How to Write a Book Proposal [Paperback]

Michael Larsen (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This newly revised edition of the Writer’s Digest classic is the definitive resource for crafting effective book proposals. Michael Larsen details every step clearly and concisely. Readers will learn how to: * Test market the potential of a book idea and effectively communicate that potentail in a proposal * Choose the best editors and publishers for a particular proposal * Create a professional-looking proposal package * Predispose a publisher to make their best offer

Larsen also provides insights into recent changes in the publishing industry, updated trend information, new sample proposals, expanded instructions for creating outlines, plus guidelines for becoming an effective self promoter.

About the Author

Michael Larsen is co-owner of the Michael Larsen/Elizabeth Pomada Literary Agency, which has been representing top fiction and nonfiction authors since 1972. He is the co-author of Guerrilla Marketing for Writers. Larsen frequently speaks at the country’s top writers conferences. He lives in San Francisco, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Writers Digest Books; 3 edition (February 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582972516
• ISBN-13: 978-1582972510
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #173,750 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

140 of 144 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Comparing five books about writing book proposals, April 7, 2007

By	Thomas D. Kehoe (Boulder, CO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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This review is from: How to Write a Book Proposal (Paperback)

I bought five books to help me write a book proposal:

"How to Write a Book Proposal, 3rd edition," by Michael Larsen

"78 Reasons Why Your Book May Never Be Published & 14 Reasons Why It Just Might," by Pat Walsh

"The Forest for the Trees," by Betsy Lerner

"The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Published, 4th edition," by Sheree Bykofsky and Jennifer Basye Sander

"Think Like Your Editor," by Susan Rabiner and Alfred Fortunado

The worst was "How to Write a Book Proposal." This book felt like a bad date, like I wanted to wash my hair after reading it. The intent is to teach you to be an "Authorpreneur (r)." Yes, Larsen has registered this word. You'll learn such gems as everyone has 250 friends, and each of them has 250 friends, so you can "spread the word" about your book to more than 62,000 people by e-mail. I think there's a word for that -- spam. Larsen also says to include your promotion plan in the book proposal, including pushing "the paperback edition as hard as you can" when it's published a year after the hardcover edition. I'm not an agent or editor, but I'd think that an agent would giggle quietly to themselves if you were so presumptuous as to include a marketing plan for the paperback edition. (To the author's credit, he doesn't say you should suggest which actor should play the main character in the movie version of your book.) Then there's the chapter about including illustrations and cover art. Excuse me, I thought the editor and art director develop the cover art? I can't imagine creating the book cover to include in the proposal. And the author recommends including a "surprise," such as a baby shoe with a note saying "Now that I have a foot in the door." The book has one good piece of advice: pick a good title. For example, "How to Write a Book Proposal" is a title that will make 100,000 aspiring writers buy your book, regardless of how awful the book is.

"78 Reasons" was good. Some sections are wrong, such as #38 and #39, which correctly advises against paying for a vanity press to publish your book but confuses this with self-publishing. I've successfully self-published two books, and unsuccessfully self-published one book. The correct answer is that if you have a niche book in a niche market you know well, self-publish. Self-publishing mass market books is a recipe for disaster. Some of the advice is excellent, such as #16, about "killing your little darlings" (a scene you think is brilliant, that you build the rest of the book around). While most of this book is sound advice to a novice writer, as an experienced writer I didn't learn anything new.

"The Complete Idiot's Guide" covers the entire process from thinking of an idea through book proposals, book contracts, publicity tours, etc. It's a good overview but each chapter is too short. You'll need to buy another book about book proposals, etc. I'm keeping my copy as a reference to turn to occasionally but it's not the last word.

"The Forest for the Trees" starts with six essays about writing, with topics such as alcoholism, self-promoting poets (starting with Walt Whitman), the childhood of famous writers, writers who are too successful too young, etc. These are interesting reading. The second half of the book is essays about publishing, starting with literary agents. One paragraph describes the plethora of surprise gifts writers include with their query letters. She's received baby shoes, presumably from readers of Larsen's book. She says: "Please resist the temptation to do any of these outlandish things...a simple, dignified letter with a clear statement of your intent and credentials will win more affirmative responses than any gimmick or hype." If you read Larsen's book, read Lerner's book as the antidote. The next essays are about dealing with rejection, the life of editors, what writers want from editors, how book covers are designed, book titles selected, etc. This book is descriptive, not proscriptive, so you'll learn how the world of books operates, if not be told how to write a book and get it published. I enjoyed the author's "voice" and I recommend this book.

The best book is "Thinking Like Your Editor." The first half of the book is about preparing your book proposal. Unlike the other four books, reading this book made me completely rewrite my book proposal. The author begins by emphasizing the three most important things about a book: audience, audience, and audience. Who is going to buy your book? Not who might be sort of interested in your book, but who will feel that he or she must read your book. I'd thought about this before, but reading Rabiner's book made me think lucidly about this. She then walks you through the elements that must be in a book proposal, such as your thesis, or what makes your message unique and new and challenging; why is now the time to publish this book; and why are you the person most qualified to write it. The second half of the book is about writing your book, including the importance of narrative tension in non-fiction writing, and of presenting a balanced "argument" to make your views more convincing. The other four books made me say, "uh-huh, uh-huh" and not do anything. Rabiner's book made me spend several days working on my proposal. (My 2003 paperback copy has the typos corrected.)

