Examples academic book proposal

For example, the proposal for the research ethics book im currently. Writing academic books can seem like a mysterious dark art to those. So i have a decent idea of what constitutes a good proposal for an earlycareer academic. Submitting a textbook proposal to oxford university press guidelines for authors we are very pleased that you are considering writing for oxford university press. In the first two paragraphs, give a concrete reason why your book should be published, why is it important, your approach and. How to write a book proposal includes plenty of examples and a book proposal template you can follow. Crafting a convincing book proposal the chronicle of. How to write a compelling bio for your book proposal.

Or, perhaps you want to write your first academic book on an. Aside from checking sample proposal templates or consulting a writing proposal template. Jul 02, 2015 posted in book proposals and contracts, landing your tenure track job, promote yourself. Ive written and published four works of nonfiction and have been involved as a ghost or behindthescenes editor on a couple of other things too. A book proposal for an academic press has seven basic components. Writing a great book proposal is how to sell your book to a publisher. Keep in mind that even academic publishers expect you to adhere to several basic elements of a book proposal guidelines as follows. Reasons for writing, proposed length, and amount of illustration. How to write a nonfiction book proposal with template. How to write a chapter synopsis for your book proposal chad. The literary agents guide to writing a nonfiction book proposal by andy ross. My book, book title will be a genre work which will center around the topic of book topic. For most acquisition editors, this is a very important part of the proposal. Ive been reading a ton of your articles as i write my book proposalthanks for the great content.

Nonfiction book proposal outline ted weinstein literary. What follows is a brief description of what the editors in the higher education department might expect of a proposal for a new textbook and how they will consider it for publication. Agents are looking for something more specific when it comes to nonfiction. Speakup15 5 secondary audiences who, in addition to the target audience, might read or purchase this book. Crafting a convincing book proposal chroniclevitae. See, for instance, indiana university press below, which mixes both approaches. Aug 15, 2018 and, before you get too far, its worth knowing that writing a book proposal is not the same as a query letter which is what you would write to attract a literary agents attention. The purpose of a book proposal is to capture a publishing editors interest so that he or she will agree to publish your book. Do not send a complete book manuscript instead of a book proposal. Give a fairly brief summary of your book here, using a few paragraphs.

I have published a book with a trade press, have a contract for a second an edited anthology with an academic press, and am crafting my third book proposal. Sure, some parts of psychology and economics and other fields are not book. Ive written before about how to succeed in writing academic books, but i didnt say anything in that post about the book proposal. When you selfpublish, you dont need to write a book proposal. Ive read various places now i cant remember where, of course that you shouldnt use this chapter explains or this chapter will cover etc. Youre working on your next big project and seeking a book contract. How to write an academic project proposal pen and the pad. The study of green grass is popular among agrostologists. I learned to write book proposals directly from the editors to whom i pitched my first ideas.

Although this is an academic textbook, the proposal demonstrates the basic requirements of a successful pitch for any nonfiction book, including an excellent chapterbychapter summary. It takes me months to finish writing a book proposal. Make sure that when you think about your audience, assume what they might. How to write a chapter synopsis for your book proposal. Academic book proposal editing for interdisciplinary scholars. Comparatively, writing a book proposal is a piece of cake. As mentioned in my discussion on how to get published, if youre interested in writing a book length work of nonfiction, you dont need to write the entire manuscript before you make the sale. Academic book proposal editing in todays crowded academic publishing market, a great book proposal is more important than ever. I offer a comprehensive course on book proposals that takes you through the research and writing process in 10 steps agent ted weinstein outlines the necessary parts of a book proposal, and also offers an audio recording of his 90minute workshop on proposals. While you may be asked to write on a series of potential topics, there are similarities in all of the possible subjects. How to write a winning academic book proposal enago academy. There are instances that the current budget is not enough for the current project.

Hints for a great cover letter the steve laube agency. I like this one because it contains ten reallife proposals that sold. Apr 19, 2017 writing academic books can seem like a mysterious dark art to those who havent done it, but there is lots of help available. A book proposal is usually no longer than 10 pages. The first proposal i wrote was for a book about my. Andy warhol, saint apollonia suite 1984 for all of these reasons, quite a mouthful will make a perfect gift for any general interest nonfiction reader. Sample book proposal appendix b writing successful academic. The outline proposal the first thing you as an author should do is to prepare an outline proposal for your new book and send it to the appropriate commissioning editor. The outline proposal should be as full as possible to enable the most effective evaluation and feedback on the project. The book proposal is a 1550 or so page manuscript that a writer uses to pitch a nonfiction book to publishers.

