Book proposal author biography in the back
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The Steve Laube Agency
I suspect that the last time you considered buying a non-fiction book you took a look at who the author was. It is a normal and natural thing. The same goes for your book proposal.
The “About the Author” section of a non-fiction book proposal answers the question, “Who are you? And what right do you have to write about this topic?”
It is not a place to recite your resume or Curriculum Vitae. Think of it as a little longer version of what would go on the back cover of your book or at the end of an article you have written. We have examples for each of us in the “About” section of our web site. While it may seem to be an obvious exercise to some, it is important when approaching an agent or an editor who does not know you.
Since you&#;ve already said &#;hello&#; in your cover letter, think of this section of your book proposal as a further introduction. A &#;sound-bite resume&#; if we must describe it.
Include Your Photo
The photo is especially helpful
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Book proposals are used to sell nonfiction books to publishers.
A book proposal argues why your book (idea) is salable and marketable in today&#;s market. It essentially acts as a business case for why your book should exist, and—for many authors—persuades a publisher to man an investment in your work before you sit down to write it.
That&#;s right: nonfiction authors, if they&#;re smart and strategic, will sell a publisher on their book before they&#;ve written very much of it.
Instead of writing the entire book, then trying to interest an editor or agent (which is how it works with novels), you can write the proposal first if you&#;re a nonfiction author. If a publisher is convinced by the proposal, it will contract you and pay you to write the book. This applies to all types of nonfiction, although it can be very challenging for memoirists to sell a project on the grund of a proposal if they are unpublished or without a compelling platform. (More on tha
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Write On! Writing A Biography Book Proposal
Write On! Writing A Biography Book Proposal by Jeffrey Spivak
Today, I’m in the enviable position of having my second book (a Hollywood biography) published at year’s end. No matter what’s been said about the changing face of the book industry, there remain a number of truisms that most authors must follow if they’re to bring their non-fiction idea to life. Unless you have the clout of Kitty Kelley (who can land a book contract on an idea alone), or are willing to go the self-publishing route and live drably with the results of middling sales and retailer’s consignments, today’s market demands the tried-and-true methods of query letters and book proposals. As stated so eloquently on this site by Carolyn Howard-Johnson in her “Seven Rules for Writing Your Book Proposal” tailoring your proposal to the publisher of your choice is a savvy move.
A successful query letter is analogous to getting your foot in the door at a publishing hou