Book Proposal Development

Book Proposal Development

Editors at publishing houses expect to read non-fiction book proposals - not entire manuscripts. Why? Three reasons.

First, time. Most acquisitions editors and project editors spend much of their days in meetings and on conference calls. They spend subway commute time and two hours before bed and hours on weekends doing what they love to do - reviewing submissions and manuscripts. So, the book proposal has become a concise way for editors to see if writers have a viable idea, a grip on the market, the style and voice to carry the message, and the platform to help sell the book.

Second, security. Acquisitions editors and publishers invest money in authors, and first-time authors who are "unknown entities" pose an investment risk. A book proposal lets them see more clearly what and who they're investing in.

Third, clarity - yours. Writing a non-fiction book proposal can feel like a writing gauntlet. But going through the process in-depth forces writers to define their fuzzy ideas, to cook their fresh notions with research and better thinking, and to formulate their book's structure and core ideas. You will finish a proposal feeling as if you've written the book itself.

I have helped authors rework book proposals that their agents could not sell - and then, after our work together, the agents sold them (for handsome advances). I know how to guide you through writing a proposal uniquely suited to your core idea and manuscript - not necessarily following a cookie-cutter format. I also know what agents and editors typically want from a book proposal and how to help you hone yours to appeal to them.

"After many frustrating attempts on my own as a writer, JEFFREY DAVIS STEPPED IN AND HELPED ME REORGANIZE MY PROJECT WITH KINDNESS, HUMOR, AND RIGOR. I attended my first-ever writing workshop with Jeff in Taos, New Mexico, and returned home feeling that I really could become a writer. The book proposal Jeffrey helped me write sold and I am about to publish my first book."

- JULIE METZ, Perfection: A Memoir of Betrayal and Renewal(Voice/Hyperion Books, 2009), NYT best-seller, and MacDowell Fellowship Recipient

Free Preliminary Dialog:

Call us at (845) 679-9441 or email us for

a preliminary pro bono conversation to

discuss your needs, intentions, and

goals, and we’ll make a plan to get

you and your writing rolling.

1.845.679.9441

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