Your book proposal

Bringing your book together in a proposal format is a powerful way to gain clarity

If you are in business, you will recognise that this has similarities to a traditional marketing plan. For the moment think of your book as a business and not a piece of art.

This is often the hardest part, and I would suggest treating each section as a mini project. Use all of the tools available to you, such as mind maps and post it notes.

As you make your way through your plan add what you learn to your book proposal. In this way you will be prepared and ready should you want to submit it to an agent.

There is a full course on crafting a book proposal here https://soulwritersacademy.teachable.com/p/write-t...

How to write your book proposal

Often when it comes to writing any kind of report it can seem overwhelming. So much to do and no time to do it. However, the best way to tackle your book proposal is to do it in chunks.

Pick a section at a time, think about it, go for a walk and allow whatever needs to come to you to come, when you come back start.

I like to scribble first with pen and paper after which I will write it up.

How do you like to tackle things? Integrate the way you work into this project. Make it work for you.

For now, read the proposal through and allow the questions and sections to flow into you. That's it, simply read and reflect.

Your book proposal is a sales tool. It is used to

• help you to pitch your book idea to agents and publishers
• help you to clarify your book, even if you decide to self publish

Many proposals take weeks (or months) to write, we are taking a whistle stop tour because we want to gain some clarity. If you are going to pitch it, then once you have completed it with this course, come back and refine it.

Use the document as a master template and when you do want to contact an agent, use their proposal and copy and paste what you have in your master copy.

This document is about the marketability of your book idea. When you know that there is a gap in the market, it will make writing it even more pleasurable.

This is your chance to clearly communicate your book, not only to yourself, but to a potential agent and of course, your reader.

The key points that I want you to think about are:-

• So what? What makes this book different - you may not know at this point, or you may have a very clear idea. The point is you need to nail your what.
• Who cares? You may have a unique book, but is there a need and can you demonstrate that?
• Who are you? What are your credentials, what authority do you have and what evidence do you have that you can create a platform and sell you book?

This is a reflective day. Reflect and journal, allow the answers to these questions to surface. You will be digger deeper as we go on.