Why you need a book proposal for your nonfiction book

Editor’s note: Jennifer Lawler has written and cowritten more than 30 books, and guided other writers as a book development editor and acquisitions editor. When she says you need a book proposal, you better listen. — Michelle

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If you’re like many freelance writers, you may have an idea you’d like to turn into a book. But the thought of committing to writing a book is daunting, especially if you don’t know a publisher who’s already interested in your idea. How can you find out if a publisher would like your idea? How can you find out if you really want to spend that much time on one project? What if you lose interest partway through? That’s a lot of wasted time.

Creating a book proposal can take away a lot of those uncertainties. Whether you’re thinking about finding an agent and traditional publisher or considering self-publishing, a book proposal is a roadmap to help you find your way.

Parts of a Book Proposal

A book proposal consists of these main parts:

• Overview – Briefly describes what the book is about
• About the author – Explains why you’re the right person to write the book
• Competitive analysis – Compares your book to others like it and shows how it’s different
• Platform/promotion – Describes how you’ll promote the book
• Chapter outline – Drills into what each chapter of the book will cover
• Sample chapter – Showcases your writing

Writers often think if they’re planning to self-publish, they don’t need to write a book proposal. As a veteran author and publishing consultant, I have to warn against this. Too frequently, authors write a book and then realize it doesn’t stand out from the competition — so no one will want to buy it. Had they done a competitive analysis as part of a book proposal, they would have discovered that deficit, and could have tweaked their idea to be more appealing to intended readers.

Gauging Your Interest

A book proposal lets you explore whether you want to commit to writing a book. If you get bogged down and lose interest as you work on the chapter outline, no harm done, you can file it and forget it. Or maybe you realize that you really do want to write the book. The proposal can help guide you on the way.

You may be unsure whether you have a strong enough platform to promote a book. Writing the proposal will give you the steps you need to make sure you establish a solid platform before writing and publishing the book. Or, it may convince you to find a coauthor with the requisite platform. In either case, you’ll be much closer to success.

Don’t think of a book proposal as another hoop you have to jump through to get an agent, or something you can dispense with if you’re self-publishing. Instead, think of it as an investment in yourself and a plan for your book’s ultimate success.

Jennifer Lawler has written or co-authored more than 30 nonfiction books and worked as a book development editor and acquisitions editor. For more on book proposals, including how to write book proposal sections, visit her site, Be Your Own Book Doctor. Lawler leads classes on writing book proposals; the next session runs June 15-16. Find out more: Book Proposal Boot Camp.