Want to Write a Book Proposal But Have No Clue? Help is Here!

Want to write and publish a nonfiction book? Your first choice is probably a traditional publisher, which pays you an advance for the right to publish your work. (Or you may choose to go POD, or print-on-demand, where you pay a company to publish your book--or opt for an electronic version instead.) 

Well, if you want to sell your nonfiction book, you'll have to write a book proposal. A proposal typically contains the following elements: 

                  The overview of the concept and a brief statement of your qualifications;

                  The audience, which describes the target market (in other words, who will buy your book);

   The “about the author” section where you highlight your “platform”;

                  The competition analysis, where you list books that are similar to yours and describe how your book is different from (and better than) competing titles;

                  A marketing and promotion section that describes how you will use your platform and media connections to help sell the book;

                  An outline of the book, which includes brief chapter summaries and other material the book will include (i.e., foreword, appendix, and index); 

                  At least one sample chapter; and

                  Relevant attachments, such as magazine articles you’ve written about the topic. 

Sound like a lot of work? It is. My book proposals usually take four to six weeks to write, depending on the subject matter and amount of research I have to do, and run between 30 and 60 pages. One coauthored proposal, which included detailed chapter summaries, weighed in at more than 120 pages. (I did get paid $15,000 to write it, but it was still an enormous amount of work. And then it didn't sell...bummer.) 

If you're new to writing proposals, I have good news. My colleague Jennifer Lawler, a veteran author, freelancer, and editor is offering her popular online class, Write your Book Proposal e-Course, which starts in September. I've known Jennifer for years, and she's not only smart and successful, she loves helping would-be authors make the transition from wanna-be to published author. She's also the person behind Be Your Own Book Doctor, so get in touch with her to learn more about how to get your book in print and/or pixels.

**Want to write and get paid for it? Check out my latest two books, Dollars and Deadlines: Make Money Writing Articles for Print and Online Markets and Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer's Guide to Making More Money, second edition. If you prefer print (like I do), order directly from ImprovisePress.com. Use the discount code, IMPROVISEPRESS (all caps/no breaks) for 20 percent off of your order! 

The 3 Questions Every (Successful) Book Author Must Answer

Earlier this week, I spoke at the Vernon Area Public Library about getting published--and paid--for your work. I talked about selling articles to print and online markets and the different options available to book authors today, including POD, e-books, and of course traditional publishers. I explained how traditional publishers work, the pros and cons of opting for POD, what platform is, and what an agent can (and can't) do for you as an author.

But possibly the most important point I shared with would-be authors was this. If you want to publish a book, you must be able to answer three critical questions:

1. Who is the audience for your book? (If you say "everyone," you've got a lot of work ahead of you.)


2. Why will readers buy your book? (Even if you plan to give away an ebook for free, you still have to attract readers. And if you expect people to pay for a book--which as an author, I think it quite reasonable--you've got to be able to give them reasons to shell out money for it.)


3. How will you, as the author, reach them? (This is the most challenging part of writing books--actually selling them. Traditional publishers expect you to have a comprehensive marketing and promotion plan, regardless of whether you're writing fiction or nonfiction. And if you're going it on your own, through POD, an e-book, or becoming a self-publisher, then all of the marketing falls to you.)

I know, you're thinking you just want to write your book and not worry about selling it. Well, dream on. Last year there were more than 3,330,000 books published (by traditional publishers, POD companies, and as ebooks) so you're competing against literally millions of other titles. You can't just publish your book, cross your fingers, and hope it sells. You've got to be willing to market it for months--more likely, years.

Look at it this way--I'll assume you don't just want to publish a book--you want people to buy it, or at least read it, as well. So consider these three critical questions as you write your book, and you'll be better positioned to sell it when it is published.

**Last call for survey responses...we're at 168 right now. If writing (and writing-related work) is your only source of income, I consider you a full-time freelancer. So please take the 2012 Freelance Income Survey...results coming soon! :) Thanks very much.  

