Proposals - a few thoughts from Sandra on why and how

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and aside from the fact that I'm stuck in bed with the most wicked head cold I've ever had, it's a perfect day here in our neck of the woods.  Speaking of perfect, let me answer a few questions in regard to proposals -- one area where my perfectionist tendencies run amok. Just last week two editors mentioned that my proposals are among the best they've ever received. So, I think I'm well qualified to answer a few proposal questions.  So, Here goes ...

Anna wrote and asked "I'm having trouble trying to decide where to focus. I started putting together a proposal for my second novel, but I'm sure I'll go back and tweak the story some when I start editing it. I feel like I have to have it complete and ready to go before I bother with a proposal. Do I completely edit and polish the novel at this point, or do I dive into creating a strong proposal?

After a novel is finished, it's best, if you can, to let it set for some time before going back to edit it. So, in answer to your question regarding what to do next, I'd say dive into creating the strongest proposal you know how, then spend more time going back through it and making sure it is clean, presentable, factual, current, and well organized.

Katherine wants to know:  "Should I include sales figures for my previous books in my proposal? My first novel sold pretty well, and the second was about the same. But my publisher decided to pull back from the specific category of fiction I write and so I'm thinking I'll probably look into getting an agent and that I'll probably land with a different publisher. How important will sales figures be to them?"

First off, congratulations on the sales of your first and second novels, Katherine. As "pretty well" could mean considerably different things to different publishers, and sales history is one of the first questions out of editors mouths these days, now would be a good time to round up a current figure so you can be prepared to answer that as specifically as you can - either to your new agent or to any editors you might have the opportunity to pitch your work. And, there's no use in trying to mask sales figures as most agents and editors are able to access the facts with a phone call or email. So just be honest. It is what it is. If you had a particular issue (one of the authors I represent "lost" two editors and her agent to maternity leave prior to the release of a book and she's still recovering from lost momentum) most editors will understand -- if the writing holds up, of course. I'd say, though, if you're looking for an agent, leave these details up to him or her to discuss. Yeah, I know ... we get to have all the fun.

Mason got a little whiny, but his concern is pretty universal, so I'll humor him. He said "I'm trying to make sense of all the information I've gathered for putting together a proposal. It seems like it could go on for pages and pages! Why do they ask for so much? "

Okay, look. There are tons of books on crafting proposals and even more websites and samples floating around on websites. We have a fiction proposal on our website which leans toward the technical side, but they don't all have to be that way. One thing I always try to keep in mind when I'm advising authors (or sometimes helping them) with proposals is that editors are busy and overwhelmed. They need good information put together in a manner which makes it easy to find the specific details they will need if/when they're discussing your project with their counterparts or presenting it in a pub meeting. So yes, the sections you see in a sample proposal can seem confusing and a bit like you're being asked to jump through hoops, but if you're willing to make their jobs easier, trust me, you and your work will stand out and they'll appreciate you for it. 

Having said all that, personally, here's a framework for how I like to see proposals organized:

INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION

Basic overview info to help orient the reviewer to your project. Genre, category, setting, word count, status (finished or not), brief author intro.

CONTENT SUMMARY
What is the book about? This is a one paragraph (or one sentence, if you can do it) handle at this point - not the full synopsis.

AUTHOR/MARKETING
Why is the author the one person in the universe qualified to write this book and what are his/her plans for helping the publisher promote and sell it?

MARKET
Who are the specific consumers likely to plunk down their hard earned cash to buy your book?

SAMPLE CHAPTERS
Answers the question - can the author really write?

SYNOPSIS
For fiction, I like for this to follow the sample chapters so the editor has a chance to get the same first impression a reader would. Hard to do if they've looked through the synopsis first.

Different editors look for different information first. Some like to see right away if they recognize the author before they go any further. Some jump right to the bottom and read a few lines to see if the person can write. Still others want to know how the book fits in the marketplace and how this author/project compares to what's already out there. If the information and supporting elements are easy to find and deliver answers to their key questions, that's really what most editors want initially. The reason publishers need so much covered in a proposal is that this is often all they have to go on when they are making decisions in meetings about which projects to potentially make an offer on. And the editor who is presenting it is often taking a bit of a risk.

