Hello loebandco,
Thank you for your question.
I found quite a few very interesting sites with information and
formats for book proposals that should be most helpful for you:
Information Today
http://www.infotoday.com/books/proposal.shtml
Their preferred format is as follows:
THE BOOK PROPOSAL
Please include all of the following in your book proposal:
1) Suggested title and subtitle
2) Synopsis/overview
What is the book about and what is its purpose? Include a description
of the people, organizations, issues, technologies, and products that
will be covered; explain the organization of the book and any special
or unique features, and describe the approach you will take to make it
as useful and interesting as possible. Include your estimate on the
length of the book (approx. word count).
3) Preliminary Table of Contents
4) Graphics
Include information about illustrations, photos, charts, graphs,
tables, screenshots, etc., which you would plan to include in the
book, if any.
5) Readership information
Who will buy the book, and why? Include your estimate of the size of
the primary markets for the book and suggestions on where/how to reach
them (associations, publications, events, Web sites, etc.). If your
book will appeal to the readership of one or more of our journals or
books, make this point. It helps in this section to know of any
success stories for similar books, with sales data where available.
Describe the role you would expect to play in the marketing and
promotion of the book. If you have an opinion as to an appropriate
price range for the book, let us know.
6) Competition
List a few competitive titles, and describe some success stories with
sales information as available. If you have found nothing similar,
describe the sources you have searched. Some competition is desirable
because it suggests an established market for your book; where there
is considerable competition, there should be significant and easily
expressed differences between your book and others. It is helpful to
mention books that, while having a similar mission, are weak in
certain specific areas where yours will be particularly strong.
7) Author biography (narrative format); copies of related work
Why are you qualified to write this book? Describe yourself, and any
applicable writing and professional experience (attach resume or CV if
desired). Include a copy of any published article(s) or book(s) you
have authored that you believe will help us to assess your writing
ability and fitness for the proposed project. Include SASE if you wish
us to return the material.
8) Timing
When would you deliver a manuscript, assuming an agreement is reached
within 30 days of your proposal submission?
Proposal Format
We prefer receiving a printed version of the proposal by mail rather
than a faxed or emailed document; if we require the proposal in
electronic form we will advise you. A cover letter should provide a
short explanation of the contents of your package plus complete
contact information.
Proposals typically run between 2 and 5 pages; length is not important
so long as the proposal clearly explains the concept and its
viability. In addition to your proposal, feel free to include the
first three chapters if already written. Do not send the entire
manuscript unless requested to do so.
**********************************
Adler & Robin Books, Inc.
http://www.adlerbooks.com/howto.html
How to Write a Computer Book Proposal
The elements of a computer book proposal include:
SUMMARY
After your proposal is approved by the editor, it will be sent to the
editorial board. To expedite the process, and to help ensure both
approval and the highest possible advance, it is helpful to have a
SUMMARY at the beginning of the proposal. This enables the editorial
board to quickly absorb the features of the book -- and it also
inspires confidence about your ability to put together a book. You
will have a chance to amplify this information later in the proposal.
The summary should be approximately one to two pages long.
Include here:
A brief description of the book.
The manuscript details (page count and how quickly the book can be
completed, speed being essential for computer books).
Special editorial features: A bulleted list of what makes this book
stand out from an editorial and a publisher's perspective.
List of chapter titles.
One or two sentences about the author.
A 15 word, or less, sales pitch for the book.
Key sales and marketing features: Four or five bulleted points about
the book.
Sales channel information -- where this book will sell especially
well.
Comparison with the key competition
OVERVIEW
A one or two paragraph summary of what will be in the book. This
should read like the blurb on the back of the book. It tells the
publisher in a concise form what the book is about, who the market is,
and mentions a little about the author.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
This section provides detailed information about you. Why you are
qualified to write this book? What is your education? Have you been
published before? Do you work in the computer industry?
THE MARKET
Whom you see as the audience for the book? Why would somebody buy this
book? How is this audience reached? For example, are there some
magazines aimed at the same audience that your book is written for?
Are there special conferences on this subject (when and where)? In
this section you should be as numerical as possible. If you're talking
about a computer application, for example, mention how many units were
shipped last year, or how many users there are.
THE COMPETITION
What other books are in print on the same subject? How is your book
different and better?
ANNOTATED TABLE OF CONTENTS
This is a detailed chapter outline, with a paragraph or page
describing what will go in each chapter. The more detail the better.
SAMPLE MATERIAL
A sample chapter or portion of a chapter. Alternatively, a writing
sample can be included here.
They continue to instruct on how to write a Trade Book Proposal which
seems to take a similar, but slightly different form. Check the page
to make your own comparison.
They also link to excellent sample proposals:
Condensed Fairy Tales
A Guide to Telling Your Children the Fabulous and Famous Fairy Tales
That You Knew Once Upon a Time
http://www.adlerbooks.com/fairyt.html
Your Second Pregnancy
by Katie Tamony
http://www.adlerbooks.com/secpreg.html
and Bottlefeeding Without Guilt
A Defense Manual for New Mothers Who Choose Not to Breastfeed Their
Babies
by Peggy Robin
http://www.adlerbooks.com/bottlef.html
********************************************
You might wish to purchase:
The Literary Agent's Guide to Getting Published And Making Money from
Your Writing
by Bill Adler
This is available from Amazon, for example, for only $14.97
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN%3D1892025000/adlerrobinbookslA/104-9261047-3021561
or
Write the Perfect Book Proposal: 10 That Sold and Why, 2nd Edition
by Jeff Herman (Author), Deborah Levine Herman (Author)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0471353124/ref=pd_sxp_elt_l1/104-9261047-3021561
$11.17 at Amazon
These seem to be highly rated works that target book proposal writing.
*****************************
Here are a collection of other pages that discuss book proposals:
How to write a non-fiction book proposal
http://www.utopiamedia.co.uk/questionaires-1.htm
Cavendish Publishing
How to Submit your Book Proposal
http://www.cavendishpublishing.com/lawlect_bookprop.asp
A Book Proposal Form in Word Format
www.cs.uvm.edu/~xwu/kaim/AQ.doc
IEEE Computer Society Press
Book Author Guidelines
http://www.computer.org/cspress/cs-guide.htm
The Seven Vital Elements of a Successful Nonfiction Book Proposal
© 1996 Mary Embree
http://www.spawn.org/marketing/bookprop.htm
Brown Walker Press form:
Submit your Book Proposal for Personal Evaluation
http://www.brownwalker.com/publishing/forms/proposal.htm
Hewlitt Packard
book proposal guidelines
http://www.hp.com/hpbooks/guidelines.html
How to Prepare a Book Proposal
From your Freelance Writers Guide
http://freelancewrite.about.com/c/ht/02/02/How_Prepare_Book_Proposal1012923155.htm
And many, many more. If you like, you can repeat my search to find
hundreds of sites, forms and articles on successful book proposals:
://www.google.com/search?q="book%20proposal"%20%2Bformat
Search Strategy:
"book proposal" +format
I trust my research has provided you with a good selection of articles
and formats for successful book proposals. If a link above should fail
to work or anything require further explanation or research, please do
post a Request for Clarification prior to rating the answer and
closing the question and I will be pleased to assist further.
Best of luck getting published!
-=clouseau=- |
