Be sure to consult the publisher or agent guidelines before you submit a proposal. Some expect to first receive a query letter. There are several proposal formats that are acceptable.

The Cover Letter

A cover letter that accompanies a book proposal can be longer than the standard one-page cover letter because it includes the “pitch” for your book. Format this letter as you would a formal business letter, using single spacing with two-line feeds between each paragraph. Introduce your proposal by giving your proposed book title, followed by a one-sentence description of your proposed book. Next, introduce other essential information about the book in synopsis format, explaining such things as:

• The potential audience for the book

• The tone of the book (humorous, instructional, exposé)

• The type of book (hardcover, trade paperback, etc.)

• Your expertise (why you're the perfect person to write the book)

• Any other experience (e.g., media) that will help market the book

• A brief description of the supporting documents you're including with the proposal

Cover Letter

Ms. Regan

555 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10112

Dear Ms. Regan:

More than a million people now work with widgets on a daily basis and that number is growing with each passing day. The Wonderful Widget is a book that would be appropriate in either hardcover or as a trade paperback. The book will address the phenomena of America's fascination with the widget, defining the many aspects of what makes the widget an essential part of so many households. The book will walk the reader step-by-step through the information necessary to know, appreciate, and then use the widget.

I worked as Mr. Michael Bishop's personal assistant for more than ten years and have observed the evolution of the widget — from concept to working model to marketing phenomena. Now, as marketing director for the company, I have appeared as his spokesperson on news programs on all major networks, when Mr. Bishop has been unable to appear himself because of scheduling conflicts. Mr. Bishop promises his full cooperation on the development of this book. I'll have full access to his notes and supporting documents.

I'm including my proposed table of contents for this book (along with chapter descriptions), plus information on competing titles, my author biography (this isn't my first book), a sample chapter, and publicity and promotion suggestions for the book.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to discussing this project with you at your convenience.

Sincerely,

Some authors prefer to forego doing a cover letter and begin with a cover page, followed by a two- to three-page “pitch” for the book. This book pitch contains essentially the same elements that go into a cover letter, except rather than showing the editor and publisher (or agent) information and greeting, it begins by immediately repeating the proposed title for your book, followed by a one-sentence description of your proposed book. The book pitch, like the rest of the proposal, is double-spaced.

The Cover Page

Your first task is to write a great title for your proposed book. Once you've done that, to prepare the cover page, print that title in all upper case letters, centered in the upper third of a blank page; use double-spacing if the title is more than one line. Centered and double-spaced below the title, print your name in capital and lowercase letters. In the bottom third of the page, and tabbed over so that the information appears near the right margin, type your name, address, and phone number (or your agent's name, address, and phone number). If you include both, be sure to identify the agent information. This information can be single- or double-spaced, depending on the amount of information you include.

The Book Pitch

When you work with an agent who'll be submitting the work to the potential publishers for your book, write your book pitch in third person.

The Wonderful Widget is a book that will walk the reader step-by-step through the information necessary to know, appreciate, and then use the widget.

More than a million people now work with widgets on a daily basis and that number is growing with each passing day. The Wonderful Widget, whether as a hardcover book or as a trade paperback, will address the phenomenon of America's fascination with the widget, defining the many aspects of what makes the widget an essential part of so many households.

The author for this work, Jodi Cornelius, worked as Mr. Michael Bishop's personal assistant for more than ten years. During that time she observed the entire evolution of the widget — from concept to working model to marketing phenomenon. Now, as marketing director for the company, she has appeared as his spokesperson on news programs on all major networks, when Mr. Bishop has been unable to appear himself because of scheduling conflicts. Mr. Bishop promises his full cooperation on the development of this book. Ms. Cornelius will have full access to Mr. Bishop's notes and supporting documents.

As you'll see from Ms. Cornelius's author bio, her experience with the Wonderful Widget Corporation, as well as her prior writing experience, makes her the perfect author for this work.

The Proposed Table of Contents

The proposed table of contents essentially involves working the concept for your book into an outline of sorts, only in this instance you'll list chapter titles, followed by one-paragraph descriptions of what you intend to cover in that chapter. A well-written table of contents description demonstrates to the editor that you know how to organize a book.

Initial Part of a Table of Contents

The Everything Improve Your Writing Book

Chapter 1: The Basics

This chapter will cover the who, what, when, where, why, and how of effective formal and informal writing, including information on how the writer goes about determining the audience for a work and establishing a voice in that writing. It will conclude with a discussion on how to begin a work, how to decide what should go in the middle, and how to wrap things up.