By the time it reaches the final decision stage, typically editors will have already gone through the discovery phase and answered several questions for themselves. Yes, they look at the sample chapters, but they rarely convince a publishing committee to make a "yes" decision (i.e. take a business risk) solely on the writing alone. It happens, but, like I said they often need, especially for newer authors who may not be widely recognized, good support information to help them sell it the project in-house.

Gary said "It seems to me that editors should just read the manuscript and see if they like it before they ask authors to spend so much time putting together a proposal."

Sometimes that happens, Gary. But usually only if it's recommended by an agent the editor trusts. I don't know an editor who enjoys reading sample chapters just for reading pleasure. Trust me, like us, they all have stacks of recommended books they'd really rather curl up with.

Look. A good proposal answers a few very important questions upfront. Does the written material really match what the query promised? Is there enough information, overall, to help me come to an informed decision on this? Should I bother to discuss this with my fellow editors? Try to get this on the agenda for the next  pub board? Does it compete with that other idea I'd had in mind to bring up this month? Should I round file the whole thing and tell the author they'd be better off making a living scraping gum off the bottom of chairs at Burger King?

Deciding whether they love your writing is important, Gary, but it's often the what you put in the material leading up to the sample chapters that convinces an editor it's worth their time (or not) to read it.

Thanks for asking. Feel free to reply with further questions and we'll do our best.

Stay Healthy, and Happy Spring!

Comments

[Tiffany Colter]

Sandra,

Thanks for the "What" and the "Why". I can see Chip is rubbing off on you. Loved the post.

Tiffany Colter

[Stevie Rey]

Thankee Kindly fer that, Sandra. I got a proposal due Monday so the Good Lord is smilin' on me.

Grace and Cornbread,
Stevie Rey

[Janice Olson]

Excellent post, Sandra. Lots of good information.
Thanks,

Janice Olson

[Judith]

How timely!

I'm struggling with a non-fiction proposal at the moment because the content of the book is in some flux as I'm working on it.

Thought I had the structure nailed down, but as I write the sample chapters, the plans seem to change. Ugh!

And I'm on a deadline -- no pressure. Yeah, right!

Thanks, Sandra.

[Amanda]

Sounds simple enough...

[Steve]

Thanks, Chip, for your comments on a well-rounded proposal.

As an editor, I'll say this: When a prospective author or even an already-published author presents a book idea to me verbally and I ask the person to write a proposal, occasionally I'll get the comment, "Aren't sample chapters enough?" Or, "I've already written books before. Why do you need a proposal?"

Both responses are an immediate turnoff because they communicate, in essence, that the writer is not willing to do the heavy lifting that's required to help the publishing company know everything it possibly can about the book before it commits a ton of time and $$$ in it.

[Cheryl Barker]

Sandra, thanks for offering to answer our questions. I am reading Noah Lukeman's "The First Five Pages", and he mentioned that including artwork or illustrations signals the mark of an amateur. He was talking about requested partials, but I'm wondering if that might encompass proposals as well...

Do you agree? Is there ever a time it is appropriate to include sample artwork in a proposal? (I'm thinking specifically of gift books.)

[Robbie Iobst]

Thank you Sandra. I think writing a proposal is extremely difficult because it requires analytical thinking and research and not just imagination and creativity. Your post helps.

I pray you start to feel better soon!

[Angela Meuser]

There's so much differing info out there on proposals. It's great to hear it from an agent. Now where do endorsements fit into a proposal?

[Jennifer King]

Thank you, Sandra, for a great communication of proposal expectations.
Very much appreciated!
Jennifer King

[Sandra]

Hey Judith,

Attempting to write the proposal while you're still nailing down the order and premise of a book is rather like shoveling the sidewalk while it's still snowing. Tricky at best. Sounds like you're on a deadline, but I'd suggest getting at least the annotated table of contents nailed down before you attempt the proposal. Otherwise you'll be dealing with two unwieldy projects at the same time...

