A DECENT PROPOSAL
If you have an idea for a nonfiction book, now is a great time to pursue it. Industry statistics are on your side: Publishers Weekly reported in January 2018 that unit sales of adult nonfiction titles had increased 3 percent from 2016 to 2017, with juvenile nonfiction up a whopping 8 percent. Though the final figures for 2018 sales weren’t available at the time of this article, through October adult nonfiction was up 5.7 percent over 2017.
Unlike querying a novel, which you wait to do until your manuscript is completely finished, nonfiction books are sold to agents and editors based on a strong proposal of what the book could be (you’re not expected to write the entire thing in advance). As publisher of Media Lab Books, compelling proposals cross my desk every day. Those that stand out in this thriving market follow a clear formula—the composition of which I’m excited to share.
BUSINESS FIRST
The most important thing about writing a proposal is to make sure you’re coming at it with the right mindset.
If you’re determined to write a book, then you expert. That means understanding the category you’re writing in as well as, if not better than, the publishers you intend to work with—everything from the competition on the shelf to the nature of your potential readership. You also have to know how to reach and motivate that readership to buy your book.
