Day One: Book Proposal

By John Bond 

Writers take different journeys getting to a published book. Some write their manuscript, and then write a book proposal. Some may work on both simultaneously. Some may never write a book proposal. And I am sure there are other permutations. I think a case can be made for writing a full, final book proposal before you ever write a single word of your manuscript. Hear me out.

Book proposals (the way I suggest people create them) include Project Overview and Summary, Extended Table of Contents, Project Specifications and Status, Book Market, Competitive or Complimentary Books, Author Bio, and Author Promotional Platform. Contact me for what each of these mean if you are unsure.

Writing a book proposal as a first step does not mean anything is set in stone. The table of contents, the title, the competitive books: all of it can change if needed. So, why create this before writing?

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Princeton University Press Offering Grants to Historically Excluded and Underrepresented Scholars

Princeton University Press is offering grants for authors who represent groups historically underrepresented in STEM fields who are interested in developing a nonfiction book proposal. Applications are open August 12 to October 11, with selected candidates notified in December. Coaches participating in the grant program include TAA member Michelle Boyd, PhD, Inkwell Writing Retreats; and Margy Thomas, PhD, ScholarShape.

Selected grantees will be paired with a writing coach to collaborate on the development of a proposal for general interest books, scholarly monographs, or textbooks in physics and astronomy, earth science, biology, natural history, neuroscience, computer science, and the mathematical sciences. The opportunity is open to first-time and previously published authors who are writing in English from anywhere in the world.

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More Archival Topics From TAA’s Print Newsletter with Commentary From Long-Time Member Phil Wankat

Long-time TAA Member Phil Wankat has dug back into his TAA print newsletter archive, this time into the black-and-white early issues published between 1994 and 2010, finding more gold to share with you along with his brief commentary of the value of each article.

We will be adding these articles to the web page, “Articles from TAA Report Archives (now The Academic Author) with Commentary,” along with the other articles he shared from the TAA Report, over the next few months. The articles are organized into 12 categories, including Authors Needed, Bios, Contracts and Legal Comments, Diversity, Managing and Planning, Money, Production, Publishing first book, Recognition and Rewards, Teaching, Textbook Scholarship and Textbooks in Promotion Cases, and Writing and Writer’s Block.
The first set of articles we are sharing, in the Authors Needed category, include:

“Co-authoring a book originally written by another,” by Frank Silverman. “Look for a book that has an author who is retired, or close to retirement or, well, deceased,” says Wankat.

“Authors uneasy over Pearson deal.” “Big mergers ‘reduce the opportunities for new authors and even close the door on experienced authors,'” says Wankat.

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Crafting a persuasive academic book proposal

Crafting a persuasive academic book proposal is essential for convincing a publisher to accept and publish your work. It is a critical part of the publishing process, as your proposal will need to be both well-written and convincing. Your proposal should be clear, concise, and compelling, setting out the argument for why your book deserves to be published. It must also be relevant to the publisher’s mission and contain a comprehensive outline of your book’s structure. In order to create a persuasive academic book proposal, you must have an in-depth understanding of your topic, the market for your book, and the publishing process. You should also have an understanding of the audience for your book and the best way to communicate the value of your work to the publisher. Crafting a persuasive academic book proposal requires skill, knowledge, and creativity, but with the right approach, you can create a proposal that stands out and gets accepted.

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How to write an academic book proposal

Academic book proposals are a necessary part of publishing a book. They help potential publishers see your work and what they could expect if they decided to publish it. There are a few things you should keep in mind when writing a proposal.

First, make sure you have all the information the publisher needs to assess the viability of publishing your book. Second, be sure to highlight the unique aspects of your book and how they will benefit readers. Third, be clear about what readers will get from reading your book. Finally, market your proposal effectively to publishers.

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Don’t just rewrite an existing book

Coming to want to author a book is a slow process. There is likely ruminating, rethinking, internal debating, conflicting feelings, competing agendas, to say the least. Rarely, is it a moment of inspiration and then sudden action. Part of the decision process is thinking about what is already available on the market.

Many prospective authors will say, “there is nothing like this on the market. No competition.” This is very rarely true. There is usually some book, or more likely books, that your idea is standing on the shoulders of, wanting to reach higher. Also, the competition for some customer might be to buy nothing at all.

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