When do you actually sit down and write a nonfiction book proposal? There’s no single correct answer to the timing question, of course, but here’s a suggestion:
- Have a brilliant idea.
- Research your audience, the market, and the competition.
- Narrow and refine your idea with your audience in mind, until you have a strong concept that delivers a benefit your audience wants.
- Try it. Write a detailed outline and a sample chapter.
- Share your sample content with people in your audience. Get feedback.
- Edit. I mean it.
- Do a gut check. Are you confident that your concept is the best it could be? Is your sample as good as it can be? Can you scale it up and write an entire book that will maintain its quality?
- Research possible publishers or agents.
- Write your proposal and query letter.
- Go for it!
You don’t need an entire finished book to pitch it! Start with a thorough outline and sample. If your agent or publisher wants to see more, they’ll ask. And if they ask you to tweak your concept in any way, you won’t have a whole book to edit.
Note: If you’re writing fiction, this might look a little different. You might want to have more of a finished project before you send out your first queries. But you get the idea. Don’t skip step 6!
And if at first you don’t succeed, don’t stop believing in yourself. You’ve done the research, you’ve worked to perfect your craft, and your ideas are valuable. Keep connecting with your audience, keep working on your content, and keep querying!
Tiffany Hill, Editor 