Non-Fiction Proposal Guidelines
Essential tips and insider insights about book proposals (with a heavy emphasis on cookbooks!)
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If you want to write a non-fiction book, you need to start by writing a book proposal. Sure, there are exceptions to this rule. But generally speaking, even if a publisher approaches you directly or you want to self-publish, I am on team book proposal.
Why? The book proposal is the business plan for your book. It is the who, what, where, when, and why.
Read on for a deep dive explanation as to the “why” behind each section of a book proposal. Keep in mind that my expertise is in full color cookbook representation. There is an emphasis on culinary and visual elements in here as well.
The following are essential components in any non-fiction proposal:
Title Page
Proposal Contents
Concept/Overview
Author Biography
Markets for the Book
Promotion Plan
Competition
Vision
Table of Contents
Chapter Summaries
Complete Sample Material
Read on for a detailed description of what goes into each section.
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Your proposal provides the blueprint of your book concept to a prospective publishing house, and it should demonstrate how and why your book will sell. Your proposal package should contain anything and everything needed to first convince the agent, and then an editor, that your book is worth publishing.
It should also be noted that these guidelines represent industry standards for creating a professional proposal package. However, following these steps does not guarantee acceptance with our or any other agency.
***Not So Secret Agent Side Note: if you want to write a non-fiction proposal that is not a cookbook, you can use the outline below by swapping out sample recipes for other sample writing/material. These guidelines are quite thorough!***
Title Page:
Includes title, subtitle, author name(s), address, phone number, and e-mail address. Upon signing with an agent, you will also include your agent’s name and contact information on this page.
If you’re like, Not So Secret Agent Sally, what if I don’t have the perfect lead title or subtitle? Will an agent reject me if they don’t like it? Rest assured, titles pitched at the proposal stage RARELY land on the final book cover. Along the way you will have your agent, editor, and then sales and marketing weigh in on your title. So go with your strongest working title and stop stressing!
Also, keep in mind you can be arty and creative with the lead title (the lead title is the first part of a book’s title), but get ready to add a bunch of SEO-charged words to the subtitle so web searches can actually find your book among with the hundreds of thousands of books published each year.
***Not So Secret Agent Side Note: I can count on one hand the amount of times I had a proposal title actually end up being the final title of the book. I fought for each one of those and it was hella worth it! A great title is worth fighting for!***
Table of contents:
This is for the proposal, not the book, and should be complete with section names and corresponding page numbers once all content is finalized.
If you’re thinking, Hey Not So Secret Agent Sally, why the heck would I waste a page on a TOC for a book’s business plan? Let me tell you that rarely do I ever read a proposal front to back. And I am guessing neither do the editors and their teams when it goes out on submission. I often read the overview, skip to the comps section, go over to the author bio, and then jump around.
Oh, and the page numbers in your TOC will likely be adjusted once you sign with an agent and they work with you on editing/strengthening your proposal.
Concept/Overview:
A written overview of the book with persuasive arguments for why it should be published, including the origin of the idea. Basically, answer the who, what, where, when, and why of “Why am I writing this book?” This should be no more than two paragraphs. I encourage authors to think of this as the back cover copy of their prospective book. I want it to tell me everything I need to know about your book and why YOU are the right person to write it.
I hear you saying, But Not So Secret Agent Sally, how will I ever condense my life’s work and passion into two tiny paragraphs? Great question! Writers often mistake this section for the introduction to the book or the proposal. I have seen overviews go on for pages and while the material can be excellent, it is NOT an overview.
***Not So Secret Agent Side Note: Writing the overview can be one of the hardest parts of constructing a book proposal. Pro tip: Leave this until the proposal is done and write it at the end. After all, you should pull out salient points from each of the proposal’s other sections to help you write the overview.***
Author Biography:
Describes why and how you are qualified to write this book. It should clearly explain your credentials and experience. This can be written in the third person (and often is!) unlike the rest of the proposal, which is written in the first person. You must outline your expertise and how you’re positioned as an expert in the arena you want to write about.
You should introduce your platform (meaning your continuous visibility in the marketplace) here. This should include your background, books and/or publications, as well as any media exposure, blogs, social media sites (and numbers—but you will go into them in more detail below), and a headshot. And if available, press materials, writing samples, and media clips. In some cases, this section may be presented as a separate and complete press section with live links directly following the bio.
