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Sending a proposal to a publisher
Charlotte Booth • 12 September 2022
Getting your proposal right first time
But getting your proposal right, is an important part of the process, and can determine whether you are successful or not.
The one thing to remember, however, is that your chosen publisher has 200+ manuscripts and proposals sent to them a week, and perhaps only one or two slots in the publishing schedule. It's a competitive market so your proposal has to shine. Make the publisher want to read more.
Here are five top tips to writing a perfect proposal.
- What is the book's USP? - Very few, if any books are unique. They will be similar to others out there. However, knowing what makes your book different to the others on the market is key to selling it. Why is your book better than the competition? Why is it something readers are waiting for? What does it offer that other books don't?
- What is your USP? - This is different to the USP (Unique Selling Point) of the book. This is what makes you the right person to write it? What is your experience or qualifications? Have you overcome a challenge addressed in the book? Are you well-known in your field? This is your opportunity to sell yourself.
- What is your competition? - As highlighted in point 1 no book is unique. So you need to know your competition well, this means reading other books in the genre, looking at best sellers, looking at what is on sale in the bookshops and available in the library. To know your competition is to be able to identify why your book is better and to include it in the proposal.
- Keep it concise? - When introducing your baby to a publisher of course you want to explain in excruciating detail everything about it. But remember the publisher has more than 200 of these to read, so you want it short, snappy, to the point and enticing. Many publishers will give you a word count for your proposal, perhaps as few as 300 words where you have to explain what the book is about, who it is for, why it is better than the competition, why you should write it and where it will sit on a shelf in the bookstore. Concise writing will definitely be your friend here.
- Proofread - This proposal is the first example the publisher has seen of your writing style and will be judging its readability. If it is full of typos, weird grammar, half thought out sentences and waffling they're unlikely to finish reading it meaning you get an immediate rejection. Don't fall at this hurdle.
And if you are not successful with your first publisher, don't take it personally. Perhaps they had just published a similar book and yours would be competition for it, perhaps they aren't looking for a book in that genre at this time, perhaps they don't like your writing style. So, pick another publisher and try again.
If you would like help choosing and pitching to publishers then drop me an email
or book a power hour. Let's get your book idea in front of the right people.
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