Sample Proposals?

Status
Not open for further replies.

zeprosnepsid

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 24, 2005
Messages
1,006
Reaction score
90
Location
LA, unfortunately.
Anyone know anywhere I can read some sample non-fiction book proposals? An agent read my proposal and said it wasn't good enough and that she'd look at it again if I re-wrote it. I followed proposal format and had read a few sample proposals before I wrote it (Such as Jenna's). But I'm not entirely sure what I'm doing wrong. I'll try to make my writing in the proposal more dynamic (at present I don't feel like I can cut a lot out as it's all factual, but maybe I could present my facts more dynamically). So, I thought I could get more of an idea of what to do by reading some more proposals. But I'm having trouble finding any.

Thanks for any help.
 

Celeste

Banned
Joined
Apr 4, 2005
Messages
1,949
Reaction score
297
Here's a few links that may be of some help. The first one is a pdf file, so hope you have adobe. I know you said you already read over Jenna's, but I threw the link in there anyway.

For the pdf...If you don't have adobe, you might want to download it real quick because it seemed to be a good one to read through.

Hope they help. Good luck!


http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/Downloads/WritingABookProposal.pdf

http://www.writecontent.com/Publishing_Tools/Author_Book_Proposal/author_book_proposal.html

http://www.writing-world.com/publish/nonfiction.shtml

http://www.absolutewrite.com/novels/book_proposal1.htm
 

zeprosnepsid

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 24, 2005
Messages
1,006
Reaction score
90
Location
LA, unfortunately.
Thank you very much! The agent who asked for the re-write sent me a sample proposal today that she's sold, so I have a lot to look through. And then I get to delve into re-writing, yippee. Thanks again!
 

mommie4a

Mother of All Addictions
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 16, 2005
Messages
3,249
Reaction score
449
Location
Northeastern Ohio
Website
www.jillmillerzimon.com
Also, the top three books about how to write nonfiction book proposals have samples (Actual ones really) in them too. I forget the exact titles of the books but they're by Jeff Herman, Elizabeth Lyon and Michael Larsen. The Adler Robins lit agency also has a website with sample proposals on it. www.adlerbooks.com

There's a few good things on that site. Larsen and Lyon both have their own sites too with helpful info. I'm not sure about Herman.

Good luck.
 

Chacounne

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
545
Reaction score
190
Location
Vancouver, British Columbia
Proposal Books

Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write
Elizabeth Lyon

How to Write a Book Proposal
Michael Larson

Write the Perfect Book Proposal: 10 That Sold and Why
Jeff Herman

Hope this helps,
Chacounne
 

zeprosnepsid

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 24, 2005
Messages
1,006
Reaction score
90
Location
LA, unfortunately.
actual books? Oh man. =)

But thanks everyone for their help! I've put together enough stuff to read to hopefully get a good idea of what I should be doing better. I already have a lot of ideas about how to revise my proposal.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.