Many authors are looking for a magic bullet or system or action they can take to get published and have their book become a bestseller. For decades I’ve been publishing, and I don’t believe this bullet exists but there are consistent practices and actions every author can take to position their book for success. One of those critical actions is to do the hard work and write a business plan or a book proposal.
I’m currently working in my third publishing house as an acquisitions editor. I’ve reviewed thousands of submissions from authors. Also, I’ve written a number of book proposals. In fact, I wrote two book proposals that received six-figure advances.
In my early days as an acquisitions editor, it was frustrating to read the proposals. Many of them were missing critical elements so when I pitched them to my colleagues, they were rejected. Out of frustration and eager to find better submissions, I wrote Book Proposals That Sell, 21 Secrets to Speed Your Success. The first edition of this book helped many writers gain a better understanding of the publishing process. Many authors wrote about using my book to get a literary agent or to get a traditional publishing deal.
The publishing world is always changing. A couple of years ago Morgan James Publishing released the revised edition of this book which has over 150 Five Star reviews. Follow this link to get an Ebook version of my book—and not just a chapter or two but the full book. Why give away the full version? At Morgan James, we’ve learned that if someone gets the Ebook version and begins to read it, there is a high probability this reader will turn and buy the print copy of the book. A free Ebook drives print book sales.
When you read my book you will discover it takes a lot of work to produce an excellent book proposal or business plan. They decide it is going to take too much work, so they don’t do it and they fail. Don’t fail but do the work.
A number of times, I’ve taught some of this material at writers’ conferences. After several hours of teaching about the details involved in putting together a well-done nonfiction or fiction book proposal, I can see the dismay on the faces of the individuals in my session. They are thinking, “Hey, this is going to be a lot of work!”
And they’re exactly right. To write an excellent book proposal is a great deal of work and effort. It’s not a “get rich quick scheme” or a quick fix. Advertising tries to convince us that we need a magic bullet that will bring us success. It doesn’t exist. Instead, you need to complete the work step-by-step. If you create a complete proposal and sample, then you have given the publisher exactly what they need to make a decision. Also, you have separated your work from the multitude of other projects that pour into a publishing house. You have proven that you have what it takes to write a quality book project.
Because we live in a world looking for shortcuts and the easy way out, you must be aware that success comes by taking the narrow path. If you do the work and complete everything needed for the proposal, you will succeed when others fail. It’s a critical secret to creating a book proposal that sells. You must do the work.
W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in California. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Get a free copy of his proposal book (follow the link). Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook, his blog and LinkedIn.
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