Webinar on January 5, 2012: Your Book Publishing Options

As an author, I've tried nearly every book publishing option there is. I've published both nonfiction and fiction with big traditional publishers (e.g. Random House, Kensington) and nonfiction with smaller, niche publishers (e.g. Cumberland House, Marion Street Press). (Here's an explanation of how advances and royalties work when you sell your book to a traditional publisher.) I've worked with POD companies like CreateSpace, book packagers like Jenkins Group, and published e-books as well, and have ghostwritten/coauthored books with clients who have used all of those options. So I have a pretty good working knowledge of the pros and cons of each.

If you plan to add "book author" to your writing resume in 2012, check out my Writer's Digest Webinar on book publishing options tomorrow, January 5, 2012. You'll come away with a clear understanding of the pros and cons of each option, and be better able to evaluate which choice is right for you. Hope to "see" many of you there!

Ebooks versus Print: The Ratio is Changing

Six months ago, I shared the details of my royalty statement I received in February, 2011, for Six-Figure Freelancing. My point was to demonstrate how long it can take to earn out, or make royalties, on a book, and that you should assume that when you write a book for a traditional publisher, the advance is all you're likely to see. (That's one of the primary reasons I got into ghostwriting.)

I just received my latest royalty statement, for the period from October 1 through March 31, 2011. I still have a ways to go before I earn out; so far, I've sold 11,844 copies of the book and produced $11,583.19 of royalties. Because I received a $15,000 advance, though, the book must produce another $3,416.81 in royalties before I get a check along with my royalty statement. That's my "magic number."

A closer look at my statement revealed that as sales of this book slow (not surprising as it was published in 2005), the ratio from ebook to print is changing dramatically. Here are the numbers from my last three royalty statements:

October 2009-March 2010 Ebook sales: 40 Print sales: 479 Total: 519

April 2010-September 2010 Ebook sales: 82 Print sales: 338 Total: 420

October 2010-March 2011 Ebook sales: 101 Print sales: 223 Total 324

It's clear to see that my ratio of ebooks to print is rapidly increasing. Through March 2010, ebooks represented 7.7 percent of total sales; through September 2010, 19.5 percent; and through March, 2011, 45.3 percent. I expect ebooks to make up well more than half of my print sales for my next royalty statement. And because I make considerably more--$3.88/book for the e-version versus $1.12/book for its print version, that's not bad news.

What's driving the trend? Fewer bookstores, more Kindles, greater acceptance of ebooks among readers, the convenience of e-books, you name it. The take-away for authors, though, is that while print isn't dead (nor dying, in my opinion), the sales of your ebooks are likely to grow faster than your print versions. Consider how you price and promote them to take full advantage of this trend.

10 Reasons to Publish an ebook

Last year, I published my first book with a POD company, CreateSpace. While I'd only worked with traditional publishers before, I had good reasons for choosing POD for Goodbye Byline. (Just remember that POD isn't the right option for every author.)

Last month, after considering the pros and cons, I published my first two ebooks using Smashwords. (I also formatted them specifically for Kindle.) Here are 10 reasons it was a worthwhile endeavor:

1. No rights hassles. My first two novels, Did you Get the Vibe?, and White Bikini Panties, were published in 2003 and 2004, but went out of print a few years ago. The rights have reverted back to me, so I can do with the books what I wish.

2. The books are camera-ready, so to speak. The manuscripts have already been professionally edited and proofread, so there was additional work for me to do other than format them as ebooks.

3. They're good! I reread both novels as I was formatting them. I'd forgotten that they're entertaining and relateable--yet tackle some serious topics women in their 20s face. I know readers will enjoy them.

4. They represent potential income. They're not making any money sitting on my hard drive, after all. And while my focus is on writing nonfiction, my novels have produced income for me in the past (and will hopefully continue to do so).

