A book proposal format is very straight forward. You don’t need fancy fonts or color paper. Most publishing houses want to see only a proposal and not the full manuscript until they request it. If your book proposal is accepted you will be contacted by the editor for more.
Author’s Biography
Write a biography about yourself. Include your published works; where and when you were published. You can write something interesting about yourself.
Abstract or Query Letter
The query letter is two pages long. Tell what the book is about. Sell your idea to the editor. Make the query strong by making the idea come alive and compelling. You should convince the editor that not only will the book be interesting but it should also be profitable. Include the date that they can expect the book if it’s accepted.
Synopsis
An outline is the same as a synopsis. The synopsis gives you more room to explain what the book is really about. Write a summary of what the book is about. Here you want the editor to read your synopsis and think this book should really be written.
Table of contents will let the editor know how you are going to organize the book. Write the table of contents as full as you can but try not to add anything that you may not be able or can’t provide.
Include a resource sheet. Tell the editor where you will be getting your facts, and quotes. Tell the editor where you will be getting all of the written sources that you will be using to write the book: surveys, articles, other books, case studies and reports. Include author, title, publisher, and date of publication and a note on how you will be using this information.
Reference:
Gordon Burgett; Sell & Resell your Magazine Articles; Writer’s Digest Books
