I’ve been writing a nonfiction book—my first for grown ups! And I’m learning the process along with everyone else. One thing that’s different from working on children’s books is that most of the time, writers submit proposals to their agents, and the agents submit the proposals along with a sample chapter or two. Did you know you don’t have to write the whole book before it’s sold? It’s kind of liberating, and it’s nice to know you can get some feedback before you spend too much time working on something that won’t sell. (I ended up writing my whole book and revising it before I created the proposal, because I needed time to think through the format and big ideas. But if you can figure it out without writing the book, go ahead and do it!) A book proposal is a formal document that agents and editors use to understand the book and how it will perform in the market. Some agents have their own templates. There are lots of ways to create a proposal. You can get fancy, but most book proposals include the same elements. Most importantly you want to be concise, accurate, and appealing.

Title

With a nonfiction book, you want something striking, evocative, clear, and engaging. This could change later in the publishing process, but you want agents and editors to know you’ve been thinking about how to position your book.

Subtitle

The subtitle delivers a detailed promise to the reader or helps them know if it’s something they’ll be interested in.

Your Name

Time to shine!

One Sentence Summary

This is a logline or a quick pitch that helps readers understand what genre your book is and what it’s about.

Benefits

Clearly outline what the reader will learn or takeaway from the book. These can be bullet points.

Summary (Paragraph or 1/2 Page)

Here you can start to stand out a bit with word choice. Your voice can be inviting and full of personality. This is like back-cover copy that helps readers understand what the book is about, why it’s special, and why they want to read it right this second.

Audience

The audience is never everyone. It’s best to be specific about who will read this book. You can also add a secondary category of who might gift this book to your ideal audience.

Bio

You might already have an author bio. Feel free to update it and include any experience you have that’s relevant to the topic of your book.

Word Count

This is an estimate. If you’re submitting just a chapter or two, you can also note when the full manuscript will be ready.

Social Media and Testimonials

If you have any kind of audience on Instagram, Tik Tok, Twitter, Linked In, Facebook, or a newsletter list, note it here. You can also add details like “44% are highly engaged,” if that’s something you can share. You can also include reviews from your last book or testimonials from clients if that’s relevant.

Promotion Ideas

This is a chance to show the publisher that you’re not just serious about writing a book, you are willing to spend lots of time and energy selling your book. Make a list of possible ways you can share your book on social media (everything from creating a hashtag to hosting a giveaway counts), participate in interviews, connect with your local community, and share your book at bigger events like an industry conference.

Connections and Potential Partners

If you know someone who might help your book be seen by a wider audience, mention them here. Include brands and organizations you’ve worked with in the past and influencers you know or are willing to reach out to.

Comp Titles

This section looks a bit like a bibliography with a list of books, detailing the title, publisher, date, page count, and price. Below each title, you also want to include details about how your book is similar and different. Not sure how to find comp titles? Use this handy guide to get started.

Outline

Depending where you are in the process, this might look a lot like your table of contents. The idea is to go chapter by chapter, showing you have a plan for what each section includes. Bullet points are totally fine here. The outline should feel cohesive and connect to the sample chapters, so someone who reads an excerpt will feel confident about what the rest of the book looks like. Make it clear you know what the book is about and how to structure it.