Overview
The claim, the stakes, and why this author.
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A nonfiction proposal is a business argument and a writing sample in the same document. Overview, who the reader is, what is already on the shelf, a chapter outline, and pages that prove you can do the rest.
The claim, the stakes, and why this author.
Who will buy it, in a group that already buys books.
Chapters with jobs, not just titles.
Enough pages to prove the voice can carry the idea.
The brief
A proposal fails when the overview is a mood and the outline is a list of topics. We write the argument of the book in the first pages, then show, chapter by chapter, how a reader gets from the claim to the use. Competitive titles are named honestly: what they do, and the specific gap yours fills. “Nothing like it” is not a gap. It is a research failure.
The sample chapter has to sound like the book, not like the proposal. A stiff overview followed by a lively chapter is a problem we will not hide. If the idea is not ready to be outlined, we will say so before we produce a polished document for a book that does not exist yet.
How the proposal is built
One sentence the rest of the document is not allowed to wander from.
Who they are, what they already read, and why they would pay for this.
Three to five real books, and the gap that is specific.
Each chapter’s promise and how it pays.
Pages in the voice of the book. You approve them before we call it done.
Before you send the manuscript
Yes. Novels are queried with a letter and, if asked, a synopsis. A proposal is how argued and practical books are sold before they are fully written.
You need a credible reason you are the person to write the book, and a plausible path to readers. We will not invent a following. If the platform is thin, the proposal should lean on the idea and the sample, and be honest about the rest.
Long enough to include the overview, the market, the outline, and a sample chapter. Often twenty to fifty pages, depending on the book. Length is not the goal. A publisher has to be able to see the book.
You do. You submit it under your name.
When you are ready
A rough overview, a table of contents, or a chapter you trust. We will tell you if it is ready to become a proposal. Call (833) 688-4166 or write [email protected].
The shelf
Our team has helped write, publish and market thousands of books over the past decade. Our books are well-written and finished to perfection. Have a look at some of our ghostwriters’ best works and clients’ bestsellers.
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