5. There's a growing demand for ebooks. I heard Mark Coker, founder and president of Smashwords, speak at ASJA in April. The company published several dozen books its first year and more than 48,000 last year, its third in business. I want to make my books available to eager ereaders.

6. They'll build my platform. You already know that publishing is all about platform, and the books will continue to build mine, not only as a ghostwriter/writing expert, but as a writer of contemporary women's fiction as well. And as I'm currently working on another novel, that's important.

7. It increases my expertise. Learning how to format and publish ebooks gives me a skill that I can market to potential ghostwriting/coauthoring clients. I'm always trying to build my value to clients and now I can advise them not only about traditional versus POD publishing options but ebooks as well.

8. It's gratifying. You know what? I just like having my formerly OOP, or out-of-print, back "out there." And I love hearing from readers, and connecting with them in a different way than I do than I do with those who read and enjoy my nonfiction.

9. There was no upfront cost. Okay, I did spend $100 to hire a cover designer (my artistic skills are lacking), but the only other "cost" was the time I spent learning how to format the books--and of course, to promote them, which is an ongoing task.

10. Royalties are my favorite kind of money. I love making royalties and selling reprints because both are a kind of "passive" income-money that comes in with little or no effort on my part. As a self-employed businessperson who's trying to make more money in less time, that's something I cannot ignore.

I'm sure I'll come up with other reasons to publish additional ebooks, and will report on sales just as I have before (compare traditional to POD).

Readers, what about you? If you've taken the ebook option, what are some of your reasons why?

10 Reasons Why Your Book Didn't Sell

I've sold books to traditional publishers, both big and small, under my own byline and as a ghostwriter and coauthor. At the moment, I'm waiting on a contract from a publisher for one of my own titles and my agent is shopping a book for one of my ghosting clients. While my client has a great idea, a compelling proposal (hey, I wrote it!), and a strong platform, the book hasn't sold yet. It's a lesson in how publishing works today.

Here are 10 actual reasons why some of the big publishers have said no to this book--and why they may say no to yours as well:

• "Great idea but too narrow of a focus for us."
• "Too much competition in the category."
• "Despite the need for the book, too hard to reach the target audience."
• "Not enough of an expansive platform for us to break the book out of a crowded category."
• "Not right for our house."
• "With all the books on the market in this category, I don't have the confidence or vision to champion this one."
• "It sounds great, but we've struggled a great deal with books on this topic. As much as I'd like to consider this, I know it would be very difficult for us."
• "Too small [audience] for me."
• "I'm going to pass--I don't feel strongly enough about it."
• "Overlaps in different ways with other books on our list."

Note the variety of responses, many of which would be impossible for my client and me to predict--at least until we pitched the book. But I'm not discouraged yet--a number of publishers have expressed interest and are considering the proposal now. For every "no" we get, I remind myself that it only takes one "yes" to get a book deal. I think we will get a yes--and I'll let you know when we do so.

Readers, what about you? If you've pitched a book to traditional publishers and it didn't sell, what reason(s) were you given? I'd love to hear them here.

To "e" or Not to "e": Before You Opt for an ebook

I've posted before about why I decided to use POD for my book on ghostwriting, Goodbye Byline. I opted to have it available as a Kindle edition, too, and more than 25 percent of my sales so far (the book came out in October, 2010), have been ebooks.

So what's next? For me, it will be a stand-alone ebook. after hearing Mark Coker (founder of Smashwords) speak at ASJA this year, I've realized it's time to sample the Kool-ade, so to speak. My next book(s) (as opposed to those I ghost/cowrite for clients) will be ebooks. First up are my two novels that sold decently but have since gone out of print. I can resurrect them as ebooks (I still get email from readers who loved them!) and continue to build readers for my current novel in progress.

I'm also going to publish an ebook or two on writing-related subjects to see how they do. It will be an experiment (as was my first POD book) but it's worth it to me, in part because it makes me more valuable to ghosting clients who want my advice on the different options.

