| If you are writing a novel will you be expected to | | | | it is to hatch into an eagle that will allow you to soar |
| create a book proposal? - No | | | | on its wings. |
| If you are writing your first novel will a book proposal | | | | Pull out quotable phrases from your book. grab pieces |
| help get it published? Probably not directly. Then why | | | | of conversations to shuttle warp and woof into a |
| are you even considering a book proposal, particularly | | | | more coherent project. I am using Squidoo for a |
| an online book proposal, when you need to once | | | | book proposal I'm building. The Squidoo tools let me |
| again re-edit that third chapter? | | | | experiment, move things around, highlight ideas and |
| Your online book proposal is part of a journey. The | | | | inspire emotions. I also get feed back from other |
| goal is to build enthusiasm over time, so that when | | | | lensmasters, sharpening my presentation. The forum |
| your efforts are recognized you have a running start | | | | and support structure of these fines folks and those |
| on marketing your book to readers that are eagerly | | | | I communicate with on Twitter are making my |
| awaiting its publication. Particularly with your first | | | | writing more accessible in tone. |
| novel, you are going to be doing most of the work | | | | As an aside, if you frustrated by a cumbersome, run |
| to make it popular, not your publisher. This reality | | | | on sentence - forcing it into the 140 characters of a |
| leads us to our first reason to create an online book | | | | Twitter tweet can make it succinct. |
| proposal for your novel. | | | | 3. You just might get some leads to a publisher or a |
| 1. Seth Godin, a marketing genius with many best | | | | literary agent might become interested in your work. |
| selling marketing books, says that ideally you should | | | | This is the overt goal of your book proposal - to get |
| start marketing your book three years before it is | | | | your novel published. |
| published. | | | | Most of the largest publishers have been slow to |
| That gives you three years to make mistakes and | | | | embrace new technologies, but their sources are |
| sharpen your presentation;.three years to expand | | | | rambling about and may find your proposal and |
| your network using social marketing and relationship | | | | writing compelling. Pull is still better than push, and one |
| building. When a publisher is considering your | | | | fan with access to the proper ear may be all you |
| manuscript or proposal, they will be aware of your | | | | need. The best case is that many find your work |
| following, and the protection your fan base provides | | | | compelling, forwarding your proposal to others, and a |
| against the risks they face in publishing a first work. | | | | viral explosion of enthusiasm results. |
| Your online book proposal can be the first step along | | | | There are millions of people with a story to tell, many |
| the marketing path to success. | | | | of them can tell their story well, and a huge number |
| 2. An online book proposal will help you organize your | | | | have already completed a novel. Do everything |
| novel. All those little snippets and ideas you have | | | | reasonable to open more doors leading to your |
| scattered about need to be woven into a nest. A | | | | works. |
| novel alone is like an egg, it needs warmth and care if | | | | |