Proposals that Sell

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Proposals that Sell

• Taking a page out of the editor/agent playbook
• Erin Buterbaugh

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Why should I propose?

• Or, proposals were not invented just to torture
  you.

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What an agent/editor asks when they look at a
project

• Whats the idea/story? (essentials, not details)
• Whats the book? (genre, level, word count)
• Who wrote it? (authors credits/resume,
  expertise, connections)
• Whats the writing like?
• How to market it/whos buying it

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Oragnization

• (Yes, thats intentional)

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Introducing your project

• Hook/summary of content
• Introductory information

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1. Get their attention

• Hint it should fit in this box.

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• 2. The drivers license info
• Genre
• Word count

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3. Author Info

• Resume lite-- related jobs, gigs, publishing
  credits, media/celebrity contacts, blogs, numbers
• Plans for marketing your book

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4. Whos going to read it

• Be specific.
• Be realistic.

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5. Show them the goods

• Demand perfection.

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6. The whole (kind of) story

• Synopsis is action.

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Non-fiction proposals

• Start with strong hook/showing the need for this
  book.
• Author info is PLATFORM info.
• Expand your market data.
• Representative writing sample.
• Chapter-by-chapter synopsis

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Dont panic!

• Proposal guidelines/compilation can feel like
  information overload. Stay focused!
• Purpose of a proposal is to ________
• Remember the 5 Ps to answer the question, Does
  including this info help sell my work/me?