What is a non-fiction book proposal?
To get a non-fiction book published, authors usually present their ideas to a publisher in a book proposal. Book proposals should give publishers a clear sense of what a book is about, what it will address, and why the author is the best person to write the book.
In this course, you’ll learn how to write a book proposal that you will be proud to share with agents and publishers. This course will help you bring your book idea to life with detailed, step-by-step guidance on how to complete a proposal and get you one step closer to becoming a published author.
You don’t have to have already written a book
You might already have a great idea for a book that you’re really passionate about and are ready to start planning. You may have a few ideas bubbling away but aren’t sure which one is the right one to develop into a book proposal. Or you might not have come up with a book idea yet but are curious to learn how you should present your ideas to a publisher when the right idea strikes.
Whether you are raring to go or still testing ideas, this course will help you refine your idea, plan your book in detail and learn how to present it in a way that will get a publisher excited.
What to expect from this course
This course will guide you through the process of writing a book proposal – it will explain why a proposal is important to a publisher, identify what you should include in a proposal, and teach you how to write each section so that it grips a publisher’s attention.
The course is broken down into eight short lessons and a conclusion. In each lesson, we’ll cover a specific section that should be included in the book proposal.
Create a new chapter in Novlr for each lesson and when you’re finished, you will be able to export it as a complete proposal. You’ll also learn what will make your book proposal stand out from others, no matter what type of book you’re writing and what genre it may fit into.
In this eight-part course, we will cover:
- What a book proposal is and how it can help you get a book deal
- What to include in your proposal
- How to identify the target audience for your book
- How to identify the USP for your book
- How to write a clear positioning statement
- How to write a compelling book summary and blurb
- How to write detailed chapter summaries
- Why it’s important to research competing books and how to show your book will differ
- What information to include in your author biography
- How to start thinking about publicity and marketing
- Specifications like word count, format and illustrations
- Tips on featuring sample writing
Through this course, Lydia will teach you everything you need to know about writing a great book proposal so that you have the best chance of securing a publishing deal.
Lydia Yadi
Lydia is a Senior Commissioning Editor at Penguin Random House and a Novlr evangelist. She commissions narrative non-fiction in memoir and investigative journalism, and also practical how-to books that help people live better. She works with award-winning journalists, world-class academics and leading experts in their field to inform and inspire readers. She has published several Sunday Times bestsellers.