Coachology: How to get a book deal
The good news about getting a contract for a nonfiction book is that you don’t have to write the book to sell it. You just have to write the proposal. The bad news is that often authors spend four or five months figuring out what the proposal is.
Where agents earn their commission is helping the author to understand what they should be writing a book about. Last week, my agent, Susan Rabiner, laid out seven tips for writing a better proposal. And this week’s Coachology will be 90 minutes of free help from her to get your proposal into shape. Or, if your initial idea doesn’t work, she’ll help you to come up with something else.
For those of you who think 90 minutes is too long, I just got a contract for my second book — to be published in 2008 — and I spent the last five months writing proposals until I got it right. I’d say that I spent about 900 minutes on the phone with Susan, but after 90 minutes you will at least know what you need to work on.
If you’re interested in working with Susan, please send a three-sentence summary of your proposal (include the idea and your qualifications to write it) by the end of the day on April 29.
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6 Comments »
Penelope, thank you isn’t enough for the advice you give! I want to become an essayist and a children’s picture book author. I’ve begun the path to exposing my writing outside of my inner circle (Family and Toastmasters Club in Richmond, VA) by submitting an editorial for a women’s quarterly online newsletter. It’s a start. Susan Rabiner may not be able to assist me with a book deal in the children’s genre, yet the tips you forwarded to us on this blog are wonderful! My ideals for children’s book idea have come from my experiences as an AmeriCorps reading tutor in the public school system. That experience in itself is a book! Thanks again and congrats on the second book contract!
Best,
Val
Posted by Val D Parker | April 27, 2007
Hello Penelope,
As a sign of respect, I tip my hat to you for paving a path for emerging writers to follow.
Thank you, for sharing Susan.
Posted by Manchild | April 28, 2007
http://www.tolerance.org/teach/activities/activity.jsp?ar=825
Given your Replacement Post (which I was delighted to see), I thought you might like this link. Perhaps you could even help promote it.
Best regards.
Posted by A friend | April 28, 2007
In the spirit of sharing here are two other great books for writers:
“How to Write a Nonfiction Book Proposal” and
“The American Directory of Writer’s Guidelines.”
Both are essential for the budding and experienced writer.
Posted by A Wright | April 30, 2007
Where do we send the proposal summary?
Posted by Alan Allard | April 28, 2008
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