How to Write a Nonfiction Book Proposal That Sells

Name: How to Write a Nonfiction Book Proposal That Sells
Rating: 4.9 (18 reviews)

Work with author and writing teacher Patricia J. Parsons to plan and execute a professional book proposal

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Created byPatricia J. Parsons

Last updated 6/2022

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What you'll learn

The function of a book proposal in marketing nonfiction books to editors and agents.
How to concisely articulate a book's purpose and premise.
How to identify the target market for a nonfiction book.
The elements of a successful nonfiction book proposal.
How to organize the proposal.
How to hone your writing to maximize the impact of the proposal.

Course content

6 sections • 21 lectures • 2h 3m total length

Introduction to the Course3:19
The purpose of this introductory lecture is to familiarize you with the following:
The overall objectives
Your instructor
How the course is organized
The Project
In addition to this video lecture, you'll find the following hand-outs:
a complete course outline
a sample rubric to help you use the self-assessment rubrics throughout the course (Note that the pdf file has yellow comment/notes. You'll need to be able to open the comment view on your pdf reader.)
Book Proposals: What & Why2:45
After completing this lecture, you will:
Be able to define a nonfiction book proposal.
Understand why a book proposal is so important in nonfiction publishing, whether via traditional publication or self-publication.
The Role of the Proposal in Book Acquisition3:13
After completing this lecture, you will:
Understand the role a book proposal plays in how traditional book publishers select books for publication.
Become familiar with the importance of the specific elements of the proposal you'll write for your book.
The Role of the Proposal in the Writing Process.3:03
It's probably clear to you by now that any nonfiction writer seeking an agent or traditional publishing contract will have to prepare a proposal just to open those doors. But what if you plan to self-publish? You will still benefit from completing this process.
After completing this lecture, you will:
understand the key role your proposal will play in writing your final manuscript, whether you publish traditionally or you choose to self-publish.
Assignment: Course Project Part 1 FUNDAMENTALS OF BOOK PROPOSALS

Answering the Broad Questions6:15
After completing this lecture you will:
appreciate that before you can begin to write your book proposal, there is much preliminary work to be done.
be able to identify and answer the broad questions that you must address before beginning writing.
Purpose & Premise3:36
After completing this lecture, you will:
understand the difference between your book's purpose and its premise and their importance to the pre-writing phase.
be able to clearly identify your book's purpose.
be able to write a succinct statement of your books' premise.
How to Approach Your Topic4:07
After completing this lecture, you will:
understand the importance of identifying the potential readers for a nonfiction book prior to determining how you will approach your topic and begin writing.
begin to consider approaches to identifying who will read your nonfiction book.
Assignment: Course Project Part 2 PREPARING TO WRITE YOUR BOOK PROPOSAL

The Elements of Outlining6:07
After completing this lecture, you will:
be able to define a book outline as it pertains to nonfiction writing.
describe the importance of outlining as a preparatory step in creating your book proposal.
be able to mind-map your book.
There are two mind-map handouts available for download, each of which has two versions: a PDF and an editable DOCX version for your use.
Approaches to Organization (Part 1)4:24
After completing this lecture, you will:
be able to define chronology as a classic approach to outlining (or sequencing) nonfiction.
determine if the chronological approach is suitable for your book.
understand how a list constitutes a classic approach to outlining (or sequencing) nonfiction.
determine if a list approach to sequencing is appropriate for your book.
Approaches to Organization (Part 2)4:16
After completing this lecture, you will:
understand the problem-cause-solution approach to outlining (sequencing) nonfiction.
determine if the problem-cause-solution approach will work for your book.
understand the classic elements of the narrative essay and how they apply to outlining nonfiction in general and your project in particular.
The handout in this lecture is a framework for a book outline.
Assignment- COURSE PROJECT PART 3