But here's the thing. Just like many authors went POD without considering potential drawbacks, I already see "authors" (i.e. not professionals, just people who want to get their books out) rushing to take advantage of the new format--without having written, you know, a decent book. There is already a glut of poorly-written (and I'm being kind) POD books and now ebooks will experience the same thing.

One of my biggest concerns with going POD with Goodbye Byline was that I didn't want a book that looked like a POD book. The cover, interior layout, and the actual content of the book looks--and reads--like a book by a traditional publisher. I wrote the book, I edited it, and I hired a proofreader to catch typos (and she caught a lot!). The book is clean. That's important to me not only as its author, but as a fulltime freelancer/ghostwriter as well.

My sales on Goodbye Byline haven't been stellar. It's a niche book aimed at a niche audience, after all. But they're steady and will continue to be, I hope. I also heard a quote from a publishing expert who said that it takes three years for a POD book to build an audience/take off And with the "long tail" theory of marketing, I'm hopeful that I'll continue to sell the book without a lot of specific marketing on my part. (As a freelancer, I'm always marketing myself, but I'm talking about the time I take to promote Goodbye in particular.)

My point? Ebooks may be the latest thing, but that doesn't mean you should publish an ebook just because everyone else is doing it. Consider the pros and cons for you, and know what you want to accomplish before you invest your time in the new platform.

10 Reasons *Not* to Go POD

In my earlier post this week, I explained why I chose to use POD to publish my latest book, Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks: The Writer's Guide to Making Money Ghostwriting and Coauthoring Books. However, POD isn't for everyone--or every book.

If you're an everyday person who simply wants to publish a book, that's one thing. But if you're a serious freelancer who writes to make money, not just for fun, then choosing POD should be a carefully measured decision. After all, writing isn't a hobby for you--it's your career.

As a serious freelancer, POD may not be for you if:

1. You have no marketing plan for your book. If you're an author already, you know that writing the book is the easy part! It's selling it that takes more time and effort. Unless you're a big name, traditional publishers won't do much for you, but they will do something. Go POD and all that marketing falls on you. If you have no idea how you'll sell the book, why bother with it?

2. The book deviates from your platform. If you're known as a parenting writer, some of your readers will probably buy a book you write on parenting. Same goes if you cover business and author a book on business strategies. But when you write a book that's completely different than what you're known for, it's more difficult to sell. (See reason #1.)

3. You think POD means you can do a half-assed job. No offense to fellow POD authors out there, but editors can spot most POD books at ten paces. The covers look cheap, the books themselves are riddled with mistakes, and the writing is poor. Don't think you can get away with a less-than-stellar book because you're going POD. It should be just as professional-looking as a traditionally published book.

4. You must make a certain amount of money on the book. When you work with a traditional publisher, you get an advance up front (and chances are that's all the money you'll ever see). When you go POD, you're going to spend months of your life writing a book for no advance. (Eeek!) There are no guarantees with POD--your book may sell well, or not. Like so many things in publishing (and life), it's a gamble.

5. You have a fantastic platform. Um, then why aren't you pitching traditional publishers first? If I can get paid to write the book with an advance and have a publisher getting the book into bookstores, that's going to be my first choice. (If you've tried to sell to traditional pubishers with no luck, that's different. Then maybe POD is the logical alternative.)

6. You're not committed to marketing the book long-term. If you're serious about your career, you shouldn't be writing any "throwaway" books. Are you willing to promote the book for at least a year? If the answer is no, why bother getting it into print?

7. You haven't identified your audience. Who will buy your book? Why? What does it offer than other books do not? Let me tell you, when asked about the readership for their books, newbie authors often respond, "everyone." (Don't ever say that to an agent or editor!) You should be able to define your audience so you can reach them and sell to them. This is one reason why it's harder to sell fiction than nonfiction--it's more difficult to describe your potential readers. (Again, see reason #1.)

