10 Steps to that perfect book proposal

If you want to traditionally publish a nonfiction book, a completed manuscript usually isn't enough to land you a book deal. You'll also need a book proposal. A book proposal is essentially a business plan for your book; it convincingly argues why your book is a salable product in today's market. Because of the research involved in putting together a book proposal, they can take weeks (or longer) to write if properly developed, so this session breaks down what can be an overwhelming process into ten, clear manageable steps. Everyone will receive digital access to book proposal worksheets to facilitate the research process and write the proposal—starting with the easy parts first, to build your confidence. By the end of this session, you’ll learn the difference between a nonfiction book proposal that gets an immediate response from agents and editors, and one that gets no response.

About Jane

Jane Friedman has spent nearly 25 years working in the book publishing industry, with a focus on author education and trend reporting. She is the editor of The Hot Sheet, the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2023. Her latest book is THE BUSINESS OF BEING A WRITER (University of Chicago Press), which received a starred review from Library Journal.