The murky world of book proposals
“[A] good proposal tells a story and is most effective when written as a short story, a little narrative tale of perhaps ten to twenty pages double spaced.” From Thinking Like Your Editor: How to Write Great Serious Nonfiction - and Get It Published! by Susan Rabiner and Al Fortunato.
Don't get me wrong -- this book, and the free online class that the authors teach on Barnes & Noble's website, are very, very helpful. A little narrative tale sounds sweet and simple, even, but when you factor in what you have to include: what your book will be about, why you're qualified to write it, who will buy it and why, how it differs from others on the market, etc., well, let's just say it doesn't have the makings of your typical short story, with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Oh yeah, and then factor in that you're supposed to tell it using the same sort of voice and tone that your book will be in, while conveying serious business information, and . . .
Can you tell what I've been working on??
Don't get me wrong -- this book, and the free online class that the authors teach on Barnes & Noble's website, are very, very helpful. A little narrative tale sounds sweet and simple, even, but when you factor in what you have to include: what your book will be about, why you're qualified to write it, who will buy it and why, how it differs from others on the market, etc., well, let's just say it doesn't have the makings of your typical short story, with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Oh yeah, and then factor in that you're supposed to tell it using the same sort of voice and tone that your book will be in, while conveying serious business information, and . . .
Can you tell what I've been working on??