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When I first started out in this business, writing a book proposal seemed a daunting act. I wasn’t quite sure what exactly it should contain, how much was too much, what tone to take, etc.

While working on a new proposal just the other day, it occurred to me that proposals might be an interesting topic for some of those who read this blog, whatever their experience level might be. So, in today’s essay, we are going to deconstruct my standard proposal format and answer any questions blog readers have on the topic.

First, understand that I typically write the proposal before I write the actual book. That means I don’t have the luxury of having the finished work in front of me to refer to when drafting the proposal and I know going in that the end result might differ slightly from the proposed version. Editors are fine with that, provided you don’t veer too far off course. (In other words, if you sell a book based on your proposal about a modern psychic who solves crimes for the Chicago police department, you’d best not turn in a historical romance novel set in the 13th century.)

Understand that there are no right or wrong ways to create a book proposal – just ways that work and ways that don’t. I’ve sold several books by using the following structure. Since that has worked for me, that’s what I go with. I’m sure there are several hundred other varieties and I suggest that you figure out what works for you and stick with that. (I’d certainly be interested to hear how others do it, if your style varies significantly from mine.)

My proposals are usually broken down into several key components. These are:

Cover Page – The book’s title centered mid page with my contact information centered in the lower portion of the page. (My agent will change this to include his contact information if he is the one doing the submissions, but I let him worry about that when the time comes.)

Basic Info Sheet – This is a single page that gives basic information about the work in question. This includes the type of work (horror, thriller, etc), the target audience, estimated length, completion date, and a one or two sentence concept summary. The latter is often the toughest part to complete in the entire proposal, as it needs to grab the editor’s attention right away. The concept summary for my recent Templar Chronicles series was “Modern-day Templar Knights acting as a secret combat squad for the Vatican, charged with defending mankind from the supernatural foes that surround them.”

Character Summaries – Short concept sketches of the main characters, usually no more than a few sentences. For instance, the summary for Jeremiah Hunt, a character in a novel entitled EYES TO SEE that I am currently finishing up, looks like this…

“Jeremiah Hunt is one of the Gifted, those who, by chance or design, have unique abilities that go beyond the natural. Despite being blind, Jeremiah is a Seer, able to see things remotely through the help of the two ghosts, Whisper and Scream, who are his constant companions. Of all the things that Jeremiah can see with his gift, he is unable to see the one that is most important to him – his missing daughter.”

Synopsis – The bane of most writers’ existence, the dreaded synopsis. If you are going to sell a novel on a proposal, this is the single most important part of the package. It needs to be sharp, it needs to be interesting, and it needs to be only about two pages long. It should be written in present tense and tell the complete story from beginning to end in concise but interesting fashion. (Yeah, I know, easier said than it sounds. I’ll talk more about writing a synopsis in a later post.)

Marketing Sheet – As I am active in the industry and have a few books already available, I always include a marketing sheet that lets the editor know what I can do to help promote the work. I list several of the top blurbs and reviews I’ve received for previous works. I mention the various convention guest appearances I’ve done. I note the press appearances – print, television, and radio – that I have done in the past, as well as basic promotional tools like my newsletter and website.

Bio – A short bio listing things like my time as HWA President and my award nominations

Sample Chapters – I finish off the proposal with 3 or 4 sample chapters (usually 30-50 pages) from the actual work. These may change by the time the book is done but again, that’s okay. They are there to show the editor the tone and style of my writing and aren’t set in stone, though you certainly want to lead with something you are very comfortable with as it is your writing, more than anything else, that will hook the editor into wanting to see more (or deciding to take on the project.)

So there you have it – my novel proposals in a nutshell. I’ve used this format to sell my Templar Chronicles series, a young adult novel based on a popular comic book character, and have been using a modified version to market a creator-owned comic series of my own. So far, it’s worked quite well for me.

What’s worked well for you?