The Who, What, When, & Why of Book Proposals

When I teach classes in how to write a nonfiction book I always stress the importance of developing a book proposal first. I usually get the same reaction: “Is that really necessary?” The answer is an unequivocal, “Yes.” And here are all the reasons why.

What is it?
A book proposal is the most important and most difficult step in the book-writing process. It is your road map on what can be a long and complicated journey. A book proposal is a work in progress. It grows and changes until the moment you send it off to an agent or publisher or you decide it is as good as you can make it.

Why is it important?
If you are interested in conventional publishing or are looking for an agent to represent you, you must have a book proposal. It may range in length from a tight cover letter to a 25-page document, but it will contain the same information and is a nonnegotiable step in the process. A proposal answers the most important question: Do you really have a book, or should you just write an article and let it go at that? A proposal organizes your thoughts, helps you think through every aspect of your book, and provides the foundation for everything else you will write.

When should you write it?
Since this is a planning document, the proposal should be written, at least in part, before you write a word of the book. But there are authors who insist on constructing it after the book is finished, when they realize they are going to need the information it will contain. So, whether you write it first or last, eventually, you will have to write some version of a proposal.

Who should you send it to?
If you are planning to self-publish, you won’t send to anyone, though you will keep it and refer to it many, many times. If you want your book published by a conventional publisher of any size, you will send the proposal to a literary agent, an acquisition editor, or directly to the potential publisher. To find an agent or publisher who is interested in your subject matter or genre requires research. Sending it out to “the world” is a waste of time, energy, and postage.

What should it contain?
The form of your proposal may vary; sections may be in a different order; but no matter what its length or organization, an effective book proposal must answer these questions:

1. Why are you writing this book? What do you hope to achieve?
2. What is your book about (in one or two sentences)?
3. What are your qualifications for writing this book? What is your specific knowledge, experience, or expertise in relation to your subject?
4. Why is this an appropriate and timely topic? What’s the big picture, the context? The political or social environment? In other words, why this book, now?
5. Who are your target readers? What do you know about them? What do they read, do, watch on TV? Where do they surf on the Web?
6. How will your audience benefit? What problem will your book solve or questions will it answer? What will readers learn?
7. How will you reach them? Where are they likely to buy this book?
8. How big is the market? How many potential readers are there? How many books can you sell? How do you know?
9. What else is out there on this subject? How is this book unique/special/important?
10. How will you help to promote your book? Publishers need to know; you need a plan. What connections in the world will help you get the word out?

Those are the reasons you should think through and write a book proposal, no matter how you are planning to publish and promote your book. Everything you write will be used in the book. Nothing will be wasted. Nothing is more worth the effort.

To subscribe or to follow? That is the question.

Every blog in the blogosphere (including mine) has a little button that allows people to subscribe. That means you will get every new blog post in your e-mail. I follow several blogs, but I learned the hard way that following is not the same as subscribing. First of all, when you follow a blog, there is the assumption that you will click on it, from your own blog, and read it with some regularity. I am really bad at that. So, when I became enamored with CopyBlogger, I just clicked on subscribe. Immediately, I was deluged with blog posts—as in drowning in them.

CopyBlogger is one of the best blogs out there on the subject of blogging. I never knew there was that much to say about the subject, but apparently, there is endless material. At first, I could picture Brian Clark, founder of CopyBlogger, slaving away night and day, churning out long, expert, information-packed missives on everything from “Don’t Let Your Blog Readers Touch that Remote” to “How to Be the Cool Kid (Even if You Weren’t One in High School).”

Pretty awesome, if you ask me. But, wait … the author of “Don’t Let Your Blog Readers
Touch that Remote” is not Brian Clark; it's Melissa Karnaze. And “How to Be the Cool Kid (Even if You Weren’t One in High School)” was written by James Chartrand. Therein lies the secret of how Brian Clark can drown me and 38,152 other people who follow CopyBlogger on Twitter. He has other people—really good people—help him. They are either staff members or guest bloggers, but man, they are terrific!

After this little exercise, I was overcome with guilt at all the blogs I follow but neglect; I decided to visit a few. One of my favorites is Remarkablogger, a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is site, post after post. The latest one is called “Why you are not a service provider,” which of course, I stopped to read. What was interesting was that it opened by crediting Chris Brogan with the idea for this particular post. “Chris is so damn productive, I have given him a nickname,” wrote Remarkablogger founder, Michael Martine. “Henceforth, he is “The Broganator.” High praise from someone who is listed on ask.com as the blogosphere’s leading blog consultant. Before I went back to my list, I had to check out Chris Brogan. Wow. He’s good. No surprise there. I immediately added him to blogs I am following.

Next stop, writetodone by Leo Babauta, who also writes Zen Habits, which I do subscribe to. There he is, sitting in his favorite coffee shop with his a MacBook, writing “15 Basics of Insanely Useful Blogwriting.” Wait … I have to read it.

OK, that’s all pretty serious stuff, I know. So, I checked my other blog, which, in case you missed it, is called PRISM: Reflections on the many colors of life. There, I follow bloggers who are not writing about blogging but are reflecting on everything else. One is Engel’s Ensights by a former St. Louisan and a guy I truly admire. Marcus Engel is funny, profound, and positively inspirational. I never leave his posts without some new take on life.

Riehl Life, founded by artist, writer, poet, and musician Janet Grace Riehl, defies description. It is just plain beautiful, international in flavor, and mind stretching. You just have to go there to understand what I mean. Janet has enough talent for 20 people and fascinating friends all over the world. All of this is reflected in Riehl Life.

My House History is a charming blog by my charming and multi-talented friend, Kim Wolterman. I have a special feeling for this one, which began as an idea in one of my classes and has matured into a great website, blog, and a soon-to-be-published book (It’s at the printer as we speak). The book and the site were designed by my favorite graphic designer, Peggy Newman, so it’s a winner all the way around.

The newest blog on my follow list is Daysteps, a project conceived by four St. Louis women who are so busy they can hardly breathe. So, they asked themselves and each other, how can we live our best day every day and help other equally busy women to do that as well? Kelly Wagner, Cecilia George, Bobette Kyle, and Laura Thake started a company and created the most unusual, practical, beautiful daily planner I’ve ever seen. I’m a Franklin-Covey girl, but I must confess: I bought Daysteps for 2010.

So, what’s the bottom line here—subscribe or follow? In not sure I have the answer yet, but I am still intrigued with the question and plan to do some research. In the meantime, check out the ones I've mentioned.

How to Publish Your Book on Kindle

It’s hard to remember that before 1995, no one had ever heard of Amazon.com, which was about to burst on the scene as an online bookstore. According to plan, it didn’t make a profit for five years. A decade later, by selling much more than merely books, it reported revenues of $8.5 billion. The numbers continued to climb. Few would argue that Amazon has become a phenomenon on the World Wide Web.

That’s the very big picture. For the avid reader and buyer of gadgets, it’s like being in a candy store. For an author, even a self-published author, it’s a marketing bonanza, if you know how to take advantage of Amazon’s many offerings—authors’ pages, blogs, reviews, list of books we’ve written and bought, wish lists, and things I haven’t discovered yet. And did I mention Kindle?

Kindle is Amazon's wireless eBOOK reader, which makes available more than 350,000 books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs. (There are others on the market making a bid to “burn the bookstore down,” in the words of GIZMODO, the gadget blog.) A quick search unearthed digital devices from Sony, Irex, Iliad, Bbook, and Cybook. As a reader, you can download books on Kindle at $9.99 apiece and carry a virtual library around with you in your briefcase.

There had been other forays into the world of digital books years ago. They failed due incompatible hardware and digital platforms and competition that did itself in, but this time it looks like the whole eBOOK industry might just take hold.

That’s good news for readers who can afford the price tag. The least expensive Kindle is $300, and they go up from there. It’s good news for authors, too, since we can digitize our books and sell them in the Kindle store. I was thrilled at that news and immediately attempted to upload my book—attempted and failed. The complexities astounded me. Nothing worked. No format I might have devised could be converted into the format Amazon had invented. No desperate e-mails I sent elicited responses I could figure out or implement. In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that I never understand any instructions I receive from Amazon. Never.

After much frustration, I did what any sane person would do. I called the only person I know who seems to understand Amazon: Bob Baker, author of 55 Ways to Promote & Sell Your Book on the Internet. He’s also a musician, marketer, and Amazon guru. I nagged. I cajoled. I begged. He finally agreed to help me. I will skip the glitches and give you the gold. Here is how to publish your book on Kindle:

1. First of all, whatever format your book is in, you should ideally convert it to text only and dump the content into a Microsoft Word file. With eBooks, you have to let go of your need to control fonts, sizes, pages numbers, images, etc., mainly because readers can adjust the fonts on their electronic readers (such as the Kindle). So the text flows based on the user's preferences, not yours.

2. Next, go through the file and take out most of the formatting except for very basic attributes like bold, italic, and some larger font sizes for chapter titles and subheads. Be sure to save regularly. (Note: If your book is beautifully designed, this may be hard. But bite the bullet and do it anyway.)

3. Images within Kindle eBooks are tricky. Since the book's cover is on the sales page, it really doesn’t need to be in the eBOOK, itself. But if you want it, you should be able to copy and paste it back into the file. This is true of any other graphics in the original book. (Bob only had text files uploaded to Kindle; I did a lot of cutting and pasting. For some reason, my multicolor cover showed up in black and white; but I was so relieved to finally get it there, I left it alone.)

4. Once you have the formatting to your liking, save your Word file as an HTML web page.

5. Next, go to https://dtp.amazon.com/mn/signin.

6. Log in with your usual email and password, or start an account if you don’t have one yet.

7. Enter your book title, and click the little + sign next to it. Add a description, select genre categories and keywords, and upload a cover image of your book.

8. Then click the + sign next to Upload & Preview Book.

9. Click the Browse button, find your newly converted HTML file, and Upload it.

10. When you've done that and it finishes processing, click the Preview button.

11. To enter or change the price, click the + sign next to Enter Price.

12. Click Save Entries.

13. Click Publish up toward the right to activate the new version and price.

That’s all there is to it. Hard to believe, but true. Just follow the bullet points, and you, too can be a Kindle author. Be sure to preview it online and on a real Kindle, if possible. It’s the surprises that will drive you to distraction.

Thank you, Bob!

Writers write ... AND speak

“Writers don’t speak; they write.” I’ve actually said that, and I’m embarrassed to admit it. The context in which I said it had to do with voice activated software. When people have suggested that I talk a book instead of writing one I’ll admit I’ve gotten a bit testy. But in the broader sense, writers must speak, and if you don’t, you are missing a great marketing strategy.

Talking about your book in public forums is effective, personal, and persuasive. It also sells books. If you are one of the many people who fear public speaking or have no idea how to do it, I have eight suggestions. The first is to join a Toastmasters’ group. The other seven follow.

1. It’s all about the audience.
Do your homework. Find out all you can about the group. Every audience is different; there is no one size fits all. Ask yourself what this audience needs and how you can provide it. Even if you have given this presentation before, you can still tailor it to the needs of this particular group.

2. Think it through before you write a single word.
What is your message, the essential idea you want to get across? Write it down in a single sentence. Then, think about the three main points that will support that message. People can usually grasp and remember three ideas, but more than that tends to be confusing. Finally, jot down ideas for stories that will illustrate those points.

3. The opening grabs their attention; the closing gives them something to take away with them.
These are the two most important parts of any presentation. Think of a hot pink thread that begins at the opening, runs through the content, and ends up in a knot at the end. That thread ties your speech together. Write the opening and closing carefully, edit them until they are perfect, and then memorize them until they are as familiar as the Pledge of Allegiance.

4. Content is king.
You know before you begin what your message is going to be. Now, you have to become an expert on that topic. Research it, anticipate questions, and be prepared to answer them in your presentation and in the Q&A, if there is one. If you have thought about the stories you want to tell, this is the time to flesh them out. Look up what others have said, and sprinkle authoritative quotes throughout your talk. With today’s powerful search engines that is easier than it has ever been.

5. Delivery counts.
Your content may be great, but if it is badly presented, no one will ever know. Good delivery is built on self-confidence, comfort with your topic, and contagious energy. These things build on each other and are the result of practice, practice, practice. Do not think you can “wing it.” You can’t.

6. Organization matters.
The key to compelling content and confident delivery is how well organized your material is. Complicated organization may work in print, but it doesn’t in a speech. Keep it simple and straightforward—so simple, in fact, that the audience can almost see your outline as you speak. You don’t have to actually say, “Here is what the speech is about, point one, point two, point three, and here’s how it all ties together” for the audience to know where those headings would be.

7. Be real.
There are two kinds of presentations: performances and conversations. Performances are scripted, stylized, and acted. Conversations engage the audience. Performances make an impression; conversations create a connection. Here are two important questions: What is the purpose of your presentation, and what is your natural style? Do what comes naturally. Any audience can spot a phony, someone who is trying too hard, or a speaker who doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Don’t be any of the above.

If these suggestions seem somewhat familiar, it’s probably because the same rules apply to good writing.

Meet the Blogging Experts on Twitter

A few experts I follow and thought you might want to, as well.

Denise Wakeman

• Business blogging & social marketing to help you get more online visibility & opportunities for you & your business. Sometimes tweet abt my running workouts.
• Location: North Hollywood, United States
• Web: http://www.denisewakeman.com
• Twitter: twitter.com/DeniseWakeman

Penny Sansevieri

• President and CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc.
  
• Location: Southern California
• Web: http://www.amarketingexpert.com
• Twitter: twitter.com/Bookgal

Bob Baker

• Author, musician dedicated to showing indie artists how to get exposure, connect with fans, sell more music, and increase their incomes.
• Location: St. Louis, MO
• Web: http://www.bob-baker.com/buzz/
• Twitter: twitter.com/MrBuzzFactor

Remarkablogger

• Blog consultant and coach
• Location: Vermont
• Web: http://remarkablogger.com
• Twitter: twitter.com/remarkablogger

Russ Henneberry

• Helping tiny business make mighty profits using a personal computer, a little imagination and a few well-placed dollars.
• Location: Saint Louis
• Web: http://www.russhenneberry.com
• Twitter: twitter.com/RussHenneberry

MarketingProfs

• Head of content, editor, social media, marketing, great food, good wine, writer at www.annhandley.com.
• Location: Boston, Massachusetts
• Web: http://www.marketingprofs.com
• Twitter: twitter.com/MarketingProfs

Guy Kawasaki

• I am a firehose that answers the question: What's interesting? Co-founder of Alltop.
• Location: VirginAmerica 2A
• Web: http://alltop.com/
• Twitter: twitter.com/GuyKawasaki

Zaibatsu

• Just a guy who loves Social Media. Want to know what our company does: The 1st Rule of Fightclub: you don't talk about Fightclub
• Location: Denver
• Web: http://www.facebook.com/zaibatsu
• Twitter: twitter.com/zaibatsu

Terri Z Solo

• Solo entrepreneur, writer, soccer mom, wife, dog-lover, singer. I tweet about online marketing, resources I recommend, world peace and life in general.
• Location: Cary, NC
• Web: http://www.solo-e.com/blog
• Twitter: twitter.com/TerriZSoloCEO

Darren Rowse

• I blog about twitter and tweet about blogging. Sometimes I blog about tweeting about blogging and tweet about blogging about twitter.
• Location: Australia
• Web: http://www.problogger.net/about-darren-rowse-problogger/
• Twitter: twitter.com/problogger

Lisa Hanock Jasie

• PR & Social Media communicator, writer/blogger.
• Location: New York City
• Web: http://www.linkedin.com/in/lisahanockjasie
• Twitter: twitter.com/lisahanockjasie

Conniereece

• Every Dot Connects: communications, marketing, social media with flair. Wisdom that comes w/ age mixed w a youthful attitude of fun. Published writer.
• Location: Austin, TX
• Web: http://everydotconnects.com/twitter-welcome/
• Twitter: twitter.com/conniereece

Mashable

• The hottest Twitter news, Twitter tips and Twitter help. Plus, the best social media links around!
• Location: Scotland / SF
• Web: http://mashable.com
• Twitter: twitter.com/mashable

Copyblogger

• Founder of Copyblogger.
• Cofounder of DIY Themes, Teaching Sells, Lateral Action & two ornery kids.
• Location: Dallas, TX
• Web: http://authorityrules.com/
• Twitter: twitter.com/copyblogger

(Not So) Secrets of a Great Website

After years of having what is known as a “billboard in the middle of the Sahara desert”—a website nobody ever saw—I finally did something right. I created a website that does what it’s supposed to do: inform, educate, help, and attract people. I certainly would never claim to have done this alone. I had a great deal of help on the technical and marketing side from an expert who brought me from dark ages into the 21st century.

Change takes place on the Internet faster than the speed of DSL, sound, or light. I am not technologically gifted, to say the least. Nothing about computers, the WWW, RSS, SEO, web design, blogging, podcasting, tweeting, getting around Amazon, or even writing on someone’s wall in FaceBook comes naturally to me. It is not intuitive; it is learned. Then, as soon as I learn something, it becomes obsolete; and I have to learn something newer, more sophisticated, and usually more complicated. It’s a daily battle, but a necessary one if I am to remain competitive in my field.

My website could certainly use improvement, I know. Yet, bells and whistles don’t seem to be the criteria Web surfers demand. The question is what is it that garners good ratings in the search engines; encourages casual visitors to click on links and read articles; e-mail with questions about book coaching, ghost writing, and editing; sign up for a newsletter; or add a book to their shopping carts.

