PUBLISH THAT BOOK: How to Write a Nonfiction Book Proposal That Sells

The first book proposal I wrote was constructed using Roman numerals! The year was 1990 and I was very naïve. But I sent that proposal by snail mail directly to five New York publishers, and got an offer in the second query letter that I mailed out - - it was to Sterling Publishers, and they went on to publish two more of my books. So despite my inexperience and lack of know-how, a New York published picked up my book!  Why did that first book sell?

Obviously because of content -- it was a great idea. The book was called Great Games for Great Parties: How to throw a perfect party. In preparation for that title what I had done was to collect and try out party games on different groups of people for about ten years. I played with everyone from foreign exchange students, to the Hot Springs Women’s Club, to a regional Kennel Club of America chapter. And they all eventually became my book’s buyers as well.

At the time the market had only a few children’s party books, but really nothing for adults and for adult parties. I had hit a “void” in the market and found a way to fill it. Consequently, Great Games was on the market for 12 years. I didn’t make a lot of money with the initial advance, about $1750.00, but I made about $35,000.00 in royalties all tolled - - that had come in the spring and fall every year for 12 years. And Great Games was also published in Spain; New Delhi, India, and Russia - -twice!

Now think about it: wouldn’t it be great to have ten books like Great Games under your belt and on the shelf? Well, it can be done and if I can do it, why can’t you?

Let me show you how through my intense, 8-week-long workshop on how to get a nonfiction book proposal ready for publishers. This is your opportunity to gain a serious business advantage over other writers who will try to wing it. And even if your first book doesn’t sell, you will have the skills and the template to apply to other ideas and other projects. You may even come up with more ideas for more books as you work through this course.

And my workshop is different. I keep the classes small so you receive a lot of individual attention; class size is limited to 10 students. In addition, we will have a private area where you will share your work with the other students. Why? Because you will find you gain a lot by seeing the work of your contemporaries, and soon everyone makes supportive suggestions to help guide others along, in effect, mentoring each other. Besides, I am an advocate of networking and establishing relationships. You know, you will find out when you begin marketing, that often the people you interact with will buy your book just because they like you, and will come back for your other titles. Getting to know others then is part of your marketing and promotion arsenal.

Another thing I do in my workshops is to have weekly chat sessions. Yes, every Thursday night, we will meet online to ask questions, discuss the lesson plans, and talk about additional information or details that you might have missed. Chats are an important tool for learning (and camaraderie) and why shouldn’t we work together to leverage our knowledge?

And to make it worth your while, you will also receive additional materials to help illustrate important points from the lesson plans or that you can use to aid you in staying abreast of what is happening in the publishing industry.

Here are the details:

DURATION/TIME

E-course: 8 weeks

Online chats: Thursdays, 8-9 pm CST

LEVEL

Intermediate. Try to clear your plate of other things that may distract you and be prepared to work hard. If you want results, you will get them but this class involves work and preparation week after week.

Course Details:

Nowadays, big publishers simply don't read unsolicited material. They depend on agents to muck through the "slush pile" in search of the gems. If you want to get a book published, knowing and using the correct format for a book proposal is paramount.

Nonfiction books -- a market easier to break into than fiction -- are the backbone of publishing. In this workshop, you'll learn what is appropriate for writers who already have an idea for a book, but would like to know the complete and correct execution of this vital marketing product.

 In this class, you can expect to learn:

 *      If your idea is a good one

*      The essential ingredients of a book proposal

*      What the format and overall look of the actual proposal should be

*      How to write your proposal letters and the best markets for your book

*      Why you must exploit your “intellectual capital”

*      The nuts and bolts of the nonfiction book publishing industry

 By the end of class, students can expect to have:

A marketable, nonfiction book proposal package ready to send out to agents, including a query letter, along with the confidence to market their product.

 Admission requirements:

Please submit a letter of interest (including a brief work history), and a writing sample (less than 2,000 words). Tell me who you are and what you hope to gain from this class, and what you feel are your strengths and weaknesses.

 The online classroom has several interactive components:

• I post a lecture once a week. You can read them online, print them, or download them at your convenience.
• Students post completed assignments for feedback and discussion by the instructor and their classmates.
• Weekly chats allow the class to get together via instant message. Transcripts are available for review if you can't attend.

DATE & TIME

September 7, 2009, LESSON 1 sent to you (and also posted online for download) For more information and to register:
http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/WOWclasses.html#AndreaCampbell

 COST: $379.

Instructor Bio

Andrea Campbell is the author of ten traditionally published nonfiction books on a variety of topics including forensic science, criminal law, primatology, and entertaining using interactive games, among others. Her latest book is the 2^nd edition of Legal Ease: A Guide to Criminal Law, Evidence and Procedure, which has just been updated and fashioned into a college law textbook. Andrea is a member of several professional organizations and stays current with book business. Her classes always offer students much more than they thought they’d get. One of her students recently got a “very good deal,” and, according to Publisher’s Lunch, a $100,000-plus book contract.

Testimonials:

I took Andrea Campbell's on-line course in fall 2005 because book proposals were so mystifying to me. Having worked as a freelance magazine writer for almost 20 years, I certainly knew how to write a magazine query. But the book proposal seemed like a whole other art form. And it is. Andrea explained the different elements clearly--part business plan, part summary, part writing showcase, part voodoo--and helped me master this strange concoction. She was tough and demanding because she said agents and editors would be. She was right. The proposal I crafted with Andrea's help and insight earned me a top agent and a nice book contract with Broadway Books (a Doubleday imprint). She also told us that if we crafted a good proposal, writing the book would be so much easier. She was right there too. After I got my contract, I wrote my memoir in only five months since I had a very specific and well-thought-out guideline. My book, The Unlikely Lavender Queen: A Memoir of Surprise Blossoming (I even came up with the title in her class) will be out in May 2008. —Jeannie Ralston

"After the workshop with Andrea, I had a great proposal that was ready to present to agents. She found ways to bring out the best in my own ideas, even when I didn't see them clearly myself, and to show me how to turn them into a well-packaged proposal. The first publisher who received it immediately expressed interest." — Griffin Shea

 "If you're really ready to write that nonfiction book, this course will give you everything you need to get started." —Ann Stoltie