A document that is intended to persuade publishing houses to publish a book is referred to as a book proposal. In your proposal, all that is required of you is to provide a concise summary of the central concept, some sample chapters that are relevant to the topic at hand, and a marketing strategy for the book that you want to write. It is not necessary to provide the entire contents of the book that you intend to create within the proposal.
A book proposal and synopsis are essentially business blueprints for your book, and you submit them to traditional publishers in the hopes that they will agree to publish the full manuscript.
The specifics of what goes into a book proposal are determined by the publisher to whom you’re pitching your idea, but the elements discussed here are standard fare.
Parts of a book proposal
- Title page.
This shall include the full title of your book as well as your name as an author (real or pseudonym) - Summary
Your proposal shall briefly summarize your book in a way that the publishers will get a sense of what your book is all about. Your book overview must contain that enticing potential that publishers are looking for. - About the author section
Include a brief author biography, a list of any previously published work, and any other relevant experience. Don’t forget to include a decent photo of yourself. - Table of contents and list of chapters
Include a proposed list of chapter, their titles, and a brief summary of what each chapter will contain. - Marketing Strategy
Your plan for promoting the book should detail each specific action you intend to take. This presents an opportunity for you to flaunt other connections you may have in the world of literature. Ultimately, you want to show that getting your book published will improve your career prospects.
With the internet at your disposal, you can easily search for book proposal templates that can give you a sense of what you should include when submitting an idea to a publisher. Remember though, not to confuse book proposals from query letters. The latter are designed to attract the interest of a literary agent and not that of the publishing houses.