Down East Book Proposal Guide

Dear Author:

Thank you for your inquiry about our interest in your book concept or manuscript. We want to know more about it and will welcome a formal proposal from you. This document does take time and effort to compile, but it will be helpful not only for us but for you, because it will help you confirm that your book concept is on-target and well thought out.

About your book concept and intended audience —

• Describe the concept or theme of the book. If you were writing the back-cover description, what would you say to capture the essence and appeal of the book in just a paragraph or two? If applicable, describe the "product benefits" by answering the question, why would I want to buy this book?
• What is your target audience? (For a children's story, what is the appropriate age level?) How large is the intended market, and what is the best way to reach those readers?
• What's your estimate of the size of the finished book — roughly how many pages?
• Also let us know how much time you would require to complete the manuscript and collect illustrative materials (if necessary). If you will need to request permissions for quoted text or illustrative materials taken from other sources, remember to allow time for that task as well.

About comparable and competing books —

• List 3 or more books (published within the past 5 years) by title & author. It is very helpful if you can include ISBN, too. Amazon.com and bn.com are convenient web sites for doing this research.
• Tell us how your book is different from or better than each of these comparable books.
• Are any of the comparable books especially successful? Are there any comparable books that have been in print for a long time? If so, this can indicate a strong market for your topic and help our sales reps to sell your book to their large accounts.

About yourself —

• Please provide relevant personal and professional background and a list of previously published works.
• Personal connections or contacts: Well-known people or experts in the field who might write an endorsement — or even a foreword — for your book? Contacts at newspapers, magazines, television & radio, web sites? Do you have a mailing list of potential customers? Do you know of specific retail stores, online vendors, or direct-mail catalogs that might want to sell your book?
• Do you have experience in public speaking or being interviewed? Will you be available for media interviews and public appearances such as book signings?
• Are you planning to sell your own book directly? (Some authors sell their own books at speaking engagements and such, but others prefer to leave the selling to the bookstores. There's no "right" or "wrong" answer here; we just like to know.)

It's most helpful for us to have both hard-copy printouts and the corresponding Word files for your sample pages and Book Proposal memo. Thanks for providing both.

For a short children's story, send the entire text. For a longer work, enclose a table of contents, a draft of the introduction and/or preface (if any), a sample chapter or two, and a synopsis or outline of the rest of the text. Tell us about planned illustrations or photos, and include photocopied examples, if possible. (For children's stories, we usually select an illustrator; you do not have to do that yourself).

DO NOT SEND ORIGINALS OR THE ONLY COPY OF YOUR WORK.

Please address your package to Down East Books, P.O. Box 679, Camden ME 04843 and mark it "Book Proposal."

(If you prefer to send your package via UPS or Fed Ex, use this address instead: 680 Commercial St., Rockport, ME 04856, but do not put this street address on anything sent via the US Postal Service, or your parcel probably won't be delivered.)

The attached article from the American Society of Journalists and Authors is a good summary of what goes into a well-crafted book proposal. For even more detailed information, type "book proposals" into the search window at www.amazon.com or www.bn.com, and you'll find a variety of available books.

From The American Society of Journalists and Authors newsletter,
Vol. 51, no. 5, May 2002

Linda Cashdan's Basic Nonfiction Book Proposal Outline

Writing is not self-indulgent; we do it to be read. If you need help getting your book or proposal into shape, Kelley recommends D.C. book doctor Linda Cashdan, one of two partners in The Word Process, (202) 234-7116, e-mail: Wordpro@wizard.net, www.bookdoctoring.com.

Part One - Summary

This is your pitch, the kernel that explains precisely what this book is. You can lead into the subject creatively (a personal anecdote that caused you to come up with the concept, teasers that might provoke interest in the subject matter itself, etc), but it is best to get to the point quickly and clearly. Agents and publishers are impatient.

Part Two - The Market

Why is your book needed, and what types of people will rush out to buy it? Include demographics on the age, sex, or racial group to which the book will appeal, or the demographics for books somewhat similar to the one you are writing that have done very well (and therefore point to a solid market). This section calls for research (at the library or on the Internet). It's important to check out the competition to find out just how many books on the same or a similar subject are already in print, and why yours will add something special to the mix.

Part Three - Bio

Here you explain why you are the perfect person to be writing this book. Include only those experiences and prior publications that illustrate your expertise on the subject matter at hand or your ability to write. (You can include a full resume at the end of the proposal to underscore the impressive details of your life that are not relevant to the proposal). You can write this in either the first person or the third. Cashdan thinks the third person reads better. If your fame, reputation in the field, press connections, or proven on-camera TV or radio experience would make you an asset in selling this book, by all means stress that here.

Part Four - Table of Contents, followed by Chapter Outline

The Table of Contents (chapter title, one sentence embellishment) gives an agent/ publisher a quick map of the book. The chapter outline adds context and color to that map. For each chapter in the Outline, you need to include a fairly detailed abstract (i.e. substance over generalizations like "Here I will examine"). These can range in length from a paragraph or two to several pages each.

Part Five - Chapter sample

This is not essential, especially if your chapter outline has succeeded in showing off your writing prowess, but if there is a chapter you are especially proud of, this is where you put it.

Book proposals can range from 5 to 100 pages. Most are from 15 to 30 pages long.