| When I prepared to write a great book proposal, the | | | | the most vital periods of modern China. |
| first step I took was to write a book proposal that | | | | Annotated Chapter Outline |
| would pique a publisher's interest. My book proposal | | | | The Annotated Chapter Outline offers me an |
| consisted of 9 parts. In order to limit this article to | | | | opportunity to demonstrate my control over the |
| the requested length of 500 words, I'll focus on the | | | | material, my ability to organize it, and my writing |
| first, second, and third parts: | | | | style. |
| The Proposal Proper | | | | To begin with, each chapter title should promise a |
| Annotated Chapter Outline | | | | reader that I'll lead him to a place where he has |
| The Market | | | | never been to, and where he'll meet fascinating |
| The Proposal Proper | | | | characters he has never known. |
| In the Proposal Proper, I give a general idea of what | | | | I cite some chapter titles as an example. |
| I am going to write about: | | | | I end each chapter summary with a titillating hint |
| Biographies blending with history. | | | | about the next. |
| Introduction to the three protagonists in the book. | | | | When a reader finishes reading the outline, he will |
| Then I explain why my book will make a unique | | | | have a bird's eye view of a vast mosaic of historical |
| contribution to a market already flooded with books | | | | events and human behaviors. |
| and manuscripts about China. | | | | The Market |
| The three protagonists in my book actually played | | | | A publisher wants to buy a salable manuscript and |
| their parts in the central political events of their day. | | | | makes a profit, so it is important for me to provide |
| The historical details provided are unknown in the | | | | the information. |
| West, or even in China. New details shed new light on | | | | This book, I believe, has a broad appeal. |
| events. Therefore I write from a special vantage | | | | Here is why. |
| point and fill quite a few gaps in the history of one of | | | | |