Tuesday, October 21, 2008

How to Untangle Book Proposals

Whatever your book is about, remember the idea has to be sold three times:
  1. To the publisher or investor who will finance and produce your book,

  2. To bookstores and fulfillment houses that will keep it in inventory,

  3. To someone who will buy the book.
Proposals must illustrate exactly how you will communicate to the potential customer. If you have a concept that readers will buy, then the booksellers are more likely to pick it up from the publisher.

This endless loop can become a head scratcher, but there is a way to get it right. Create your proposal as a PowerPoint presentation for your customers. As you move through the slides, are the readers pulling out their wallets before you finish? If so, then the acquiring editor and the bookseller in the same audience will take notice and follow suit.

You will still need to have many other proposal elements developed in order to make the first sale. But if the main impact of your proposal proves you can make the last sale, you significantly increase your chances of landing a great publishing deal.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Always the best information in DETAIL :) Keep it coming Jain - u r the BEST!!

Emelinerodelasmfotografe.com