If you’re like, Not So Secret Agent Sally, what insider tip do you have about an author’s bio? It is this: Do not be shy. Your book proposal, and particularly your bio, is not the time to be bashful. You must assume that no one knows who you are; even if you have like 3.5M followers, I can assure you that at least one of the dozens of essential people on your path to becoming a published author will not know who you are. Name drop. Link to publications. List your creds.
At this point you are probably thinking, wow, this proposal is going to take me a while to put together. You’re absolutely correct. It is a long and laborious process. No, there is no “right” amount of time it should take. Some authors put these together in weeks. More often, it is a matter of months. Others take years. Unless your book is a trend-based book, there is no perfect time that your proposal has to be pitched. Right, Not Rushed has always been a guiding principle for us.
The best book deals come from the best proposals. Period.
I guarantee that even if you never sign a contract, the exercise of writing your WHY and accessing the marketplace will be invaluable. If you have a chance to “pass go and collect $200” (or $200,000) and sign a book contract without a proposal, congrats! It just means you will be on a journey without a roadmap, so you’ll have to compile directions along the way. I don’t fault anyone for “passing go” without a book proposal, but I have never done a deal this way. Many talented and well-respected agents do. To each their own! But I find comfort in having a skeleton for my authors to reference as they add the flesh (okay, gross, sorry) when they are actually writing the book.
Alright, time to get into the business plan sections:
Markets for the Book, aka Audience:
All too often, a writer gets so excited about his or her book that they believe everyone will want it. They'll be inclined to make claims about their project being “the only book on the market,” or “like nothing else ever done before.” Agents and editors will want to see that you have a clear idea of who specifically you will address with your book, what will motivate readers to make their purchase, and how those readers will benefit from what you have to say. What is your POD (Point of Differentiation)? Also, and this is important too: How will you reach the market?
But Not So Secret Agent Sally, everyone WILL love this book. I appreciate your optimism, truly I do. Just don’t say it in your book proposal. Literally every time I read this in a book proposal, I cringe and want to immediately pass. Not because I am mean. Because it is telling me that the author has no idea how to market and sell their book. I would rather read “for fans of X book” or “customers of Y brand.” Show me that you know who your readers are and where and how they can be reached. You might even tier out a few core markets like a primary and secondary audience. This may be your fans/followers, but it also should be a wider archetype consumer.
***Not So Secret Agent Side Note: Statistics in proposals sort of makes my eyes glaze over. If you are a stat lover, go for it. But I would encourage you to sandwich those stats with everyday consumer behavior that agents and editors will relate to.***
Marketing & Promotion Plan:
HOW WILL YOU REACH YOUR AUDIENCE? Is there a built-in audience, such as social media channels and a fan base? And what is your specific plan to reach your intended reader? Do you have strong contacts in a particular field that would prove useful? Name drop! It’s no longer sufficient to have a great idea; publishers want to be convinced that you have a solid, established base of continued visibility in the marketplace, whether it’s through your social media presence, published articles or previous books, television or radio appearances, a restaurant, or other retail venues. As the author, it’s critical that you are willing to promote your book as a marketing partner with your publisher. Think seriously about all of your connections and networks, your schedule and commitments, brands you have worked with and how they could support you, local/regional places that would be excellent venues for book signings, media appearances/relationships, affiliations with organizations, cooking classes/demonstrations, special events, and other creative ways you plan to market and sell your book. Be specific. Be detailed.
You’re thinking, But Not So Secret Agent Sally, I don’t have a huge social following. Does that mean I have no platform and thus no promotional ideas? Platform ≠ social media alone. What you want to show here is proof of concept in that you know how to identify your prospective customer, reach them, and convert them into a buyer. Maybe you can convey this by showing revenue you generated from selling a class, a poster, or a custom apron partnership you did. Include whatever examples you have of converting fans to spending dollars on your IP/products.
***Not So Secret Agent Side Note: I am convinced that the third-largest book deal I ever negotiated was sold by its promotional section (it was a great idea too of course). It was so detailed! It was literally a LONG-a$$ list of everyone and anyone in the author’s orbit, including their social following, and the specific ask they would be able to make of each contact. ***
***DOUBLE Not So Secret Agent Side Note: Because this section is so important and also overwhelming, here’s a tip: Look back at your personal and professional contact list and calendars from the past two years. Dig into where you went, who you saw, what appointments you had, what collabs you did, what meetings you attended, where you spoke, who you spoke to (scroll your texts and contacts list!), what events you hosted, what activations and openings you attended, who interviewed you, what deadlines you had for which publications, etc. This will get you brainstorming all the people, places, and things you could leverage for your book promotion. ***
Alright, it’s time to come clean, the next section is my absolute favorite. It is the place where writers get to show off how smart they are. You get to convey how well you understand the marketplace and where your book fits within it. Before we dive in though, it is imperative to address the inequities of authorship and the publishing industry when assessing comps. I highly recommend reading the article, Comping White, by Laura B. McGrath.