8. You have a hard time sticking to deadlines. When you write for a traditional publisher, you have an editor (and a contract) to keep you in line. POD is author-driven, which means if you blow deadlines, no one will care all that much--and your book may never make it into print. (As a serious freelancer, I hope this doesn't apply to you!)

9. You want your book in libraries and bookstores. Then you need a traditional publisher--or choose true self-publishing, where you set up your own publishing company and use a distributor that markets to libraries and bookstores. Some POD companies offer "expanded distribution," but the bottom line is that most stores won't carry POD books for a variety of reasons.

10. You don't know how this book fits into your overall career. Ideally a POD book should serve more than one purpose. In addition to producing some royalties, it should establish you as an expert, attract new clients, or help you land speaking gigs--or all three. Carefully consider why you're publishing this book and what you want it to do for you before you spend the time and money to go POD.

Readers, what do you think of my ten reasons? Do you have any to add? And what other questions do you have about POD?

Five Good Reasons to Go POD

Since I segued into writing books (my first, Ready, Aim, Specialize was published in 2003), I’ve been a traditional girl. Meaning, I’ve only worked with traditional publishers (think Random House) which pay an advance against royalties to acquire the rights to publish a book. To my mind, no money up front=no deal.

Of course I’d heard of POD, or print-on-demand, publishing but knew little about it. It sounded like the “lesser-than” option to me. I'd seen a lot of POD (often called self-published) books that frankly looked terrible. I didn't like the idea of being wholly responsible for selling a book (even though that's the case for pretty much any midlist author today). And I couldn't justify devoting my limited, precious work time to a book that I would have to pay to get in print (as opposed to being paid by a publisher to get it in print). Not for me, I thought.

Well, I was wrong. This year, I published my first POD book, Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks: The Writer's Guide to Making Money Ghostwriting and Coauthoring Books. But this wasn't a random act. Rather, it was a calculated decision which included weeks of research and thought to ensure that POD was the right choice. I had five compelling reasons to make the leap:

1. There was no competition for my book. When I looked for books on ghostwriting, there were only a couple—and they weren’t particularly helpful. The authors claimed to be making good money ghostwriting, but didn’t say how much. I hate that. I want specifics! I want details! The authors told you to make sure you had a written contract, but didn't give any examples. They didn't discuss how to negotiate fees, how to successfully market yourself to different kinds of clients, or how to address common problems that arise. I knew my book would include all that, and be the only one that gave readers everything they needed to know to break into this lucrative field.

2. The book fit into my platform. While I cover health, fitness, nutrition and wellness, I also have developed a "successful-freelancing-expert" platform over the past 14 years. I’m a contributing editor at The Writer magazine. I’ve written more than 80 features and columns about writing for markets ranging from Writer's Digest to Writing for Dollars and published two books on successful freelancing. Six-Figure Freelancing continues to sell well, even on a crowded bookshelf. (Seems like every writer wants to author a book about writing and I’m competing against names like Stephen King and Anne Lamott, so this is significant.)

3. I had much of the book already written. Here's the back story. I found a traditional publisher that decided to purchase the book. The advance was fair, and I immediately started researching, conducted a dozen interviews, and started writing to make a tight deadline. When higher-ups decided the book didn’t have enough of an audience, my editor had to pull the plug. Yet I already had a third of the book in the can--and I hated to abandon the time and work I'd already put it.

4. I knew I could sell it. And this is a big reason. Remember my "successful-freelancing-expert" platform? Well, that means my name is fairly well-known among freelancers. I do a lot of public speaking. I appear at writer’s conferences. I teach classes and workshops. I author this blog. I write lots of articles about freelancing. I’m responsive when readers contact me with questions. All of that helps me sell my writing-related books, including this one.

