Prepare and submit your book proposal: What you need to know

Author: Christabell Ndive

Publishing a book is a significant milestone in the career of a researcher. It is also a considerable, demanding undertaking, and knowing what to expect is key to a smooth and successful process. In the early stages of the book publishing process, you need to prepare and submit your book proposal. This is an important step that will help you find the right home for your book, and there are many things to understand and consider before submitting your book proposal. Here are some tips and advice that will make your proposal stand out.

Your book publication process begins with your book proposal that you submit to a publisher. Based on the proposal, the publisher evaluates the viability and potential of the book, and decides whether to offer you a publishing contract and publish your book.

Your book proposal needs to show how you plan to frame your work in a book format, and it is important to take the time and consider some aspects that you might not necessarily consider when writing a conference paper or even a journal article. There are differences in depth and scope, structure and narrative, audience considerations, and more. 

(That’s also why you cannot “simply” use your PhD thesis for a book proposal, as tempting as that may be. This momentous project can certainly serve as a foundation for a book, but it must be significantly reworked to become a book: The structure, style, and content of a thesis would have to be revised to make them more accessible and appealing as a book.)

You need to craft a compelling book proposal that will convince the publisher to take on your book project. It should demonstrate your book’s contribution to the academic discipline and its value to the community, as well as its potential market success. And there are some things you need to cover, and you should get them right. Here are some considerations to keep in mind, from start to submission.

What to do before submitting your book proposal

Where would you like to publish your book? You probably have a publisher in mind or some ideas (just from looking at your bookshelf…) for which publishers to approach, based on your knowledge of publishers’ subject specialisation and reputation in your field. But it is still important and worthwhile to research publishers to decide which might be most suitable to consider your book proposal. Target specific and relevant publishers, and avoid submitting your proposal to numerous editors.

Once you’ve decided where to submit the proposal, make sure you know exactly what proposal materials the publisher requires (these usually include a cover letter, a synopsis, market analysis, publication plan, and other materials, and might vary between publishers). Your proposal should be complete and include everything required, and obviously, it should be proofread to ensure that it is error-free and professional..

Research the market and know your competition 

When you prepare your proposal, you should thoroughly familiarise yourself with the market to which the book will belong. This includes identifying the target audience for the book, similar titles, and the book’s contribution. Remember to assess these things from the publisher’s perspective, who is trying to gauge potential sales and fit in the catalogue.

• Provide evidence of interest in your field and mention also academic and professional associations working and engaging across the broader research context of your proposal. Don’t proclaim that there is ‘no competition’ to your book, as this can imply that there is no market for it
• Identify your target audience, who will find the book useful and interesting. Don’t be tempted to declare that ‘a general audience’ will be interested in your book; Monographs usually address an academic audience and that is appropriate.
• Explain clearly how your book relates to competing books, and don’t write disparagingly about them. Instead, focus on how your book differs and how it will extend the debate, what gaps it fills and new perspectives it offers.
• Reference books from the publisher related to your topic, to demonstrate awareness of its programme as well as the suitability of your book therein.

Key elements of a book proposal and how to word them

Writing clearly and carefully is important when preparing your book proposal. The reader who evaluates the proposal (this would be an editor who would be at least broadly familiar with your field) should easily and promptly understand what you are trying to convey.

1. Title and subtitle

• Especially in your title and subtitle, be clear. Maintaining clarity and focusing on keywords that will increase discoverability and search optimisation is more important and effective than being lyrical and clever. Abstract and overly creative or sophisticated titles don’t support discoverability.
• Choose your title carefully. You’ll be surprised how well in advance of publication bibliographic information about your book will be fed out to the market. That means you probably won’t be able to change your title at the last minute, which you should consider early on when proposing it.

2. Brief description

• Focus on answering questions such as: What is the book about? How is it distinctive? What does it offer that other books don’t? What needs does it satisfy? Rely on your market research to include information that supports your proposal.
• Don’t assume specialist subject knowledge on the part of the editor. Most editors work across a broad list, and it would be safer to include language and information that do not assume expertise by the reader.

3. Table of contents and chapter outline

• Be as detailed as possible: Write approximately 300 to 400 words per chapter, including the introduction and conclusions.
• If your book proposal is based on your theses, don’t just use the chapter outline of your thesis. Make sure that you are outlining the proposed content of your monograph (which, as mentioned already, cannot be the same as your theses…).

A few more tips and advice for your book proposal…

The information you provide in your proposal will be the basis for the publisher’s decision on accepting the book project. It is therefore important that your proposal is informative and accurate on every level, and that it supports the editor who reviews it in their estimate of the project.

• Be realistic about your submission date: Do you have a timetable for completing the book? What portion of the manuscript is already completed? Likewise, be realistic and sensible about the expected word count.
• Show awareness about copyright and permissions. Consider carefully whether you really need to include third-party material and what that would require to be included in the book.
• Suggest peer reviewers who know your subject and anticipated markets, particularly if your research is likely to appeal to a specific geographical region. But do not suggest close colleagues or PhD supervisors or examiners as peer reviewers, who may have conflicts of interest or compromised objectivity. 

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