How to Separate Your Book Proposal from the Pack

If you’re interested in working with a publisher to produce your book idea, chances are you’ve started on a proposal. Most publishers, whether academic, trade, or somewhere in between, typically have their set of guidelines available for this process.

If you’ve followed these guidelines, and you know your topic inside and out, you might think you’re ready to submit. But what happens after you send it through? As an acquisitions editor who has reviewed many proposals, I have some tips to help refine your proposal and make it stand out.

Know Your Publisher

The level of detail in a publisher’s proposal instructions varies, so it is important to first check the publisher’s website for formatting guidelines. You will usually find a proposal page (example here). In the rare instance there are no specific guidelines or you are submitting through a literary agent, there are common components every proposal should have.

If a publisher is particular with their proposal formatting, your proposal should follow their guidance. Some common mistakes editors see include proposals submitted using another publisher’s guidelines (think mass submission), or a block of unformatted text simply narrating the book idea. If you want to distinguish yourself, it’s always best to clarify that your proposal was created directly for the publisher in question. The fit between author and editor starts with this attention to detail.

In order to demonstrate to the editor that your proposal is a fit, it’s helpful to do your research on the publisher you’re submitting to. This could be within their catalog more broadly, specific topic portfolios, or a direct call for proposals. What is the publisher’s current ethos, and what else have they achieved or hope to achieve that might relate to your proposal topic?

At the end of your summary section or within the “competition” or “related” sections, describe how your proposal is a fit for your intended publisher. While knowing your market means sales potential, familiarizing yourself with your potential publisher can make for a smoother working relationship.

Know Your Audience

Ultimately, though, your proposal needs to show an awareness of both the publisher and the book’s intended market. “Who’s going to read your book?” may seem like a basic question, but identifying your actual reader is a bit more complex. You may want to answer, “Well, anyone who is interested in x topic.” But editors know that trade and academic titles, even if they were written on the same general topic, have vastly different audiences. If you’re used to writing for researchers but you’re pitching a book for a general readership, it’s essential to show how your book will address that population.

When a publisher is looking for general readership titles, in broad terms this means the book should be appropriate for the average layperson. The similar or related titles sections in the proposal can come in handy here, so you can get a sense through research just how accessible you need to make your content. In your blurb and table of contents, you can also note how you intend to break down your topic. Think about how much context and theoretical background a general reader might need to get a sense of your book’s scope and angle, without getting lost in the weeds.

Your audience should also be reflected in the writing style of the proposal. If writing for a general audience, refrain from using excessive amounts of academic terminology or jargon and lean toward a conversational tone.

Even if you’re not necessarily approaching a topic with a wide research base, if you’ve been writing about it for some time it can be difficult to write with the general reader in mind. In these cases, it can help to get to the root of why you want them to read your book, and why your take matters. This is the “so what?” question.

If you’ve got a clear answer to the “so what?” question in your proposal—why this book is important not just for you to write and for the publisher to produce, but for the purpose of connecting your reader to your field—it will be clear you know your audience.

Marketing Dos and Don’ts

When an editor reads your proposal, they are making sure that, in knowing your audience, you also have a sense of the ways your reader will find your book. Marketing can vary quite a bit between publishers, so providing details about how you might leverage your own network is a great baseline. This can range from speaking engagements you regularly have on your docket and conferences you attend, to memberships or institutions you keep up with and partnerships where there might be opportunities for bulk sales.

You can put these details in their own section or include them with your audience description. Your editor is looking to see that, beyond just writing your book and having it published, you want to be a conduit for your ideas in the market after publication. How you envision collaborating with a publisher to do this is a key element that can make your proposal stand out.

Lastly, let’s return to knowing your potential publisher. Before suggesting a host of specific marketing expectations that you have for the publisher, make sure you have a sense of their capabilities. If your expectations do not match their usual processes, this can cause bumps in your working relationship. Marketing is an ongoing conversation once your book has been accepted, so including a lot of specific requests at the proposal stage can seem premature.

Extra Elements

We’ve covered the most essential areas where you can refine your proposal to stand out, but there are some miscellaneous pieces to be aware of. First, you may or may not be asked in the publisher’s guidelines to submit sample content or your CV. Regardless, without simply listing all your prior article, book, or media publications, it’s valuable to link to published work that most closely resembles the subject area or style of the proposed book. That way, the publisher can get additional examples of how you write for various audiences.

Outside this list or your CV, you may feel inclined to include references or a bibliography to show the work informing your book idea. You can provide a few citations if absolutely relevant, but it’s helpful to keep the theoretical, contextual, and research background to a minimum in your book and chapter summaries in order to keep the focus on your project.

Final Thoughts

While some of these tips might seem obvious or even daunting, putting effort into each area reflects your passion and care around the idea you’re proposing. If you’re feeling stuck, seeking out developmental resources at this stage is also an option.

Remember the goal of the proposal: showing how your book can advance the field and realistically benefit as many readers as possible. Most importantly, enjoy the proposal process, as it’s your first step on the way to getting your book published!