DAVID D.
DUBOIS, Ph.D., L.P.C.
Human Resource Management and Organization Development
Consultant
P.O. Box 10340
Rockville, MD 20849-0340 USA
E-Mail: duboisassociates@yahoo.com
Phone: 301-762-5026 or 928-445-6200
_________________________________________________________________________________
PREPARING AND SUBMITTING A SUCCESSFUL
PUBLISHING PROPOSAL
FOR A PROFESSIONAL OR TRADE BOOK
For the new author, preparing a publishing proposal can be a daunting task. It need not be if you understand what a publisher requires for making sound decisions regarding their publishing agenda. What you present in your publishing proposal is a publisher’s window to understanding your project and the competencies that both you and the publisher will need to successfully complete it. Clear, non-wordy details, a concise and instructive writing style, and soundly researched content are the major factors that lead to a successful proposal.
The content below includes information obtained from a carefully made selection of major professional or trade book publishers, along with information from my experience in preparing several publishing proposals. The following publishers’ “proposal outline and guidelines” were included: MIT Press, University of Massachusetts, Laurence Erlbaum Associates, John Wiley & Sons, John Benjamin’s Publishing Co., Human Resource Development Press, Consulting Psychologists Press/Davies Black Imprint, and the American Bar Association. The totality of items or guidelines included in all of the publishers’ documents are summarized below.
The following left-headers are typically required by publishers: I. Prospectus; II. Table of Contents; III. Sample Chapters; IV. Vita. The content and comments for each of the headers follows next.
1.
Working Title(s)
2. a) Book type: textbook, “how-to” book,
reference, workbook, collection of articles with commentary,
other.
(b) Brief description of the contents of the
book
3. Outstanding or distinctive features of the book
4. Current book market competition and analysis:
Existing books
Strengths of each book
Weaknesses of each book
Reason(s) why your
book addresses what is missing or not well done in the current
market
5.
Readership Issues:
Discipline(s) represented in the book’s contents
Audience(s): For whom will it be written: lay person;
professional; students; trade; others?
Cognitive considerations. Is the content (use all that
apply and explain each):
Descriptive or
qualitative?
Quantitative?
Qualitative and quantitative?
Anecdotal?
Beginner or elementary level?
Intermediate level?
Advanced or rigorous level?
Prerequisite reader competence that is required in order for the
book to be useful to the reader
6.
Marketing Issues:
Why are you writing this book and why are you qualified to do so?
What kind(s) of persons will buy this book and why? That is, what are the target audiences for this book and why. How many persons do you estimate are in each of the target audiences and how did you arrive at these estimates?
What new information (main selling points) found in the book will help the consumer justify the cost of buying the book?
What professional organizations might be interested in this book and why? Do they have mailing lists that can be used for promotion activities? Can they be obtained/rented/purchased?
Endorsements. Will noted authorities on the book’s contents be willing to write a brief endorsement for the book and allow it to be published? What persons would possibly be willing to do this?
Foreword. Is there a “guru” in the content area of the book who might be willing to write a one-, or two-page foreword for the work? Please list the name(s) of candidate persons.
7.
Apparatus:
Included materials: illustrations, charts, checklists,
index, ready-to-use forms, computer CD-ROM, bibliography,
references, appendixes
Supplementary materials (e.g., solutions, answers, workbook, lab or other manual)
Special features (e.g., suggestions for further reading, web references, available opportunities for additional learning)
Will copyright releases be needed? If so, how many and will they be granted?
Will cite checking be required? How extensive will this be?
Is an index to be included?
Date the book outline will be available?
Date manuscript will be available?
Software that will be used to prepare the manuscript?
Any production suggestions (e.g., size, format, covers)?
8. Production
status of the manuscript:
How much of the manuscript has been completed?
When will it be fully completed (see above)?
Based upon its current status, how many graphics will be included (do not inflate this number)?
9. Technical
reviewers:
Reviewers, by market, supplied by the author
Reviewers, by market, supplied by the publisher
Triangulation of the reviewers’ comments; action decisions regarding revisions
10. Closing comments by the author(s) in support of acceptance of the publishing proposal.
II. Table of Contents
For each chapter, use three levels of headers to describe the contents in detail:
A.--------------------
B.---------------------
C. --------------------
Explanatory notes, where appropriate
III. Sample Chapters
Assesses author’s overall capabilities to complete the project
Rough sketch of graphics for those chapters
Submit two (2) chapters, at least, but no more than required by the publisher
Select chapters that show innovations or differences from other published books in the field
The chapters reflect the author’s writing and “teaching” styles (pedagogy, androgogy) “in the best possible light (MIT Press)”
IV. Vita
Minimum Contents:
Name, mailing and e-mail
addresses, telephone numbers
Education
Professional or trade experience
Publications (use APA style)
Other Considerations:
Set personal deadlines and work to keep them
Establish a contact with the publisher
No “blanket distributions” to several publishers
Cooperation, not contempt. Bury your ego a bit but stand for what you believe.
Contract issues: advance on royalties; royalty calculation formula; royalty payment schedule; book marketing and distribution; author costs for indexing, etc.
Potentially Useful Books
Please note that an informal citation style was used
to list these items.
1. Donyen, Barbara and Meg Schneider. (2005) The everything guide to writing a book proposal: Insider advice on how to get your work published. ISBN: 1593373139.
2. Fife, Bruce. (1993) An insider’s guide to getting published: How to create persuasive query letters, convincing book proposals, and winning manuscript. ISBN: 094159923X.
3. Frishman, Rick; Steisel, Mark; and Roybn Spitzman. (2005) Author 101 bestselling book proposals: The insider’s guide to selling your work. ISBN: 1593374127.
4. Fry, Patricia L. (2005) How to write a successful book proposal in 8 days or less. ISBN: 0961264292.
5. Hart, Anne. (2004) Writer’s guide to book proposals: Templates, query letters, and free media publicity. ISBN: 0595316735.
6. Herman, Deborah Levine. (2001) Write the perfect book proposal: 10 that sold and why. ISBN: 0471353124.
7. Larsen, Michael. (2004) How to write a book proposal. ISBN: 1582972516.
The Web
Use the Google or Yahoo search engines and search on the
following, in quotes: “Publishing Proposal”.
Be prepared to be overwhelmed!
Copyright 2006 by David D. Dubois, Ph.D.