Understanding Your Target Market8:37
After completing this lecture, you will:
understand the importance of identifying your target readers.
be able to create a plan for identifying them for your book proposal.
Understanding Your Competition4:42
After completing this lecture, you will:
understand what constitutes your competition and why it's important to be able to identify it.
Tips for Researching Your Competition5:19
After completing this lecture, you will:
be able to create a plan for identifying your competition.
apply a variety of approaches to implementing the plan to identify your competition.
Assignment- COURSE PROJECT PART 4

The Classic Book Proposal Outline5:27
After completing this lecture, you will be able to identify and understand the importance of all the essential elements of the complete, classic nonfiction book proposal.
Author Bios and Chapter Summaries8:06
After completing this lecture, you will:
understand the importance of the author bio as a part of the book proposal.
be able to write your author bio.
understand the elements of chapter summaries.
be able to write a chapter summary for each chapter of your proposed nonfiction book.
Promotional Plans8:46
After completing this lecture, you will:
understand the importance of a framework for book promotion and marketing as a component of a nonfiction book proposal.
be able to create a promotion and marketing framework suitable for inclusion in your book proposal.
Assignment- COURSE PROJECT PART 5

Your Book Proposal as a Writing Tool17:16
By the end of this lecture, you will understand that your book proposal has several applications and you will be able to use it as a tool as you proceed through the writing process.
Preparing Your Book Proposal Submission9:29
After completing this lecture, you will:
Understand the requirements for a professional nonfiction book proposal submission package.
Understand the function and components of a professional query letter/email.
Be able to write a professional query letter.
Be able to create your complete book proposal submission package.
Sending Your Book Proposal Out into the World7:28
After completing this lecture, you will:
Be able to identify several publishers and/or agents to whom you could send your book proposal.
Understand the impression your proposal might be making.
Assignment - COURSE PROJECT PART 6 - YOUR COMPLETE BOOK PROPOSAL
Course Conclusion1:36
In this final, brief lecture, we'll review what you've learned in this course as you move forward toward your nonfiction book publication.
Bonus Lecture5:40
Bonus writing tips and some resources for you.

Requirements

An interest in writing nonfiction
Good command of the English language

Description

There are many reasons why you might consider writing a nonfiction book. You may be an expert and want to share your insights in a specific area of expertise. You may be an entrepreneur who would like to showcase your knowledge and skills for potential clients. You may have a passion for a subject area and want to share your research and insights with the wider world. You might have an interesting personal story and want to write a memoir to enrich others' lives. Whatever the reason you may have for considering writing a book, your first step is to plan and write a book proposal.

Agents and publishers demand nonfiction proposals, and if you plan to self-publish, your proposal (for yourself) provides you with direction for writing, publishing and eventual marketing.

This course is designed to help you create a draft proposal that will become the basis for your final nonfiction book proposal.

Through a series of guided exercises, you will complete the course with your draft in hand.

Your course instructor is author Patricia J. Parsons who sold her first nonfiction book to a publisher based on her first book proposal attempt in 1988. Since then, she's written and successfully sold almost a dozen nonfiction books―all based on the proposal. A seasoned teacher, she also spent 26 years teaching writing and communication strategy as a university professor in communications studies. She lives in Toronto, Canada.

Who this course is for:

Business people and professionals who are interested in creating a nonfiction book about their specialty area
Subject matter experts who want to share their expertise in book-length form
Writers planning a memoir
Anyone with an idea for a nonfiction book
Nonfiction writers seeking publication
Nonfiction writers planning to self-publish

How to Write a Nonfiction Book Proposal That Sells

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

The Fundamentals of the Nonfiction Book Proposal4 lectures • 12min

Preparing to Write the Nonfiction Book Proposal3 lectures • 14min

How to Organize a Nonfiction Book3 lectures • 15min

Your Target Market and Competition3 lectures • 19min

The Elements of a Successful Book Proposal3 lectures • 22min

Your Book Proposal in Action5 lectures • 41min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: