement accusing Trump of having “a long history of playing games with debates: complaining about the rules, breaking those rules, pulling out at the last minute, or not showing up at all.”

“No more games. No more chaos, no more debate about debates. We’ll see Donald Trump on June 27th in Atlanta – if he shows up,” she wrote.

In an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt Wednesday morning, Trump had raised his own doubts about whether Biden would show, and offered his own suggestions. He said the debates “should go two hours” with both men standing, and he also pushed for larger venues.

“It’s just more exciting,” he said.

Biden’s campaign has long held a grudge against the nonpartisan commission, accusing it of failing to evenly apply its rules during the 2020 Biden-Trump matchups — most notably when it didn’t enforce its COVID-19 testing rules on Trump and his entourage.

AP AUDIO: Biden and Trump agree on debates in June and September, but working out details could be challenging

AP Washington correspondent Sagar Meghani reports President Biden and Donald Trump appear to agree on holding a pair of debates.

O’Malley Dillon on Wednesday sent a letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates to say that Biden’s campaign objected to its proposed debate dates in the fall, which would come after some Americans begin to vote, repeating a complaint also voiced by the Trump campaign. She also voiced frustrations over past rule violations and the commission’s insistence on holding the debates before a live audience.

“The debates should be conducted for the benefit of the American voters, watching on television and at home — not as entertainment for an in-person audience with raucous or disruptive partisans and donors,” she wrote.

There also was little love lost for the commission from Trump, who objected to technical issues at his first debate with Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 and was upset when a 2020 debate with Biden was canceled after the Republican came down with COVID-19. The Republican National Committee had already promised not to work with the commission on the 2024 contests.

The Trump campaign issued a statement on May 1 that said of the debate schedule offered by the commission: “This is unacceptable.”

The commission said in a Wednesday statement, “The American public deserves substantive debates from the leading candidates for president and vice president.” It said its mission is “to ensure that such debates reliably take place and reach the widest television, radio and streaming audience.”

Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2024 election at https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024 .