| There are four things you need to keep in mind | | | | want literary quality and good writing; but on the |
| when writing your book proposal. Very few people | | | | other hand, they must bend to the commercial |
| will explain this to you, yet it's well known in the | | | | interests of getting a book to succeed in today's |
| industry. In a nutshell this is the secret: Your book | | | | marketplace where more books than ever are |
| proposal is going to be your calling card first to your | | | | flooding bookstore shelves. Make sure that you put |
| literary agent, second to your acquiring editor, third | | | | something into your proposal that goes beyond the |
| to the sales department, and fourth to the marketing | | | | crass and the commercial. Your acquiring editor will |
| people. Knowing this little fact can help you write | | | | latch onto that and shepherd the book through the |
| convincing book proposals that hook everyone all | | | | process of getting it published. This is your chance to |
| down the line - from agent to editor to those on the | | | | do some of your best work because an editor will |
| in-house team. | | | | respond to it. |
| Of course the first person to read your book | | | | The third person in the line of command is the sales |
| proposal is going to be your literary agent. If you | | | | manager. Do you realize that a sales force will go out |
| don't have a literary agent yet, your book proposal is | | | | into stores and try to talk book buyers at |
| going to be your introduction to this individual. | | | | independents and the big chains into buying your |
| Remember that agents look first and foremost for | | | | book? In order to give them ammunition to do this, |
| saleable ideas. If an idea can't be sold, it won't appeal | | | | you've got to have some evidence in your proposal |
| to your agent. This is because your literary agent | | | | that indicates your book will sell. Who will buy your |
| gets a commission only on material she sells. So the | | | | book? Why will they buy it? Explain all this in your |
| first thing you want to do is make sure that your | | | | book proposal and the sales manager will greenlight |
| idea is one that will appeal to a literary agent's view | | | | your idea. |
| of the publishing world. Can you imagine your book | | | | The fourth person who has a say in your book |
| on the shelves of bookstores? You have to see it in | | | | proposal's fate is the marketing manager. This is the |
| your mind's eye, and you have to make your agent | | | | person who will be getting the book into the hands |
| see it - and believe it. | | | | of the press, on radio and TV (hopefully!), and into |
| The second person who will read your book proposal | | | | other media outlets. If you have a platform, if you |
| - assuming it gets past the literary agent stage - is | | | | lecture, if you give seminars - all of this is relevant |
| the acquiring editor. Although acquiring editors have | | | | and helpful because it will show the marketing and |
| somewhat similar concerns insofar as they also want | | | | publicity department that they can get press interest |
| something that will sell, they differ from literary | | | | in your book. |
| agents in that they often have more literary or | | | | Once you understand that your book proposal must |
| artistic aspirations. Editors are a funny breed of | | | | pass four tests, you'll feel more confident about |
| people. They go into the business of publishing with | | | | writing it. Each section of the book proposal will be |
| the ideal of becoming another Maxwell Perkins. But | | | | important, but the marketing people will be most |
| then they get barraged with little mundane matters | | | | interested in the MARKETING and PROMOTION |
| that are the result of being in a highly competitive | | | | sections. The sales force will be interested in the |
| business, and before long they learn to deal with the | | | | COMPETING BOOKS section. The acquiring editor will |
| commercial side of art. They know they have to | | | | be most concerned with the OVERVIEW, the LIST |
| answer to the higher-ups in the organization, the | | | | OF CHAPTERS, and the SAMPLE CHAPTERS. And |
| CEO, the sales force, and the marketing department. | | | | hopefully your literary agent will be able to take all |
| It's your editor's vision that will bring a book into a | | | | this into consideration and coach you through the |
| publishing house, but this is only one step in a process | | | | process of making sure each section is appropriately |
| that will involve many other departments and people. | | | | tailored for all the people who will read it down the |
| Editors usually have two diverging interests which | | | | line. |
| they must keep in balance. On the one hand, they | | | | |