Fiction is usually sold finished; nonfiction is usually sold on an idea. A literary agent or acquiring editor considering a nonfiction book does not expect a complete manuscript. They expect a proposal: a document that argues the book should exist, that you are the person to write it, that readers will buy it and that you know how you will deliver it. A proposal is a business document and a piece of writing, and it is the single most important thing in selling a nonfiction book the traditional way. This guide explains each section, how long it should be, what agents look for, how to write the hardest parts (the market and the platform), and how to build the raw material for a proposal in Quillen's nonfiction outline.
The short answer
A nonfiction book proposal normally contains an overview of the book, a section on you and your platform, a market and audience analysis, a list of competing and comparable books, a marketing plan, a chapter-by-chapter outline and one or two sample chapters. Together these usually run to a few dozen pages. In Quillen, a nonfiction outline already asks for most of this: the Book Explanation, Book Background, Target Audience and Competition Analysis pages map onto the main proposal sections.
Why a proposal, not a manuscript?
Nonfiction publishing is built on commissioning. An editor wants to know whether the book will sell, and a proposal lets them judge before you spend a year writing. It also protects you, since you can adjust the book to the editor's feedback before it is written. Self-publishing writers also gain from writing a proposal: working through the market and competition sections sharpens a book even if you never send it to anyone. For the structure of the book itself, see how to outline a nonfiction book.
The sections
Practices vary, so check each agent's guidelines, but most proposals contain these sections in roughly this order:
| Section | What it covers | Roughly |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | The book in a few pages: the idea, the promise, why now, why you | 2 to 4 pages |
| About the author and platform | Credentials, expertise, audience, media, speaking, mailing list | 1 to 3 pages |
| Market and audience | Who will buy it and how many there are | 1 to 3 pages |
| Competition | Comparable books, and how yours differs | 1 to 3 pages |
| Marketing plan | What you will do to sell the book | 1 to 2 pages |
| Chapter outline | A summary of each chapter | 5 to 15 pages |
| Sample chapter(s) | One or two chapters in finished form | As long as needed |
| Book details | Proposed length, delivery date, any illustrations | One short section |
The overview
The overview is the pitch. It should open with a hook (a problem, a surprising fact or a question), state the premise and the promise, say what the book will do for the reader and why it is needed now. Write it so an editor could read only this and understand the book. Be specific about the reader's problem and how the book solves it: what will they be able to do or understand that they could not before?
About the author and platform
Platform is your existing ability to reach readers: an email list, a following, speaking engagements, media appearances, a professional network, a course, a column. Editors want evidence, not hope. List real numbers where you have them. If your platform is small, say so honestly and describe what you are doing to grow it. Emphasize your expertise: why are you the right person to write this book?
Market and audience
Describe who will buy the book, in concrete terms. "Everyone who wants to be more productive" is too vague; "knowledge workers in shared offices, a group of roughly this size, who already buy books and courses on focus" is a market. Where possible, support this with data: sales of comparable books, the size of relevant communities, trends. Show that the market exists and that you know how to reach it.
Competition
List five to ten recent, relevant books, with title, author, publisher, year and a sentence on each: what it does and how yours differs. Be fair; do not dismiss them. Competition shows that a market exists. What you must show is a gap: an angle, an audience or a depth that those books do not offer. Avoid claiming there is no competition: it implies no market.
The marketing plan
Say what you will do, not what you hope the publisher will. List concrete activities: email to your list, talks, articles, podcasts, partnerships, social channels, events. Be realistic and specific. A plan that matches your platform is more credible than an ambitious one that does not.
The chapter outline
For each chapter, write a paragraph: what it covers, the main points, the examples or evidence you will use and the takeaway. This shows the editor that the book has a structure and that you have thought through the whole of it. The outline is the part of a proposal that most directly mirrors the outline of the book itself, so working on one helps the other.
Sample chapters
Include one or two chapters, usually the first plus another that shows range. They should be your best writing, polished and in the voice of the book. These are what the editor reads to decide whether you can write. Check each agent's guidelines for how many to include.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Problem | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| A vague overview | The idea is not clear | Open with the reader's problem and the promise |
| Overstating platform | Editors check | Give real numbers and be honest |
| Claiming no competition | Implies no market | Show comparable books and your gap |
| A marketing plan of hopes | Not credible | List concrete things you will do |
| A thin chapter outline | Book seems unplanned | A paragraph for each chapter |
| Weak sample chapter | Sinks the whole proposal | Polish your best chapters |
| Ignoring guidelines | May be rejected unread | Follow each agent's instructions |
Do it in Quillen
Quillen cannot assemble a proposal for you, but a nonfiction book's outline holds most of the raw material, and the pages line up with proposal sections.
| Quillen outline page | Proposal section it feeds |
|---|---|
| Book Explanation (what the book does, what makes it different, who it is for) | Overview |
| Book Background | Overview, and About the author |
| Target Audience | Market and audience |
| Competition Analysis | Competition |
| Chapters (with the Insert Chapter template) | Chapter outline |
| Introduction and Conclusion | Sample chapter and overview |
The steps:
- Create the book as nonfiction and open Outline. Work through Book Explanation, Book Background, Target Audience and Competition Analysis. See how to outline a nonfiction book.
- Build the chapter outline with Insert Chapter. Each chapter has an objective, a key takeaway, a hook, subpoints, a practical application, examples, a transition and potential sources. Condense each into a proposal paragraph.
- Keep your evidence in Research and Key Arguments. Your sources and arguments back the claims in the overview and market sections. See how to organize research and sources and how to plan the arguments.
- Write the sample chapters in the editor and use Analyze Document to check hedging and wordiness, which the tool counts for nonfiction.
- Export the sample chapters with Export then Agents & publishers, and assemble the proposal document in your word processor, following the agent's guidelines.
Checklist
- An overview that works on its own.
- A platform section with real numbers.
- A market defined in concrete terms.
- Five to ten recent competing books, with your gap.
- A marketing plan of specific actions.
- A paragraph per chapter, and one or two polished sample chapters.
- Guidelines checked for each agent.
Common questions
What is a nonfiction book proposal?
A document sent to agents and editors that argues the book should exist: an overview, author and platform, market, competition, marketing plan, chapter outline and sample chapters.
How long is a nonfiction book proposal?
Usually a few dozen pages, depending on the agent's guidelines and how many sample chapters are included.
Why is nonfiction sold on a proposal?
Editors judge whether the book will sell before the author writes it, and the author can adapt the book to feedback. Fiction is usually sold finished.
What is an author platform?
Your existing ability to reach readers: a mailing list, a following, speaking, media, a network or a course. Editors want real numbers, not hope.
How does Quillen help with a proposal?
A nonfiction book's outline pages (Book Explanation, Book Background, Target Audience, Competition Analysis and Chapters) map onto proposal sections, and the Agents & publishers export formats sample chapters.