Help Please: Book "Proposals" In YA

Will Lavender · Jun 20, 2007

I have a friend who's shopping a YA novel around to literary agents, and yesterday he got a request for a "proposal." He'd already sent this agency a query with a very short synopsis, and he's thrown off by this new request.

Has anyone ever heard the term "proposal" applied to a YA novel? I've heard of that in non-fiction, but never in novels.

If you have heard that, do you know what the said proposal would contain? I told him I assumed it would be the writer's platform, a short synospis, and perhaps a market analysis. He told me, however, that the original query had a short synopsis, so it would seem redundant to put another one in this proposal.

He's already asked for clarification once and the agent used the word again: "Just send a proposal," she said. So he doesn't want to be a nuisance. Any help you can give, then, would be greatly appreciated.

Shady Lane · Jun 20, 2007

That is kind of weird.

I'd have to agree with you're guess--but I'd repeat the synopsis. I don't care if they've seen it before. They clearly want to see it again.

RLB · Jun 20, 2007

That does sound strange. Is the agent American? In Britain agents ask for "cover letters" which tend to go into less detail than the American query letter and then other supplemental materials such as a synopsis.

I googled "proposal for fiction book" out of curiosity and got this author's website:

http://www.junecotner.com/Apr2003PTM.htm

Sections of a fiction proposal:

COVER SHEET (title; author’s name, address, phone, fax, email)
TABLE OF CONTENTS (include list of attachments)
THE MARKET/AUDIENCE (who will buy your book? why do they want it? give statistics if possible!)
MARKETING OF THE BOOK (bookstores, book clubs, Internet, clubs, associations)
PROMOTION & PUBLICITY (list newspapers, magazines, TV & radio stations that the publisher should contact)
AUTHOR’S PROMOTIONAL CONTRIBUTION (list everything you’ll do to make the book successful; be sure to include Internet sites you’ll contact and all of your ideas for author appearances and events)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR (your background and experience, focusing on areas that are relevant to the topic of the book)
SYNOPSIS (a summary of your book’s story—it usually includes an opening hook, quick sketches of the main character, high points of the plot, the core conflict, and the conclusion)
CHAPTER OUTLINES (a running summary of your novel, chapter-by-chapter)
ATTACHMENTS (exhibits that will enhance your credibility, such as literary awards and examples of your writing in well-respected publications)

It sounds pretty similar to a non-fic proposal though.

giftedrhonda · Jun 20, 2007

I'd think a proposal would be the 1st 3 chapters and a synopsis...?

reenkam · Jun 20, 2007

I've heard of proposals for fiction works. It's like a non-fiction proposal where you talk about the work and then they decide if they want to see it. Basically a query...I've never heard it used for a single work though, only series(...es?) where you do the first book and then make a proposal for the rest, describing where it's going. I think it's semi-common in that aspect.

Feathers · Jun 20, 2007

Now I'm curious...what is a proposal, really? I thought it was when the editors asked if you would write 2 more books to make it a series?

Claudia Gray · Jun 20, 2007

I sold my YA series on proposal -- it's unusual but not unheard-of.

I submitted:

1) a pitch letter,

2) the first three chapters of the first book,

3) a complete, fairly detailed outline for the entire first book,

4) more general outlines for the future arc of the series, and

5) because my books are about vampires and the supernatural, a three-page essay on the specific mythology and magic I would be relying on for the series.

The fourth part was the most difficult, because the publishers definitely wanted a series but had no idea how long they wanted it to be. I offered potential arcs for a couple of books, a few books (which is what they bought) or an open-ended series. It was tough coming up with all of those, but fortunately they didn't have to be too detailed at that stage.

Hope this is helpful!

Help Please: Book "Proposals" In YA

Will Lavender

Everything is what it seems.

Shady Lane

my name is hannah

RLB

bundled

giftedrhonda

Gifted Goofball

reenkam

aka cupcake

Feathers

emerging from the writing cave

Claudia Gray