OK, first the questions, then I'll do the next long-overdue lesson.
Mal: Yes, I did once embed photos into a proposal because they helped make the point, like yours does. I think you're fine. Just make sure it's high-res enough to print well.
Rich, Frank's right (surprise). Memoirs are always sort of a grey area regarding proposals. I recently wrote a proposal for someone's memoir and it not only sold, but the proposal itself got passed around just for enjoyment, like a "mini-book," so I'll tell you what I did--
I still had all the same sections as a usual proposal. It's just that I tried to make the overview feel like it could have been part of the book, I kept the other sections short, and I concentrated more on the sample chapters. The "competition" section felt weird-- it's not like people are going to find the same material in someone else's memoir, so it's a direct choice between A and B-- but I soon realized that I could use this more as an extension of the marketing section by pointing out nicely-selling books that were similar in audience, and why my book would capture that same audience and more.
But in another case, for a more winding memoir that wasn't as easily fit into the proposal structure, I just sent around sample chapters with a query that included about two or three paragraphs of overview.
Hollowbone: That's what this thread is all about. Even if you've already written the book, publishers still want to see a book proposal first. You're in a better position to write it now because there's no guesswork-- you know exactly what the book covers.
Tony: I think it would be usual for the publisher to hire a photographer. It's always a risk when a writer hires an illustrator or photographer-- the publisher could turn the project down because of the artwork.
Back in a flash.
Mal: Yes, I did once embed photos into a proposal because they helped make the point, like yours does. I think you're fine. Just make sure it's high-res enough to print well.
Rich, Frank's right (surprise). Memoirs are always sort of a grey area regarding proposals. I recently wrote a proposal for someone's memoir and it not only sold, but the proposal itself got passed around just for enjoyment, like a "mini-book," so I'll tell you what I did--
I still had all the same sections as a usual proposal. It's just that I tried to make the overview feel like it could have been part of the book, I kept the other sections short, and I concentrated more on the sample chapters. The "competition" section felt weird-- it's not like people are going to find the same material in someone else's memoir, so it's a direct choice between A and B-- but I soon realized that I could use this more as an extension of the marketing section by pointing out nicely-selling books that were similar in audience, and why my book would capture that same audience and more.
But in another case, for a more winding memoir that wasn't as easily fit into the proposal structure, I just sent around sample chapters with a query that included about two or three paragraphs of overview.
Hollowbone: That's what this thread is all about. Even if you've already written the book, publishers still want to see a book proposal first. You're in a better position to write it now because there's no guesswork-- you know exactly what the book covers.
Tony: I think it would be usual for the publisher to hire a photographer. It's always a risk when a writer hires an illustrator or photographer-- the publisher could turn the project down because of the artwork.
Back in a flash.
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