[Sandra]

Thanks for your amen, Steve. Nice to hear an editor echo my thoughts. Now everyone will know I'm not making this up as I go along ...

Steve - I've forgotten, did you want that in small bills?

[Sandra]

Cheryl,

You know, I pretty much cringe when I open a proposal and see that the author has spent hours working on a cover design and internal illustrations. It alerts me right away that the author isn't looking for help to find a publisher who will partner with them -- he is looking for someone to cater to his vision and personal fancy of what the book should be. That's just not how publishing works.

There are times when it's appropriate to bring up illustrations and gift books are one possible example of such, but it's usually best to simply mention this in the proposal and let the editor fall in love with the idea on its own merit first.

Oh, and typically illustration offers need to come from a pro. Mentioning that your niece is a talented pencil artist or that your high school buddy who runs a graphic design "firm" from his basement would like to contribute to your book just reminds the publisher that you've never done this before. Amateurish indeed.

[Sandra]

Someone asked about mentioning endorsements in a proposal.

If they are solid, I usually include them. And by solid I mean they have said to you (preferably in writing) "Why yes, Sandra, I'd really like to endorse your book."

Sending an editor a list of all the famous people you know or almost know does not constitute "possible endorsers." Most of us are only six strips of bacon away from Kevin someone-or-other famous. Get over it.

I only say this because we see it. Quite often.

One of my authors goes to church with the pilot of a high profile African American TV host whose show has been on at 4pm every afternoon for over twenty years but whose name I won't mention here, and we once joked about asking the pilot to blurb her book. But it was a joke, see.

Oh, and the endorsements really should come from someone who writes or speaks or teaches on a topic related to yours, especially for nonfiction.

[Kirk Kraft]

Thanks for all this great info, Sandra. Sorry you are ill - I was looking forward to meeting you at the Writer's Renewal this weekend.

[Clella]

This came just when I needed it as I am preparing a non-fiction proposal for an agent. Thank you. Pray you will feel better soon.
Clella Camp

[Ed Eubanks]

Thanks for these helpful answers.

A couple of follow-up points/questions:

~In response to Katherine, you said, "...now would be a good time to round up a current figure so you can be prepared to answer that as specifically as you can..." I assume you mean "round up" as in "gather" (rather than "round up" as in "to the nearest thousand books sold")? I'm not trying to be snide; I recently read something else about rounding figures, and I'm curious of your view.

~In response to Mason, you include a great list of what should be included. Could you speak to typical length for these? For example, should the "Author/Marketing" section be a single paragraph, or should it be a short (1 page?) biography of the author? Should the section on intended "Market" be a short list (in a sentence or two) of who will likely be interested, or longer descriptions?

Thanks in advance.

[Sandi]

Wow, Sandra. Thank you for your wonderful information, especially the details on how to set up a proposal. Very helpful, indeed. I haven't been reading this blog for long, so I might just be "out of the loop" on how things work around here, but I'm impressed with the time you and Chip take in answering all our questions. This is free information from the pros. It's awesome!

[Angela Meuser]

"Someone" wants to thank you for answering her question about endorsements. Guess my names not quite big enough to endorse a book yet, huh? ;-)

[Lea Schizas]

Does it hurt an author if they omit having another book published, the reason being they know the sales were low only because they were new to the business and didn't thoroughly understand the 'real' promotional leg they had to do? Would you consider the query on hand or would that omission sway your decision?

[Kristen]

I just wanted to pop in and say "Get Well Soon" and "I hope to meet you next year." I was scheduled for a pitch session with you this Friday and am greatly grieved that I did not get the chance to meet you. But Terry Whalin was great. Anyway that was my virtual hello, since my in the flesh hello was thwarted by the germs of doom! May you have rapid healing and much blessing.

[Pam Halter]

Gary had a good question about editors just reading manuscript pages instead of a proposal. That's why we should be going to conferences. You can show your writing to editors, agents or authors without worrying about a proposal. If someone is interested in your work, THEN you can get a good proposal together. And many conferences offer workshops on just how to do that.

Sandra, I'm looking forward to meeting you at the Phila. conference (I'm on faculty, too.)

pam <><