Posted in book proposals and contracts, landing your tenure track job, promote yourself. Jan 21, 2008 how to write cover letters for books and papers, so see samples, formats, and get tips in this free video clip. Wondering how do you write a research proposal for academic writing. Include any subhead or taglines that your books title may contain. The truth is the nonfiction book proposal is an entirely different beast. After thorough research within an academic discipline, countless hours spent poring over published articles and books and seemingly endless debates with colleagues, researchers finally conclude they dont know enough about a topic to formulate. Youre going to have to essentially sell them your book, sending them a document that contains details about your qualifications, a chapterbychapter outline, and most importantly, how your. Sample book proposal appendix b writing successful. Some industry insiders refer to this as the statement of need or evidence of need that an untapped niche or strong demand exists for this type of book. It should include a brief cover letter addressed to the appropriate editor, followed by a clear, concise description of the project and a rationale for its publication meaning its scholarly significance, its appeal to both specialists and generalists, and any qualities that distinguish. Nonfiction book proposal outline here is a basic template for a book proposal, which many of our clients have used successfully. Take a look at the security proposal examples that are online for more. In the world of book publishing, it is difficult enough for known authors to get their books published.

It is by david sanford, a published author, editor, and literary agent for more than 300 books who now serves on the leadership team at corban university. How to write a book proposal the creative independent. It is basically outlining proposed research on an academic subject and outlining any types of procedures for quantitative or qualitative research on a subject. Guidelines for a book proposal for an academic book. You do not have to necessarily do the steps in this order but this order works well in most cases. Harvard university press publishes thoughtful books for both scholars and educated general readers in history, philosophy, literature, classics, religion, law, economics, public policy, physical and life sciences, technology, history of science, behavioral sciences, and education, along with reference works in a wide range of fields. The book itself has departed in some ways from the specification given in the proposal. In fact, for my travel adventure memoir, ive been working on the proposal onandoff for the last two years, and even then, my agent is asking for a rewrite. Doc 10 steps to writing an academic research proposal dr. How to write a book proposal that agents will love jericho. In addition to your core target audience, who might be the next most interested targets. The journey of my cup bookheres the sample book proposal i.

This ones short and tothepoint, and the last time i. While there are entire books on how to write a book proposal many of them excellent, here is a short version. You are also welcome to listen to free audio recordings of teds book proposal bootcamp and other workshops and media appearances. Mar 22, 2011 in this blog post, i provide generic suggestions for what should go in an academic book proposal, and then suggest a method for writing such a proposal. This page will direct you to some examples of book proposal sections so that you can put together a winning book proposal. Apr 17, 2017 the theories that propel academic disciplines do not spring from the ether.

Solicited proposals is a response to any specific program that is issued by any organization. Make sure that you still have more than enough time to tackle your research efficiently. The most important aspect of this onepage description is the argument you will set forth. A toptier book proposal steps away from the writers vantage point and provides an indepth discussion about why readers will buy the book. Once you find your publisher, research them and find out what book they have. The following is my book proposal template you can use to write your proposal. The proposal also provides a description that could be used on the books back cover and in marketing materials, so it should be written in a way that leaves a good and accurate first impression. Sample book proposal from a professional literary agency. Whilst i was academic publishing director at continuum i often felt frustrated by the amount of repetition involved in academic publishing. Jul 29, 2011 there are several books available on writing book proposals. Writing a book particularly your first requires careful planning, deep knowledge, and a strong commitment to the project. Thus far the outcome of this proposal was a contract for a second book.

Book publishers are in the business of making money even notforprofit academic publishers need to keep themselves afloat. Add the title andor subtitle separated by a colon or on a new. You all know that the book proposal is the cornerstone to a successful tenure track career in most areas of the humanities and social sciences. Crafting a convincing book proposal the chronicle of higher. Think of a book proposal as a business plan for your book.