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By June Cotner Special to Northwest Ink (Pacific Northwest Writers Association Newsletter, November/December 1999) |
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I've had an exciting year. My agent, Denise Marcil, sold five of my nonfiction book proposals! Denise and I have developed an excellent working relationship since I met her at the PNWA Conference nine years ago. It was my first conference and I felt the trepidation most writers experience when they approach an agent with a book project in hand. In my case, it was a pamphlet, The Home Design Handbook. Denise took a look at it and said, "Yes, I can sell it, but first, you need a proposal." Huh, a proposal? I consulted Michael Larsen's outstanding book, How to Write a Book Proposal, and after the painstaking work involved in creating a proposal, the project sold to Henry Holt and Company. And I had been told that it was absolutely impossible for a first-time author to secure a contract with a New York publisher. (Pssst. A thorough proposal makes all the difference!) The book was published in 1992 and has recently gone into its ninth printing. So why does an excellent proposal make all the difference? Think of the book proposal as a business proposition. You're asking publishers to invest their money in your project. A book proposal must thoroughly document the need for the book in the marketplace, the book's audience, and all of the marketing resources available for a successful launch of the book. Many writers are surprised that it is their responsibility to thoroughly review the market, analyze the competition, and develop a book promotion plan. Your proposal must convince the publisher that your project is worth their investment and commitment; it is the sales tool for your idea. Your proposal must be clear, persuasive, and well-documented. It must be a substantial document, usually ranging from 15 to 30 pages (not counting chapter summaries, 1 to 2 sample chapters, and other attachments, such as marketing and promotional materials for your book). A compelling and well-researched proposal is essential for securing a publishing contract with a substantial advance (the money paid up front to write the book). The reason it's important to get as high an advance as possible (besides the obvious one!) is so the publishing house will allocate more of its resources to market and promote your book so that it can earn back the (hopefully) high advance it has paid you. Most of us have heard the statistics that over 55,000 new books are published each year. And that's on top of a huge backlist of successful books that have already earned their keep on bookstore shelves. The average new book has six weeks to make it before it is removed for good. While those statistics initially sound discouraging, they actually create an excellent opportunity for the rest of us--if we can deliver a well-conceived project on time and promote it well. An important ingredient of my proposals is that I plan the marketing and promotion of each book at the proposal stage. I want the publishing company to feel extremely confident that the book will be a great success so it'll pay me the highest advance possible to write the book. Publishers only expect 20-25% of their books to become successful. Ouch! But then again, those statistics tell me that the only way the industry can continue to thrive is by publishing a constant flow of new titles. They don't know which book is going to be the next Chicken Soup for the Soul (over 30 publishers guessed wrong on that one!). I credit my agent, Denise Marcil, with creating what has become my specialty and full-time source of income--compiling and editing spiritual poetry anthologies. Denise has attended the PNWA Summer Conference every year since I met her. While thumbing through a personal collection of mealtime graces I had put together for my family, she said, "June, this is a book and I know the perfect publisher!" But still, I needed a proposal (and always will)! HarperSanFrancisco published Graces in 1994; it's recently gone into its 21st printing. Bedside Prayers was published in 1997 and is in its 9th printing--even outselling the pace of Graces! Three other books have been published since then (all still in print) . . . I can't emphasize enough how hungry agents and editors are for excellent, well-conceived projects that they believe the author can successfully promote. The way to circumvent the traditional catch-22 (you can't become published unless you have an agent, and you can't find an agent unless you've been published) is to write a knockout proposal. Create one, query agents, and soon they'll come knocking on your door! |
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June Cotner is the author of Graces, Bedside Prayers, Family Celebrations, and three other books. She has five forthcoming titles. She can be reached at june@junecotner.com. |