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If you want to be traditionally published, you need to attract an agent and a publisher. To get an agent and publisher, you need an amazing book proposal. 

For an author, a book proposal is like a business plan and resume all in one. It communicates all the important information about you, your book, and your platform. If the proposal is weak, it ends the conversation, torpedoing any chance to fix it. 

Back when I was a literary agent, I got a steady stream of book proposals and most of them were not great. I had a list of stock rejections that I sent in response to most proposals that came across my desk.  

So how do you make your book proposal stand out from the competition? And what needs to be included?

That is what we are going to talk about in this episode of the Christian Publishing Show, the podcast for writers who want to honor God with their writing. 

We have a guest on the show today who is going to walk us through the elements of a great book proposal and teach us how to make your book proposal irresistible.

She is a writing coach, author, speaker, and podcast host. She leverages over three decades of experience in the writing and publishing world to serve and support writers looking for input and confidence to establish and advance their careers. 

Ann Kroeker, welcome to the Christian Publishing Show!

Why Do I Need a Book Proposal?

Ann: Thank you. It’s a pleasure to be here.

Thomas: Do authors still need book proposals in 2022? Isn’t that an artifact of an older time?

Ann: Oh, how I wish it were true. No, you still need to put together a book proposal. This document will not only benefit the decision-maker (an agent or editor), but it will help the author as well.

Thomas: Even if you plan to go indie, the act of putting together a book proposal is really beneficial. When I was working on my very first book proposal, I was a college student. At the same time, I was taking a course on entrepreneurship. Our big project at the end of the semester was to put together a business plan.

As I was working on both the book proposal and the business plan, I realized they were almost identical. A book proposal is effectively a business plan, minus the budget, plus sample chapters. Almost every other section lines up. Even if you’re not seeking funding for your business, the act of putting together a business plan is really valuable because it forces you to ask yourself tough questions and to solve problems before they become more serious issues.

Ann: Yes, your proposal helps to clarify the content. It brings to light some of the things that would be otherwise unexpected later.

For example, you’re going to have to join with the publisher to market this book. So, you’re going to need a marketing plan. It sounds so “businessy.” A lot of creative people do not want to think about that. They just want to do the creative work. They just want to enjoy the creative process.

But the book proposal reminds them that they will be in partnership with both an agent and a publisher. You need to contribute something to the partnership. You’re not only bringing a good idea, but also great writing, a marketing plan, and a platform. You need to prove that you can get your work in front of readers.

What’s the Difference Between Platform and Marketing?

Thomas: When I was an agent, I would often go to the marketing plan or platform section of a book proposal first. I wanted proof of what the author had done in the past and was currently doing to grow their platform. Not just a promise of what they planned to do in the future.

I wanted to see that they had been successful in the past and that they were competent in marketing their book. Don’t tell me you plan to be interviewed on Focus on the Family, for example, unless you already have connections with their organization and they’ve already scheduled you for an interview.

Platform includes all the things you are currently doing or have done in the past, whereas your marketing plan is what you intend to do in the future. It’s okay to say “I plan to pitch Focus on the Family” in your marketing plan.

Ann: I think some of the things we do to build platform now can become marketing efforts later. Clients are sometimes confused about this at first; but as they begin to build their platform, they see that those same activities can be used to market the book.

It’s interesting. Every agent or editor looks at a different part of the book proposal first. They all go through the material of the proposal in a different order.

Thomas: Typically, the agent will go first to the section that’s closest to their core set of expertise. That’s where it often becomes the easiest to judge. And then the other sections become tie breakers. I came from a marketing background, so I would go to the marketing section first.

I would help my clients separate the marketing section from the platform section. The number of people you have on your mailing list would go under platform, but the fact that you plan to use your mailing list to sell books would go under the marketing section.

Ann: So, after you look at the marketing plan, what do you look at next?

Thomas: Since I used to build websites for authors, I would often look at their website next, to see if they’re blowing smoke or not. I knew how to tell if a website was popular. I could pull the Alexa score to see if the website was getting any visitors. I would be able to tell if they knew what they were doing.

I could tell a lot about an author by looking at their website. I could tell if their website was optimized. I knew how to work through the smoke. I think most agents are bamboozled by beautiful websites because they don’t know if a website is popular. They can’t tell how much traffic it’s getting.

It’s not so important how beautiful your website is. What’s important is whether or not your website is connecting with readers.

Back to proposals though, we should probably talk about how fiction proposals and nonfiction proposals are different.

How Are Fiction Book Proposals Different From Nonfiction Book Proposals?

Ann: If you are a novelist, you need to write the entire book. It needs to be complete. It needs to be polished. You need to have a synopsis, which can be really challenging to write. You need to have a tight, alluring hook that can capture the attention of an agent or editor.

An agent might ask for a partial manuscript of your book first. Then they may ask for the full manuscript, and then the book proposal. Everything has to be ready to go.

But with a nonfiction book proposal, you don’t actually have to write the book first. In fact, it’s actually recommended that you don’t. Because your book may evolve.

Thomas: The agent might say to you, “This is a really great idea. But I looked at your table of contents. I know a publisher who is looking for a book on this topic. If you tweak these chapters just a bit, I think your book will be just what they are looking for.” There’s some negotiation on what goes into the book.

But for fiction, especially if you’re a first-time novelist, you need to demonstrate that you know how to stick the landing. You need to demonstrate that you have the discipline and the hustle to write a complete book. And if you haven’t finished your novel, you really have to work on that before you start pitching publishers.

Whereas for nonfiction, it’s more about building your platform, connecting with your audience, and establishing your authority and credibility. It’s a very different process.

Ann: And you’re still going to have to turn in sample chapters. There’s some disagreement on how many chapters you’ll be requested to include, but those chapters are part of the book proposal. The sample chapters are where your writing will really shine.

What Three Questions Should Your Book Proposal Answer?

Ann: Your book proposal needs to answer three questions that are on the minds of every agent:

1. “Why this book?” —That’s your premise, your big idea.
2. “Why now?” —Is your book marketable? Is it salable in today’s world and climate?
3. “Why this author?” — This is where your platform comes into play. Can you get this book in front of people? Are they already interested in the topic based on things you’re already saying and writing in the world? Can you write in a compelling way? Do you have the experience and knowledge to make you an expert in this area?

Thomas: If you’re writing fiction, when it comes to answering the question “Why now?” I would encourage you to include a discussion about video games and movies in your book proposal. Choose games or movies that have similar themes, s