Is There a Book in You?
Writing a book is a dream for many, can you make it a reality for yourself? To help you get started, I've outlined some tips and helpful ideas. As you begin to think about being an author, however, consider first that writing is a long, involved process and, for a true writer, the learning never ends.
- Is your idea worthy?
- Novels and nonfiction are marketed differently
- Preparing a book proposal
Is your idea worthy?
Since we are all swimming in the same cosmic soup, finding an original idea is a challenge today. Have all the ideas been exhausted? 'Nothing new under the sun' was expressed by Shakespeare, and we could well assume that this adage is true as we wend our way through the huge bookseller chains that have sprung up in every city and county throughout the United States. So many books! It is daunting for most writers and downright depressing for others.
Do spend some time researching bookstores no matter, because, afterall, this is where you want to see your own book one day. Just read the titles with an eye toward learning, study another writer's take on things. And then look to your own subject for a twist. For example, a colleague of mine, Jennifer Lawler, trains in martial arts and earned a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Write another book about martial arts? Not likely to sell. But Jennifer took a different tack and began to notice how the discipline, belief, and skills learned in the martial arts helped her to succeed as a writer and Dojo Wisdom for Writers: 100 Simple Ways to Become a More Inspired, Successful and Fearless Writer was born. An enlightening twist on a common idea.
Novels and nonfiction are marketed differently
The thinking, preparation and execution of writing a novel are quite different from creating a nonfiction book. A fictional book must be completely finished before the writer can hope to interest an agent. Perhaps at a later time I will prepare some pages devoted to the novel, but for this section, the nonfiction book is featured here.
A nonfiction book is sold by a proposal. This document is a sales tool used to interest an editor of a particular publishing house, and reads much like a business plan. Some authors complain about the process, but it is extremely helpful in that it provides a clear vision of where the book is headed, and helps the author create a blueprint for the book's actual writing.
Preparing a book proposal
The book proposal generally runs anywhere from ten to 100 double-spaced pages including sample chapter(s), using a 12-point font such as Times, Times New Roman, or Arial; and is often delineated with headlines dividing each section.
The proposal contains a title page, an overview, the market, the competition, an author bio, promotion or marketing, table of contents, chapter summaries, and a sample chapter.
-
Title: Spend time on the title, it's important
-
Overview: a hook such as an anecdote, quote, dialogue, factoid or something interesting to draw the reader in, along with a general summary of the book; and perhaps, answers to the question, "Why now?"
-
The Market: who will buy your book? Can you indicate the size of the audience? Perhaps certain groups or organizations will order your book in large numbers. Will it tie in with an upcoming event or a movie?
-
The Competition: this describes books that are competing with, or complementing your topic. This section helps to prove that there is interest, but you must stress why your book is better or different from what's currently out there.
-
Author Bio: tells the editor or publisher why you are qualified to write this book and your experience as related to this project.
-
Promotion: this section is for the author's marketing plan: what you will do to promote the book and what type of "platform" or built-in audience you have already cultivated, along with any ideas you have for bringing in more readers.
-
Table of Contents: titles of each chapter in the book (you may also provide a table of contents for the proposal itself).
-
Chapter Summary or Outline: this is a chapter-by-chapter analysis of what your book contains with a couple paragraphs of explanation for each.
-
Sample Chapter : an example of your best writing, usually it's a Chapter One sample.
Several books can help you write your proposal, I recommend:
Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write: How to Get a Contract and Advance Before Writing Your Book by Elizabeth Lyon (Perigee, 2002).
Write the Perfect Book Proposal: 10 That Sold and Why by Jeff Herman and Deborah M. Adams (John Wiley, 2001).
Thinking Like Your Editor: How to Write Great Serious Nonfiction—and Get It Published, by Susan Rabiner and Alfred Fortunato (W.W. Norton, 2003).
How to Write a Book Proposal by Michael Larsen (Writer's Digest Books, 1997)
There is a new version of this title.
Polish your book proposal until it is perfect. It must reflect careful research, be formatted in standard ms. form, and provide the best argument for buying your book. In most cases, you will not get another shot at a publisher if they have rejected your proposal and believe me, only 1% "the best" are purchased. So find second readers, (I often ask my son's former Honors English teacher and literary specialist for an evaluation, and either give her a very nice gift, or slip her some money for her kind effort).
|
