Writing a nonfiction book means you’ll eventually have to write a book proposal. Unlike fiction, when you try to sell nonfiction to an agent or publisher, you give them a different type of synopsis. The book proposal I’m working on includes:
1. Overview–unlike a synopsis for fiction, an overview explains the story behind your project, how it came to fruition and what makes your project timely and interesting to readers.
2. Marketing–where you see your book sold and how you’ll position yourself to sell it. Again, with nonfiction you have a wider range of outlets. A cookbook, for example, can be sold in places other than book stores. Kitchen supply stores, restaurants, food markets and boutiques are all potential outlets. Marketing a nonfiction book presents great opportunities for creative placement.
3. Promotion–how you’ll help sell your book. Nonfiction lends itself to teaching and public speaking, so libraries, colleges, community centers, events and specialized groups like knitting clubs or model train clubs offer a broader reach than setting up a book signing at a local book store. Most nonfiction topics lend themselves so neatly to easy promotion. Let’s go back to the cookbook example. An author of a cookbook can talk about their work on the radio, to students at a culinary school or in Family and Consumer Ed. classrooms, to people shopping at a farmer’s market or grocery store, to customers at a restaurant making their recipes.
4. Competing books–in other words, what sets your book apart from the competition. I’ve been researching other books in the vein of my current nonfiction project and it’s exciting to see how my work complements other work yet still fills a gap. I look at this part of the book proposal as the strongest place to pitch your work.
5. About the author–explaining how you’re qualified to write about your topic. Again, more personal than a fiction piece’s cover letter.
6. List of chapters
7. Chapter-by-chapter summaries
8. Sample chapters
Writing nonfiction presents different challenges, but writing a book proposal is one that surprised me–it’s far more enjoyable than writing a synopsis for fiction.
BookEnds, LLC posted a great discussion about the different parts of a book proposal with further explanation of each part. Check it out!
