Poor organization is a common failing in both proposals and manuscripts. When you get a comment from an agent or editor saying your material seems unclear, unfocused, or rambling, lack of organization usually is the culprit. You may have the seed of a great idea in your book, but you have to put the various shoots of that idea in the proper order to make it thrive. Likewise, your proposal package has to be in the right order to show off your book idea to its best advantage.

Organize Your Book

Think of your writing as a game of follow-the-leader, with you as the leader. Your reader doesn't know where you're going, but he trusts you to take him through this territory because you know the way. As the writer, you have to act as guide, pointing out the things of interest along the trail, instilling your reader with confidence in your knowledge and experience.

If you don't lead your reader well, he loses that confidence. He begins to feel that you're wandering in circles, far afield from the real action, and that maybe you don't know where you're going after all. He becomes impatient and critical, and, in the worst case, he goes off to find another guide, one who is better able to share the wonders of the journey with him.

Leaping ahead of the process is a common mistake for new authors. Don't talk about advances or deadlines or production schedules during the proposal stage. Those things will come about naturally through the acquisition process, and broaching them too early will leave a sour taste in the agent's or editor's mouth.

At the proposal stage, the reader is the agent or editor, and the risk of being abandoned because of poor organization is actually the risk of rejection. When planning and executing your story, do it with the reader (or agent or editor) in mind. What does the reader need to know first? If you leave out something early, does that build suspense, or does it leave the reader confused? What needs to be explained, and when, so that the reader can easily follow you through the story? Plan the reader's itinerary so that each leg of the trip builds upon the last, and you'll find that lack of organization no longeris an issue in your writing.

Organize Your Proposal

Your submission should be as user-friendly as possible. Good organization in your proposal demonstrates that you have a firm grasp on your book and on your potential readership. The proposal is the selling tool, so its presentation influences the agent's or editor's perception of your book. Organize your proposal logically, and make sure everything the agent or editor needs is included in your package. The following chart shows what your nonfiction and fiction proposal packages should include.

Checklist for Proposal Package

Occasionally an agent or editor will ask for something different than what's listed here. She might ask to see a synopsis and the first fifty pages of your novel, for example, rather than the first three chapters. For your non-fiction book, she may want only one sample chapter. It's important to follow instructions when you receive them. If the request for material leaves any doubt in your mind about what to send, use the lists here; you won't run the risk of leaving anything out, and your package will look professional and inviting.

Never print any part of your proposal package on both sides of the paper. From your query letter to your sample chapters, print on one side only.