Writing and Publishing News

The second thing you MUST do, in order to succeed as a published author, is write a book proposal. Forget about writing it for a publisher. (Although, of course, a publisher will, most likely, want to see it at some point.) The most important reason for writing a book proposal for a nonfiction, fiction and [...]

I’m in the first week of my online Book Proposal Course. It is not too late to sign up for this course and some personal, hands-on attention. Today, I thought I’d give you a peek at the course. This is the second lesson and assignment. “Write a Synopsis or Overview of your project. The Synopsis [...]

I’m teaching my online book proposal course this month. It’s not too late to sign up. This is a great way to get personalized attention as you tackle the task of developing your book’s business plan—your book proposal. Learn more about this course and sign up here: http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookproposal.htm One student is having a little trouble [...]

I have been busy, busy since my presentation in Rancho Mirage. I guess my subject made an impression on several members and guests of the Palm Springs Writers Guild as I’ve been fielding questions like crazy. These are questions specific to their projects. Some of these authors and hopeful authors are even planning to write [...]

Yesterday we talked about the reasons for writing a book proposal. But do you actually know what goes into a book proposal? Here’s a rundown: Synopsis Whether you are writing a book proposal for a publisher or you’re creating a business plan for yourself, the synopsis is important if it describes what the book is [...]

Yesterday, I mentioned that I help authors write and edit their book proposals. I blog about book proposals fairly often, but that’s because it is important. And, though, you may read this blog often and have seen my posts on this topic, there are people just discovering it. Here’s the drill—some publishers require a book [...]

I told you yesterday that I would talk about some of the reasons why I recommend writing a book proposal before writing the book. The thing is, just sitting down and writing the book YOU want to write may result in failure for you and your book. Think about it. If you consider your desires [...]

I see quite a few book proposals from new authors . And I have to tell you that some of them are spectacular, some are pretty good—just need a little tweaking—and others… Well, some authors just don’t quite get the purpose and intent of the various aspects of a book proposal. This is a shame, [...]

In order to determine the potential for a product, you develop a business plan. When that product is a book, you write a book proposal. Even before writing a book, there are certain things that you need to know. And this is true whether you’re writing a memoir, novel, children’s storybook, chapbook, historical, how-to, self-help [...]

This is excerpted from my latest book, Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author (Allworth Press, 2012) These are things to think about while you are developing the marketing section for your book proposal. Ask yourself: • Who is my target audience? • What do they need or want from a [...]