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About this Book
A Writer’s Digest Book Club Selection!
The hard,
cold fact about getting a book published is that—without something close to
divine intervention—an author is going to have to write a sales piece,
called a book proposal, that will attract the
attention of an editor or an agent. In fact, at most publishers, this sales
piece is going to have to hold up under the scrutiny of a committee made up
of a bevy of editors and a pod of sales and marketing people.
With The
Fast-Track Course on How to Write a Nonfiction Book Proposal, Mettee, a
seasoned book editor and publisher, cuts to the chase and provides simple,
detailed instruction that allows anyone to write a professional book
proposal and hear an editor say Yes!
According to
Mettee, the first rule is: Do no harm. Too many authors don’t pay enough
attention to the small things like spelling and grammar and manuscript
format that are needed to make their book proposals appear professional.
They may have a great idea for a book—and be eminently qualified to write
it—but they schmuck it up with slovenly disregard for the easy stuff.
The last rule
is: Be persistent. If you quit after your first rejection slip or after the
thirteenth or the thirtieth, you’ll never get published. Many books that
are rejected scores of times go on to be best-sellers. You’re not defeated
until you give up.
Table of Contents
Preface v
Chapter One: First Things 1
Chapter Two: The Query Letter 25
Chapter Three: The Proposal 37
Sample Query Letter 61
Sample Book Proposal 64
Sample Agency Contract 81
Sample Book Contract 85
Nonfiction Book Proposal Checklist 100
Standard Manuscript Format for a Book Proposal 101
The Author’s Bundle of rights 102 Selected Books 104
Glossary 107
Index 115
About the Author 120
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