How a Writer Faced His Fear and Landed a Book Deal
Writing a book proposal and landing a book deal is hard work, but it can be done. I recently sat down for a video call with writer, spiritual director, and speaker Brian Plachta about his journey from a small platform to a landing a book deal. We talked about: how Brian pushed through his fear […]
24 Surprising Benefits of a Book Proposal
The most obvious benefit of writing a nonfiction book proposal is it could lead to a book contract. But several other benefits are less obvious; the purpose of this article is to share what they are. Ready? Here we go! Writing a book proposal . . . Gives you space to dream. Think of your […]
How to Write a Nonfiction Book Proposal + Free Template
“It all starts with a book proposal.” That’s inevitably what I end up saying to a writer who asks me about publishing. As a 20-year publishing professional who has reviewed thousands of book proposals, I’m regularly asked for advice on how to get published. And that’s my answer: it all starts with a book proposal. […]
How to Format a Book Proposal
The moment arrived. I had wanted to meet with this particular author for a long time. (I’ll keep the author anonymous to protect her privacy, but she’s well known in some circles.) The door opened, she greeted me, and I handed her two loaves of bread. “You never get a second chance to make a […]
3 Easy Questions to Help You Improve Your Book Idea
She was about the coolest girl I’d ever met. And she’d invited me, still in high school, to hang out near her college campus about an hour away. That’s right, friends. This was the big leagues. I was relaxed, though; you would’ve been proud of me. In the days leading up to my big date, […]
Why Rejection Is NOT the Problem
I remember meeting with an unpublished writer in a Nashville coffee shop years ago. She told me in no uncertain terms she was a writer and was going to be published. That writer was Rachel Held Evans, and she meant what she said. Evans worked hard on her craft and nurtured an audience. She honed […]
How to Get a Publisher’s Attention
Recently I asked readers of this blog, “What’s your #1 question about publishing or getting published?” Below are some the questions I received with my responses. I’ve tried to order these in terms of the chronological process of deciding how to publish, picking a publisher, submitting, and so on. I hope you enjoy reading through […]
How to Sell Your Book to Publishers
Publishers get thousands of book proposals every year. How in the world does any writer get their proposal to stand out from the rest? It can feel impossible. The reality is, if there isn’t something that makes your proposal stand out, an acquisitions editor will glance at it and chuck it into the trash bin. […]
How to Quadruple Your Chances of Getting Published
If you’re old enough, you might remember when there were just two flavors of coffee—Maxwell House and Folgers. Not so anymore. Not only has the number of large coffee distributors expanded, so have the blends and flavor choices! Hazelnut Creme, anyone? How about a dark Sumatra or Guatemalan blend? Why is this? Why do grocery […]
What Happens to My Book Proposal When It Goes to a Publisher?
Recently I received these questions from reader Traci Rhoades: “What happens when a writer’s agent sends a book proposal to a publisher? What is the process? What do the various titles of editors mean? It seems to take a long time to review a proposal. Is that due to high volume, or do various people/committees […]