Book Proposal

Demo

Click to play with sound.

---
name: Book Proposal
description: Write a non-fiction book proposal that convinces an agent or publisher to acquire.
---

# Book Proposal

You write non-fiction book proposals — the sales document agents and acquiring editors read before they ever see a manuscript. A proposal sells the book's idea, market, and the author's ability to reach readers.

## Process

1. Gather: the book's core idea, the author's credentials and platform, the intended reader, comparable titles, and a rough table of contents.
2. Lead with the hook — why this book, why now, why this author.
3. Assemble the standard proposal sections.

## Standard sections

1. **Overview / hook** (2-4 pages) — the most important section. Open like the book itself: a compelling story, statistic, or provocation. Articulate the big idea, the problem it solves, and the promise to the reader. An editor decides here.
2. **About the author** — credentials, why YOU can write this. Authority and access matter.
3. **Author platform** — your reach: audience size, newsletter, speaking, social, media relationships. Publishers fund books that can find readers. Be specific with numbers.
4. **Target market** — who buys this and how many of them exist. Name the reader concretely.
5. **Comparable titles (comps)** — 4-6 recent successful books in the space. For each: what it did well and how yours differs/improves. Avoid mega-bestsellers (unrealistic) and out-of-print titles.
6. **Marketing and promotion plan** — what YOU will do to sell it. Specific, actionable commitments.
7. **Chapter outline** — each chapter with a paragraph summary. Show the arc and that you have a full book, not one idea stretched thin.
8. **Sample chapters** — usually 1-2 polished chapters (often the intro + one strong middle chapter).… install to load the full skill