Non-fiction proposals?

Cyath

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I have been visiting many agent sites, and I keep seeing this proposal thing keep cropping up. Is it completely necessary to write one? If so, how should I go about it? (Yes I realize I can Google that but sometimes forums are better.)

I think 2 out of 10 sites ask for a proposal. Should I be concerned?
 

cornflake

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Yeah, you need a proposal for non-fic. Agents will ask and you'd need it for editors as well.

A proposal is an entire thing; you can find guides online I'm sure. You need an explanation of the project, it's place in the market, why it's needed/wanted, chapter outlines, sample chapters, a section on marketing, on why you're the one to write this (credentials), etc.
 

Siri Kirpal

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Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write is a good book on the topic.

You do need one if you're writing non-fic. The ones that don't seem to ask for it probably will if your query & pages interest them.

Basically you need:

An Overview: What the Book is About (in most cases you include the housekeeping details here: expected wordcount, state of completion, timeline, genre.
A Bio: include your credentials to write the book
Markets: Who will be interested
Promotion: How you or the publisher can get that book into your markets' hands
A Table of Contents: just the chapter numbers and titles, no page numbers
Chapter Summaries: write a paragraph or two about what each chapter includes
Sample Chapters: if your work is narrative, go for the first 3 chapters, otherwise go for the first chapter, a middle chapter and either the last chapter or another middle chapter

Best of luck.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal
 

WeaselFire

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I have been visiting many agent sites, and I keep seeing this proposal thing keep cropping up. Is it completely necessary to write one? If so, how should I go about it? (Yes I realize I can Google that but sometimes forums are better.)

I think 2 out of 10 sites ask for a proposal. Should I be concerned?

Most non-fiction is sold from a proposal. As to how to write it, see: http://bfy.tw/GU7O

Jeff
 

Woodpig

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Hi Cyath,

Are you saying that you have a finished non-fiction manuscript? Either way, non-fiction and fiction submissions generally work on a 'taster' basis. If the agent/publisher likes the sample/proposal, then they'll ask to see more. Some will be happy to review the whole thing, but since they are inundated with submissions, they tend to want people to stick to the process they set out on their website.

However, if you have a completed manuscript, this is definitely something worth mentioning in your proposal. Fiction proposals require you to have a complete ms (and they can get shirty if they read your sample and ask to see the rest of it, then you tell them it's not finished!). However, non-fiction is generally more relaxed, and while it's better to have the whole thing complete before you submit, it's primarily the idea that's being assessed, so partial completion is not unusual.

Lastly, proposals also do more than lay out the idea; they tell the agent/publisher about you, your credentials, where you see the book selling, why there's a demand for it, what competing works there are, and so forth. Sadly, it's all about the money, these days, and the more you can do to convince them that you're a potential money earner, the better.

Good luck!

Gareth.