55 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Indisputably Useful and Excellent Volume, June 30, 1999

By	Gregory McMahan (Tottori, Japan) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: How to Write a Book Proposal (Paperback)

You know that you are reading a good book when you are laughing out loud as you read it and you can't put it down. You know that the book is truly good when you find yourself planning your activities around reading it and sneaking in pages when you are supposed to be working. And finally, you know you have found a true gem when, after finishing the book, you smile knowingly to yourself, full of ideas, and say to yourself, 'I can do this'. One would never think that non-fiction could have that effect.

Michael Larsen's How to Write a Book Proposal is that kind of book. Mr. Larsen goes beyond mere information to give the aspiring new writer inspiration. Beginners and seasoned professionals will find very useful material in the book. Written in an active, easy-going, can-do style, Larsen's positive outlook and infinite love of the book really comes through. The reader will learn in quick, readily understandable succession, what goes into a book proposal, how to capture and sustain an agent's and editor's interest interest from the first word, and how to market and promote one's book for maximum profit. Useful advice on book proposal writing (advice that works) is presented throughout the book, as well as samples of various book proposals to show you exactly how to write the book proposal that sells.

This is, without a doubt, a must-have reference for any writer.

52 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of Three Absolutely Indispensable Sources, January 28, 2003

By	Robert Morris (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)

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This review is from: How to Write a Book Proposal (Paperback)

To those seeking guidance with writing a book proposal to obtain a literary agent's services or to obtain a contract from a publisher, I strongly recommend both this book and Write the Perfect Book Proposal co-authored by Jeff and Deborah Levine Herman as well as Strunk & White's The Elements of Style. True, there is some duplication of advice in the Larsen and Herman books which convinced me that the advice is sound. Given the importance and -- yes -- the difficulty of writing a book proposal, and given the competition to obtain a literary agent and then a publisher, the investment in all three books is indeed a small price to pay. Larsen organizes his excellent material as follows:

Part One Selling the Sizzle: The Introduction

Larsen explains how to get paid to write your book; how to devise the most effect "subject hook" and "book hook"; how to avoid technical and legal problems; which back matter to consider for inclusion; how to determine a book's markets; which subsidiary rights and spin-offs to consider; what a promotion plan involves; how to select and present competitive and complementary books; which resources may be needed; and how to formulate an author's biography

Part Two Baring the Bones and Sampling the Steak

Larsen explains what the the proposal outline should include; explains why verbs and structure are the two "keys" to the proposal outline; offers "quick fixes for six kinds of books"; and includes sample chapters, followed by a Q&A section on what to submit

Part Three: Getting Your Proposal to Market

He explains how to assemble the proposal components; how to make the proposal stand out; identifies three ways to test-market the idea for the book; and explains how to sell the proposal fast and do so with the best terms and conditions

Larsen then provides two appendices: one explains how to research competitive books; the other provides three sample proposals. Throughout his narrative, he includes a number of "Hot Tips" which deserve special attention. In fact, all of the advice which he offers should be carefully considered. Wisely, Larsen assumes that his reader knows little (if anything) about the process by which to prepare a book proposal. He patiently and thoroughly guides the reader through that process. Perhaps others will have the same reaction I did when reading Larsen's book as well as the Hermans' book: That it was written expressly for me, that Larsen had anticipated all of the questions I needed answered (and then carefully answered them for me), and that -- meanwhile -- he was disabusing me of whatever misconceptions I may have had about the process by which to obtain the services of a literary agent and/or secure a publishing contract. Both books cover much of the same ground and do so with meticulous care. However, there are differences (albeit mostly subtle) in how Larsen and the Hermans present their ideas. As already indicated, I had no problem with duplications because, first, they reassured me that the advice is sound, and second, repetition increases the impact of what they agree are key points.

For me, some of Larsen's most valuable advice to aspiring authors is provided in Chapter Eleven, "Getting the Words Write: A Style Guide for Your Proposal." (The same advice will be of great value to others who also need to write more effectively.) For example: "Avoid weak verbs. Use can for could; will for would, might, or should; is for seems to be. Readers want to be informed by an authority, so write like one! The more forceful your statement the better, particularly in the overview, when you're trying to sell your idea and yourself to an editor. Don't pussyfoot around. Be accurate, but be bold." Larsen's own crisp and lucid writing is the most convincing evidence of how sound his "Style Guide" is.

I strongly recommend that readers of this book visit Larsen's Web site which offers a wealth of valuable information, such as "A Mission Statement" and "The Author's Platform." And as indicated previously, given the importance of an effective book proposal and the difficulty of what the preparation of one involves, I also strongly recommend that this book be consulted in combination with both the Hermans' Write the Perfect Book Proposal and Strunk & White's The Elements of Style.