Submitting a Proposal

aruna

On a wing and a prayer
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 14, 2005
Messages
12,862
Reaction score
2,846
Location
A Small Town in Germany
Website
www.sharonmaas.co.uk
I wanto submit a non-fiction proposal to a a uk agent at a major agency.
The agency guidelines are as follows:

We are one of the few agencies who do accept unsolicited manuscripts.
Please send your work to us by post addressed to "Submissions Department - Books"

Make sure you enclose these four things:
-A covering letter
-A brief synopsis
-Three chapters of your work on A4, double-spaced and on one side of the page only (don't bind or staple!).
-A self addressed stamped envelope

That's the established submission for fiction in the UK; mostly they add "for non-fiction send the proposal". Nothing about non-fiction or proposals on this agency site. I'm thinking I'll send the chapter breakdown; but it doesn't make much sense without the rest of the proposal. The 3-chapter part is no problem. What do you think?
 

Giant Baby

Oh, the humanity.
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 29, 2007
Messages
988
Reaction score
271
Location
First-person omnicient
Hmm. It does read like fiction guidelines. Still, I'd probably submit exactly what they're asking for, and make it clear in your cover letter that chapter outline and whatever else makes up your proposal is available on request. If they're a major agency that reps a lot of non-fic, they'd have the guidelines tailored for non-fic as well if they wanted something else.
 

Susan Coffin

Tell it like it Is
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 24, 2007
Messages
8,049
Reaction score
772
Location
Clearlake Park, CA
Website
www.strokingthepen.com
Well, I would follow their guidelines to a tee, including the first three chapters.

However, I thought it was standard to do the book proposal before writing any of the actual book.
 

aruna

On a wing and a prayer
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 14, 2005
Messages
12,862
Reaction score
2,846
Location
A Small Town in Germany
Website
www.sharonmaas.co.uk
Well, I would follow their guidelines to a tee, including the first three chapters.

However, I thought it was standard to do the book proposal before writing any of the actual book.

A proposal includes a few chapters, not necessarily the first three.
I think that as a synopsis I'm just going to cut the proposal down to a few pages, and add, as Giant Baby suggests, the offer to send a chapter breakdown. Thought strictly seeing the chapter breakdown is the best equivalent to a fiction synopsis. Left scratching my head...