Competition:
A writer is responsible for knowing the competition; this knowledge will help you develop your voice and understand what makes your book unique. The primary questions answered here are: What other books are available on this subject? What sets your book apart from them? This section is not about negating the competition. In fact, in many cases your proposal will be evaluated by the publishers publishing your competition. This is a very good thing. Those houses have had success in a similar category and may be ready for a fresh take on the topic.
Competition is meant in the best sense of the word here. You should show that you know where your book will fit. You want to choose books that cover the same topic (if they exist) or reach a similarly intended audience. Pick books from the past ten years (the past five ideally, unless there was a runaway success or category killer in the past ten). Include the title, author, publication year, a short summary of the comp, and a few lines about your POD (point of differentiation). Oftentimes there are thumbnails of each book’s cover as well. Ultimately, you are looking to build off another book’s success by showing where another successful title left off and your book begins. Pick no more than ten comp titles.
But wait! Not So Secret Agent Sally, there are no comps and I have a completely unique idea! To this I say, in all my years, I have literally only ever been pitched one idea I had not heard before. What makes your idea new and different is you and how YOU will write this book. Sure, there are some unique ideas out there still, but it is a red flag to say there are no comps. At the very least, pick books that reach a similar reader even if the idea itself has not been written about or previously published. Showing an editor that you are aware of other books on the topic or genre helps validate your idea.
***Not So Secret Agent Side Note: this is the first section I jump to when reading a proposal because it tells me how in or out of touch an author is. Does the author truly understand how their book is different? Do they make a strong enough case for adding another book to the crowded cookbook shelf? Do they approach comps by pointing out where their competitors fall short? --Not ideal. Or, do they have a deep awareness of the books that have paved the way for their success? --Ideal! ***
Vision & Book Details:
A brief paragraph outlining the look and feel you would like for the book. You may want to call upon other books that resonate with you an aesthetic you like. Illustrate that you have a distinct vision but that you also are open to collaboration. If you know you want to work with a specific photographer, you may mention them here. Or if you would like to propose delivering the photography yourself, share that here along with sample work or links to what you would consider your book-quality images. Feel free to also include estimated page count, trim size, paper quality, etc.
This is also where you could mention the estimated time it will take you to deliver your finished manuscript. Typically, with cookbooks, it is between 9-12 months from book deal to delivering the MS and photos (even if you are not the one taking the photos – that’s a post for another time).
Now I bet you’re thinking, Ummm, Not So Secret Agent Sally, I have no idea what I want my book to look and feel like – isn’t that the publisher’s job? Yes, and it’s fine if you have no preferences about the design. But more and more, as authors are required to come to the table with large personal brands/platforms, they also bring along a strong idea of what they want their book to look and feel like. So tell us! In fact, show us! Feel free to create a mood board or call out elements of specific books that you like (and dislike!).
***Not So Secret Agent Side Note: In select scenarios, when an author has a very clear vision for their book’s design, I encourage the proposal itself to be designed. This happens once all the content is finalized. Often, the designing is outsourced to freelance book designers and can cost between $2,000-$4,000 depending on the number of revisions and personalization/style choices. Do all proposals that go out on submission get formally designed? No. Don’t worry, one of these days I will do an entire newsletter dedicated to proposal designs!***
By now you’re probably wondering how long these book proposal documents are “supposed” to be. While there is no specific length, I very rarely see complete and polished book proposals that are under 25 pages. Most are somewhere between 40-65, and many are upwards of 80+. Rather than worry about length, I encourage you to think about answering all the sections as comprehensively as possible. Sometimes a well-done marketing section will be 10 pages alone. Your press list may be 3 pages, and your comps could be another 3. That’s 16 pages right there and we haven’t even gotten into the meat of the proposal!
***Not So Secret Agent Side Note/Critical Reminder: The best book deals come from the best proposals. Period.***
Table of Contents:
A chapter-by-chapter outline of the proposed book, including any major elements (such as sidebars or fact boxes) within each chapter. For you cookbook authors, this is where you can include a full working proposed recipe list as well. Or you can include it in the chapter summaries section to follow. Whatever feels right to you!
Chapter Summaries or Expanded Table of Contents:
A thorough description of each chapter, typically as one-paragraph summaries. If you are proposing a cookbook, be sure to include the number of recipes you envision in each chapter (and include total recipe count in the proposal overview).
This is cool, Not So Secret Agent Sally, but what if I don’t have all the recipes developed or I change what is in my initial recipe list from now until the final manuscript? That’s OKAY! The working recipe list is a working list. You are creating a book proposal and as such, proposing recipes. It is likely that certain recipe concepts will evolve. Just remember that agents and editors are looking for balance and variety that speaks to the concept of the book.
Complete Sample Material:
Here we are at the most important section of the proposal. The key to this section is to “show” rather than “tell.” For general non-fiction, the material can be a full sample chapter or a sampling across 3-4 chapters. It should be fluid and well organized. This can be a single chapter that illustrates the overall concept of the book. More often, it’s a sampling from a variety of chapters that showcases the breadth and depth of the full concept. You should include examples of the various elements you are proposing in your book.
For cookbooks it must include a strong set of recipes. For instance, if you plan to have essays as chapter openers, include one of those. Sidebars, call-out boxes, tips, and other special features should all be shown in the sample material. This will not only give a sense of how your voice is carried through headnotes, recipe writing, etc., but it will help paint a picture of the structure/design/vision for your book’s production. And all recipes should be fully tested.
Your goal with this section is to clearly demonstrate your writing ability. And for cookbook authors you must show your recipe writing style/technique.
I hear you, Not So Secret Agent Sally, but how much writing and how many recipes should I include? If you are proposing a book that is heavy on the narrative, I encourage you to include at least two samples of your writing along with the headnotes for all the recipes. A range of 8-10 recipes is sufficient, and they should be from the various proposed chapters to illustrate the range of flavors, techniques, and writing style.
Here are a few additional tips to ensure that your proposal is as strong as possible:
Make sure the recipes work, keeping in mind that agents and editors will often test several of them.
Avoid gimmicks. The proposal should speak for itself.
Spell-check the entire document.
Include numbers and headers on each page.
Proposals can be formatted in Word and then converted to PDF when the content is final.
***Not So Secret Agent Side Note: I have never rejected a proposal because a word was misspelled or I didn’t like one of the recipes. While the above guidelines are important to follow, agents and editors are ultimately looking for the sparkle factor that accompanies all the elements above. Let your voice come through! Be yourself!***
I hope these proposal guidelines are helpful. Feel free to leave a comment with questions or insights.
If you never want to worry about missing a chat, or any of the paid feature content, you can upgrade right here. Also, if you email me for an equity spot, I will comp you a paid subscription. No questions asked. Does that give you the warm and fuzzies? Well yea, I believe that agents do enough gatekeeping. This newsletter is all about being transparent and offering access to information about how publishing works. My paying subscribers share the same ethos and help support my ability to offer equity pricing. THANK YOU!
Not So Secret Agent,
~Sally~
Everything Sally says here is true, 100%. My most recent book proposal (not a cookbook; recently placed at a great publisher) landed at 60 pages and took me 9 months and a lot of tearing apart, putting back together, and agony — even after having written many books. Writing the actual book now feels interesting and productive rather than agonizing, because I put the sweat and tears into the proposal. Sally's road map applies to all kinds of nonfiction.
As an editor I love that you put this all together. I can't emphasize enough the need for every author to create a proposal before they start writing. Many authors in their eagerness sometimes try to jump ahead to parts that aren't important yet (often authors will spend a ton of time on the book's introduction, when what I really needed to see was the scope of the book and a sample chapter with recipes. The actual book introduction is often the last thing that needs to be written. I am also a big believer in having a very solid Vision and that authors should have it in writing asap. When I first begin working with an author I will give them homework to write their Vision and have it ready for our next meeting. I tell them to give me 4 to 5 sentences (it can be longer depending on the complexity of the topic) that answer these questions:
What is the book?
Who is it for?
What will the reader get out of it?
The Vision in its early stages will be a living document--it will get tweaked until it's exactly what the author wants it to be. Once you have the vision, that is the touchstone for the book, and everything else leads from there. Sometimes I find it's helpful to call it an extended elevator pitch--how you describe your book if you ran into Jacques Pepin in the elevator?
Sorry to spout on Sally but your article on proposals is so needed and I've never seen it so clearly spelled out anywhere else. I often think that half the job of being an editor (and an agent!) is education. You are hitting it out of the park. Bravo!