Book Proposal

[RoseWrites]

Starting off on the quest to get your first book published, does anyone find it difficult when submitting a book proposal that it hinders your chances of publication when your author bio/info doesn't really amount to much? If you don't have a college degree do you think agents/publishers turn the other way or make it more of a challenge when showing interest in your work than someone with college background? or do you think they look at your writing as they would anyone else's and give it the same chance to catch their attention. Just wondering what everyone's take on this may be.

[Nicholas S.H.J.M Woodhouse]

Rose,

I never include information about my education. Its not that I'm not proud - I just don't think it very relevent. In your bio you should not include such things as
'graduated with honourse from Nottingham University in History and Politics...'
because it doesn't create a link between you and the reader.
A better idea is to be more original, talk about themes from your life. An amusing anecdote that made you want to write, a fear of failure - anything that is outside of the box so to speak.

Bios with education bits don't attach you to your reader, and that is what you want, if you want to catch attention as you say you do.

Good luck

Nique

[RoseWrites]

I was only going according to samples of book proposals I had looked up on the web. I've never written one, although I have done the query letter which is a shorter version of such. I think I may have been thinking too "formal" when, as you said, be a bit more creative. I suppose standing out will help to catch the attention of a prospective agent.

thank you

[Cathy C]

Well, a "book proposal" implies a non-fiction work. Quite often, a person who has written a non-fiction work has some expertise that will make the reader want to buy the book (Dr. Ruth Westheimer writing about sex, for example, or Michael Jordan writing about basketball.) In that case, the more credentials, the merrier, because the publisher will use it to SELL the book to the distributors.


But as for having credentials to sell any other sort of book? They don't care. I don't have a diploma (other than high school and some certificates in the field I worked in.) I had one or two magazine article credits when I first sold. It didn't matter.

If the book is well written, well researched and gripping, you can be a ten year old living in a hermit cabin in the mountains for all the publisher cares!

[Nicholas S.H.J.M Woodhouse]

Ah, yes. I got so excited about replying to a thread, that I missed out the book proposal part. Sorry, its like Christmas all over again when you find a new forum!