Writing an irresistible book proposal by michael larsen the golden rule of writing a book proposal is that every word in your. Basic tips on book proposals your book proposal should include the following elements. If an audience is too small or too broad, chances are slim that a traditional publisher will take the risk on your book. Further differentiating those genres into different categories and subcategories makes it easier for the readers to pick only materials that suit their taste. This section should identify as specifically as possible the type of reader you think will be interested in purchasing your book and how many of them are out there. Here to answer your questions about tarket market, clarifying your book concept and how to write a winning book proposal. What can you specifically do to market and promote the book. Begin by describing in under 500 words the essence of your book. How to draft proposals to childrens book publishers dummies. But its important to recognize who your audience is, especially as you start thinking about the next two bullets competitive titles. Discovering the audience of the proposal is the first challenge. Please indicate the most relevant target audience secondary audience please describe your entire audience in as. For a book on writing and publishing you could state the following statistic, nearly eightyone percent of the population believe they have a book in them and there are around six million manuscripts circulating through publishing companies in any given year.
One of the biggest mistakes writers make as fledgling authorpreneurs is believing that the larger the potential market, the greater the chances that their book or freelance services will get noticed. Get tips on how to find and attract your books audience. Elsevier book proposal form working title titles and subtitles should be focused to. Thats not to say a niche market is a deal breakerbut as ive said before, its up to you, the author, to make a clear case for the marketability of your book. The bottom line for this section of the proposal is to show that there is a market for your book.
Voilayou have instant market research about your target audience that can be put into a book proposal or inspire ideas for your marketing strategy. You are also welcome to listen to free audio recordings of teds book proposal bootcamp and other workshops and media appearances. You will be highly unlikely to have a winning book proposal if you try to write one based on a few blog posts you find online. As an author, the secret to finding your target audience is not to list everyone who might be interested in your book. Unsure about what should be in an academic book proposal or what information academic book proposals usually contain. The advantage to the nonfiction book proposal is that an author doesnt need to have a completed manuscriptonly an idea. When you write in your proposal about your audience, its not enough to just say something like, my audience is women ages 1880 who love historical fiction. But, they will definitely want a unique book proposal that demonstrates how you can market the book to the target audience. You need to do what the new owners of that stand did. As you create your market analysis, try to be specific. Now its time to articulate your plans for selling your book by including the marketing and publicity plan that will grab the attention of an agent or editor.
Dont try to write a book proposal based on just blogs. Think of your book proposal as a business plan that must make a. Nonfiction book proposal outline ted weinstein literary. It gives them insight into marketing opportunities. And it provides a snapshot of the project that saves hours of work when someone preparing to evaluate a project for potential representation or publication. Thats a simple way to waste your book marketing efforts. Why will this book appeal to the target audience as no book currently on the market does. Writing a fiction book proposal independent publisher.
Speakup15 5 secondary audiences who, in addition to the target audience, might read or purchase this book. Imagine if you were an agent or an acquisitions editor and received a proposal for a book about creating change in peoples lives and the author described the market for her book this way. The book proposal can be an intimidating genre, but it is a useful one. Describe your book in two or three paragraphs 500 words or less. Understanding your target demographic is important. Define your target audience nonfiction authors association. A book proposal is an essential document used in publishing circles to describe the purpose and scope of a potential publication.
A small hobby or interest could have hundreds of thousands of potential readersand thats just in the united states. Ive read hundreds of them as an acquisitions editor for a traditional publisher and helped numerous authors write them, too, and i understand the importance of. How to identify a target audience for your book in 3 steps. Remember that sometimes youre writing to one audience but. If your book has a primary and secondary audience, answer these questions for each one. Share key information such as your book title, subtitle, your planned number of pages, book category, target audience, and your planned manuscript submission date and other data we need to get prepared for your books next steps. A book about a topic that might seem to have a small audience might still be a viable project. A cover sheet with the books working title and your name as youd like it to appear on the book centered in the middle of the page, book proposal typed in the upperleft corner, and your name. But, then, this means they must be sure to create a book proposal that will make an agent or publisher be willing to wait for the final product. Who is the target market for this book, and why will they buy it. Get started on your creative journey with the best in creative education taught by worldclass instructors. Again, this is a pretty small section of your book proposal, should probably be about 500 words or fewer, about a page.
Because, lest we forget, a book proposal is a job application. Mistakes to avoid in a book proposal when discussing your target reader. Due to the volume of queries, editors may take 46 weeks to respond. Available with seamless streaming across your devices. Using this section, explain who will be your main audience, the typical readership at which this book will be aimed. So that is how you assemble a target audience section for your book proposal.