5. The book will attract new clients. Sure, I've got a platform already, but more than 50 percent of my work and income these days comes from ghostwriting/coauthoring--and that percentage continues to climb. I'm continuing to establish myself as a successful ghostwriter, and to do that, I need clients, especially those that pay well. Many of my ghosting clients author books to establish themselves as experts. I wanted to do the same.

And you know what? I wanted to write this book. A lot. I didn't realize how much until the publisher walked. This isn't a solid business reason to go POD. But remember that I'm ghostwriting most of the books I write. That means I’m always writing in someone else’s voice (I’m not complaining—that’s what I get paid to do!) Here, I had an opportunity to just "be me" for an entire whole book, which sounded really fun. (And it was, actually.)

I'll talk more about POD in future posts, including reasons *not* to go POD. And if you have specific questions about POD, comment here and I'll answer those as well.

***
I'll be interviewed by the smart and charming Ed Robertson about ghostwriting tonight, Monday, November 15, at 8:25pm central time (9:25 Eastern time, 6:25 Pacific time) on ShokusRadio.com. (Can't listen? It will also be broadcast at various times throughout the week on Shokus; check the site for details. After Sunday, November 21, the show will be archived on Ed's website, http://www.tvconfidential.net/.

Why Invisible Authors Can Make More Money

Writers Digest publisher Jane Friedman recently tweeted an eye-catching stat from Book Expo America, or BEA. According to a recent Publishers Weekly article, 7 percent of traditionally-published books generate 87 percent of book sales, and 93 percent of all published books sold less than 1,000 copies.

For a midlist author like me, that’s pretty scary. But here’s the thing—despite sales projections, marketing plans, big-name endorsements, a kick-butt social media presence, thousands of Facebook fans and Twitter followers, and oh yeah, a compelling book, you simply don’t know how many copies of a book you’ll sell. That’s why as an author, you should assume the advance (the money you’re paid upfront to write the book) is the only money you’re going to see for the book.

The vast majority of books (more than 80 percent) fail to “earn out,” or pay royalties. But you still want your book to sell, right? You want royalties. You want big sales. Let's admit it, you want a bestseller. So you spend months both before and after it’s published securing blurbs, getting reviews, writing articles, blogging, speaking, printing up postcards, visiting bookstores, you name it…all to help sell your book. And it may pay off—or it may not.

Because there's an essential conundrum every book author faces:

1. To sell your book, you must commit substantial time to marketing it.

2. The time you spend marketing will not make you money (unless you eventually earn out and receive royalties), forcing you to either work more to make up the difference in lost time and income or take a cut in what you're making (which most of us freelancers can't afford to do) … or both.

That's why I started ghostwriting and collaborating on books as opposed to only writing my own. As a ghostwriter or coauthor, when the book is done, I'm done. I’m not “stuck” spending my limited, precious time promoting the book and going broke in the meantime--that's my client or coauthor's responsibility.

And ghostwriting can be lucrative, even while the average advances given by traditional publishers stagnate and fall. Here’s what I've made on some recent ghosting and coauthoring projects:

• $20,000 for a 60,000-word book for a nonprofit organization.

• $15,000 for a 40,000-word book for a book packager (the author already had 14,000 words written).

• $12,000 for a 55,000-word book; while this was a “ghost” project, I actually worked more as a developmental editor as much of the book was already written but needed expanding, editing, and rewriting for voice and flow.

• $25,000 for an 80,000-word manuscript for an expert who had a contract with a major publisher; my client wrote one-third of the manuscript while I wrote the rest of it and edited her section for voice and consistency.

These numbers aren't huge advances, true. But I'm being paid for the writing of the book, not its promotion, and that more than makes it worthwhile.

What about you? Are you ghosting, or considering it? What do you want to know about this niche?

In future posts, I’ll report more on the lucrative field of ghostwriting, how to break in, and how to determine whether it’s right for you. In the meantime, for an insider’s look at ghosting, check out http://ghostwritingrevealed.blogspot.com/, an excellent blog hosted by two smart, successful ghostwriters.