How To Write A Nonfiction Book Proposal

Brainstorm, draft, and edit a book proposal from start to finish.

What you'll learn

This course introduces students to the non-fiction book proposal process.

Students will workshop and draft each section of a standard book proposal.

Students will learn tips for editing and polishing their book proposal.

Students will gain a more comprehensive understanding of the steps of writing a non-fiction book.

Requirements

Students must be willing to write!

Description

Do you have an idea for a nonfiction book? Are you uncertain where to start? Or maybe you need that extra bit of motivation   to get everything down on paper and ready to pitch it to agents and acquiring editors? If so, I'm here to help! This course will take you through 17 lessons that will teach you the book proposal writing process from start to finish and equip you to refine and polish your idea in order to catch the interest of professionals who will help you bring it to print. We will cover things like: creating a proposal table of contents, refining your one sentence pitch & descriptive summary, identifying your three key audiences, describing your book's unique selling proposition and how it meets the felt needs of your audience, how to articulate your author platform and marketing strategy, positioning your book to stand out among comparable titles, creating future book summaries, and drafting your annotated table of contents and sample chapters.After you complete each video section, take some time to apply what you've learned and create that section of your book proposal. It's okay if it's a rough draft or basic outline; you'll have a chance to revise during the editing process.By the end of the course, you will be well-equipped to draft and revise all the standard elements of a nonfiction book proposal. From there, you will be ready to submit your proposal to agents and editors.

Overview

Section 1: Introduction

Lecture 1 Introduction

Lecture 2 Ingredients of Your Nonfiction Book Proposal

Section 2: Drafting Your Book Proposal

Lecture 3 One Sentence Pitch & Brief Description

Lecture 4 Identifying Your Audience

Lecture 5 Why Will Your Book Sell?

Lecture 6 Genre Specifics

Lecture 7 How Does Your Book Meet Felt Needs?

Lecture 8 Format and Details of Your Manuscript

Lecture 9 About the Author

Lecture 10 Author Publication History

Lecture 11 Author Platform & Marketing

Lecture 12 Author's Future Books

Lecture 13 Comparable Titles

Lecture 14 Chapter Outline

Lecture 15 Sample Chapters

Section 3: Editing Your Proposal

Lecture 16 Editing Your Proposal

Lecture 17 Final Thoughts

Whatever your skill level—beginning, intermediate, or expert—this course will help you draft and polish your book proposal.