The following is a template for completing a nonfiction book proposal. If you also consider the potential of selling your book internationally, the audience grows larger. To get a publishers interest, you need to provide information about your book, your audience, and yourself. Voilayou have instant market research about your target audience that can be put into a book proposal or inspire ideas for your marketing. Since i posted the first two installments of my how to write a book proposal series, ive received great feedback from writers, agents, and editors, all of whom have told me how valuable they find the information. Target audience from how to write a killer book proposal. How to determine the target audience for your book in these competitive times, the promotions portion of ones book proposal is among the most important aspects. Theyre detailed and indepth, and they show full spectrum of what a proposal can and should be. A book proposal helps an agent or an editor learn more about an author than a twosentence bio. This pointed overview might be akin to a description you might expect to find on the back cover of a. How to determine the target audience for your book.
And then finally, talk about audiences you would like to reach. In this post i answer all these questions and more. Who is the target audience and what makes your book unique and worthwhile for them. You dont want to invest your time and effort in a book that never gets read. Thats why i listed the jeff herman and mary demuth resources. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. A section of your book proposal should answer the question. Many book ideas i see pitched should really start out as a site or communityeven if only to testmarket the idea, to learn more about the target audience, and to ultimately produce a print product that has a ready and eager market once its published.
An agent or a publisher who receives a query or proposal for a book with no discernable market, or a market that appears small, likely will send a. In this post, i want to cover another tricky element of the book proposalthe target audience section, otherwise known as the who is this book. If youre writing a nonfiction book proposal and youre following this series, you already understand the importance of your author bio and how to identify your target audience. We like to include a specific target audience and then broaden it with a secondary audience, tertiary audience, and affinity groups or organizations. How to reach your target audience in academic research. Consult a written or online guide to childrens book publishers. You might have an amazing book or idea to sell, but the only way youll be able to seal the deal is with a strong, persuasive book proposal. Define your target audience before you begin to write your book, it is important to know who youre writing for.
Thanks, karen, for resonating with me and for helping me define the audience past the age range. Target audience of how to write a killer book proposal on creativelive. This includes the target audience, competitive titles, and the selling points of your book. In fact, for my travel adventure memoir, ive been working on the proposal onandoff for the last two years, and even then, my agent is asking for a rewrite. Now, when you have a book that is to be published, you can download the right book proposal template in hand. It takes me months to finish writing a book proposal.
The fourth part of your fiction book proposal is your marketing plan. Writing my first proposal, and in proposals for subsequent projects, i have been overwhelmed at how to explain this project i am so passionate about towho, exactly. This is tough to do, but its good research to conduct in any case. Consider utilizing the following headings in your book proposal template. How to find your books target audience and your author. How to identify a target audience for your book in 3 steps dont you feel like your book could be a massive hit, if only the right people knew about it. No market, no one to whom to sell the book, no book sales. In addition to your core target audience, who might be the next most interested targets. Im sitting at my computer, listening to pandora, working on my book proposal, and needed to research secondary audiences. A target audience is a group identified as the focus for communications, media, entertainment, information or advertising. How to target an audience and avoid book launch flop. Are you writing romance with protagonists in their fifties. Book proposal guidelines university of california press.
Writing a great book proposal is how to sell your book to a publisher. In these competitive times, the promotions portion of ones book proposal is among the. Create a market analysis and choose comparison titles strategically. How to write a book proposal that sells publishizer medium. How to draft proposals to childrens book publishers. Ready to prepare your first academic book proposal, but confused about where to start. A well defined target audience can be used to tailor messages to your audience and to find avenues where they can be reached. Step 3 of how to write a compelling nonfiction book proposal in 10 easy steps. So in this section, your goal is to show that not only is there a substantial audience for your book, but that you can reach them. Writing a nonfiction book proposal can feel overwhelming, but never fear.
Your target audienceor lack thereofmay be to blame. The most common book proposal sections competitive title analysis. How to determine the target audience for your book matilija press. If there were only some way of finding your target audience, youd be able to reach out and get your novel into their hands or ereaders. A publisher wants to know that you have a grasp on your target audience and that you understand how to reach them. You know, the reader who buys every single one of your books. Propose a chapterbychapter plan with a beginning, middle, and end. Each header is a necessary element in a complete proposal. Nonfiction book proposals in the digital age to sell an agent or publisher on your nonfiction idea, its more important.
If you have a have a nonfiction book project or a completed fiction manuscript and you want to publish it traditionally, you need a book proposal. Knowing your target audience helps you to write your research article in a specific way. The reader who signs up to your newsletter, pays attention to every word you write, and who knows your. Ive read hundreds of them as an acquisitions editor for a traditional. Narrow your target audience based on the genre and the ages of the protagonists.