If you are writing nonfiction and pursuing traditional publishing, the answer is usually yes. Not all agents require a book proposal, but it is generally the most effective way to present your work, whether or not the manuscript is complete.
Most literary agents and publishers prefer a book proposal because it allows them to […]
A book proposal is essentially a sales document used to pitch a nonfiction book (or book idea) to literary agents or publishers. It is a structured distillation of the project that typically includes an overview, target audience and market analysis, an author bio, comparable titles, chapter summaries, and one or two sample chapters.
Unlike […]
First, we’ll gather some information about your project, target audience, publishing goals, and any questions you may have about working with us. Next, our Client Services Director, Ross Browne, will review this information and a portion of your manuscript to assess its readiness and suitability for our process and inform an editor and service […]
Your novel has a lot going for it: a wonderfully rendered rich tapestry of a setting most readers will find fascinating, a dysfunctional but loving family with conflicting aspirations at the center of which is a young man who keeps sacrificing his happiness to fulfill what he sees as his family responsibilities.
You have […]
Part of the problem is your approach to the story, which is heavily weighted in favor of narrative summary. Very often you summarize character attributes, scenes, dialogue, events, all sorts of developments. Narrative summary has its place and makes a fine showcase for that wonderful voice of yours, but readers need to hear characters speak, […]
As I said, a good memoir reads like fiction, with the author in the role of the protagonist. Not that it should be a series of dramatic scenes with the plot of the author’s life, but the events need to be recounted dramatically, and the author—the hero—is necessarily an invention, a character. This […]