If any editor or agent asks you to send a copy of the manuscript in response to a query for a nonfiction book, are they talking about the proposal? In my query, I said I had a proposal and sample chapters. Also, I said I was working on writing the book. A really, big, big, famous, awesome agent just requested the manuscript. The letter was personal about my book as well. Can manuscript mean proposal? Please help. I am very excited and anxious, and I really don't want to mess this up. Thanks.
Is a proposal called a manuscript?
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Proposal V Manuscript
Proposals that are sent to me, as the series acquisitions editor, are summaries, or synopsis if you will, of the book the writer intends to write. The purpose is to give me a very good idea of what the book will include and look like once it is in final manuscript form. I request an outline, a table of contents and a few paragraphs addressing the purpose and intended market of the book. I also pay attention to the way the proposal is written as that tells me a lot about the author's ability to write.
A manuscript is a proofed and edited copy of the book being submitted for consideration.
Publishers usually specify what should be included in proposals submitted to them . The publisher I work for lists them on their website under Notes To Authors.
Hope this helps!
Proposals that are sent to me, as the series acquisitions editor, are summaries, or synopsis if you will, of the book the writer intends to write. The purpose is to give me a very good idea of what the book will include and look like once it is in final manuscript form. I request an outline, a table of contents and a few paragraphs addressing the purpose and intended market of the book. I also pay attention to the way the proposal is written as that tells me a lot about the author's ability to write.
A manuscript is a proofed and edited copy of the book being submitted for consideration.
Publishers usually specify what should be included in proposals submitted to them . The publisher I work for lists them on their website under Notes To Authors.
Hope this helps!
Thanks, talkwrite. The only thing is that means I don't have a manuscript. I only have a proposal. Do you think I should just send that?
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No, I wouldn't . One of this biggest pet peeves we have is people not following the requests or instructions we make of authors.( I know, I know, one of the biggest pet peeves authors have is when editors are unclear about their requests or instructions)
Look carefully at the submission guidelines on the publisher's website first. Then I'd ask about them here on AW, and maybe look them up on Writer's Market. Outside of that- I'd take the editor's word that they want a ms.
Look carefully at the submission guidelines on the publisher's website first. Then I'd ask about them here on AW, and maybe look them up on Writer's Market. Outside of that- I'd take the editor's word that they want a ms.
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You said in your query "I have a proposal and sample chapters" and the agent requested a "manuscript." This happened to me all the time. I simply emailed back, "as I mentioned in my query, I have a proposal and sample chapters for my memoir, not a completed manuscript. I would be very happy to send those to you." I never had an agent say, "oh, forget about it." And, in fact, my agent did the same thing and ended up making an offer.
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It seems to me that all you can do is send your sample, proposal and an explanatory cover letter outlining when you would be able to deliver a complete manuscript.
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I would not offer a manuscript. Nonfiction is almost always bought on a proposal and sample chapters. You almost never need an entire manuscript (although some would say memoir is different).
The sense I got from my experience is that agents have a standard "yes, I'd like to see more" email/letter they send in response to a query. They might add a little something personal, but I believe, at least in my case, that's what accounted for so many requests for the "manuscript" when I said clearly and in the first sentence of my query letter that I had a proposal and two sample chpts. I think that's also why, when I restated this in my follow up email (when needed, see my above post), I always got some variation on, "That's fine. Send what you have."
The sense I got from my experience is that agents have a standard "yes, I'd like to see more" email/letter they send in response to a query. They might add a little something personal, but I believe, at least in my case, that's what accounted for so many requests for the "manuscript" when I said clearly and in the first sentence of my query letter that I had a proposal and two sample chpts. I think that's also why, when I restated this in my follow up email (when needed, see my above post), I always got some variation on, "That's fine. Send what you have."
So let me get this straight...You send a query letter saying you have a proposal then wait for them to ask for it?
Or you send the proposal saying you have a manuscript?
Or you send the proposal saying you have a manuscript?
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With non-fcition you typically *don't* have a manuscript. You have a proposal and perhaps sample chapters. So you query, then send the proposal. Then they contract the book based on that. That's the system most of the time. So I bet it is some kind of 'mis-speak' to ask for a full manuscript.
Send the sample chapters only and in your cover letter make reference to the facts you stated in your original query. Nothing is set in stone. If the agent likes your samples, more than likely you will get a request for a proposal or something else.
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"Any editor or agent"- is what is in the original post
I responded regarding querying an acquisitions editor for a non fiction publishing house.
Do you put your outline/table of contents IN your ms? Or is that a separate document and it gets added to your ms when you are under contract?
With my nonfiction submissions the outline (relatively expansive) and table of contents are always parts of my proposal - never part of the manuscript.
Thanks for responding. I emailed and heard back from the agent and it is fine for me to send the proposal. I guess it can never hurt to ask.
Two awesome agents asked to see my manuscript without ever asking for a book proposal. I made it clear in my query that I had completed the manuscript, although I closed with "My book proposal with sample chapters is available upon request." I sent the manuscript to each of them.
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