Here are some of the lessons I have learned along the way. An effective website should do the following:

1. Have a clear, consistent theme.
Does your site have a single identifiable message? Will readers get it immediately or feel confused by too much variety? Web surfers have short attentions spans. If they are overwhelmed, they will move on.

2. Be easy to find.
Search engines find your site in many ways, but the most important is keywords. If you want Google or Yahoo to know you can help write or publish books, your site should be liberally sprinkled with keywords, or clues, that lead them right to you.

3. Be easy to get around once someone finds it.
Nothing is as frustrating as being lost in a sea of words and pictures and having no idea how to find the information you want. Your website should not be a scavenger hunt; it should be a transparent map that takes you directly to what you’re looking for.

4. Make sure your links work.
Almost as frustrating as being confused about content is, knowing exactly where you are and where you want to go, clicking on an obvious link, and finding there is no such page, or you ended up on the wrong one. Check your links often.

5. Convey your professionalism, trustworthiness, and credibility.
What does your website say about you? Of course, you would like it to shout out that you are good at what you do, you have experience and expertise, you are the expert the reader has been looking for. How do you do that without actually saying all those things? There is a rule in creative writing classes: show; don’t tell. Make that your mantra.

6. Establish a relationship with the reader.
Web 2.0 is all about relationships. It is no longer a one-way monologue; it is now a dialogue between you and your visitor. Your website is a way to say, “Hi, I’m __________. Let’s get to know each other. What interests you? How can I help? Let’s interact.”

7. Answer the WIIFM (what’s in it for me) question.
This should not be news to you: Your website is not about you; it is about your readers. What do they need and will they find it here? What is the benefit in terms of information, entertainment, enlightenment, or take-aways? Why should they hang around a while?

8. Add new features or update information frequently.
Think about yesterday’s newspaper. It may still have uses, but keeping you up to date on the latest news isn’t one of them. Things are happening in the world and in cyberspace. “Inquiring minds want to know.” So does Google, which thrives on new material.

9. Be packed with useful information.
The Web is the world’s biggest library, the encyclopedia of everything you could possibly want to know. When you stop to think about it, that’s pretty amazing. So, where do you and your little website fit into that enormous picture? You are a source of information someone is looking for. It’s up to you to provide as much as you can.

10. Give stuff away FREE.
Don’t hide your light under a bushel. Let it shine. Then, offer it to your reader. You will make a friend or at least a grateful Web surfer who will return. You cannot give away too much. You know more than you think you know. What good is it if you don’t share it?

11. Avoid being an obvious commercial for products or service.
Few things are more annoying than searching for information and finding, instead, one long ad for something to buy—a training program, a series of videos, books, tricks on how to increase traffic to your blog … you get the idea. These sites have lost sight of rules and 9. Be packed with useful information and 10. Give stuff away FREE.

I didn't learn these common sense rules early or easily. I read them; I heard them; I observed them on other people's websites; and, often, people gave them away for FREE. What a concept.

How to Write a Memoir that Sells

I went to a standing-room-only book signing last night. What made it such a wonderful experience was that the book was written by one of my oldest friends—Marianna Riley—and her collaborator, Robert Ellis. The book is Caring for Victor: a U.S. Army Nurse and Saddam Hussein. Ordinarily, this is not a book I would rush out to buy, but with Marianna’s name on the cover, it wasn’t even a question.

Robert Ellis was an army nurse who probably spent more time with Saddam Hussein than any other American. For eight months, Ellis was responsible for the care of the army’s captured Iraqi leaders, but especially for keeping its most valued prisoner, known as Victor, alive and healthy.

Theirs was a complicated relationship. They didn’t talk politics and, in fact, communicated very little at first because of the language barrier. Eventually, though, they found areas of commonality in their lives and forged a bond. In part because of his own background—growing up in the projects in St. Louis—Ellis was able to see the humanity in a man who was thought by many to be a dangerous dictator and a murderer.

Marianna Riley is a consummate pro. She’s been writing a long time for newspapers and magazines and then as an editor and reporter at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. I have been a fan for years and, in fact, have many of her early articles in my files. She has always had the ability to make a story leap off the page. So, it comes as no surprise that she was able to capture the essence of both of these men and the nuanced relationship they shared.

Caring for Victor is a memoir writing teachers should insist our students read. It’s right up there with The Liars Club, which is among of the best. The book was published by Reedy Press, a St. Louis company, which proves you don’t have to go to New York for find a good publisher. The publicity for Caring for Victor was amazing. The event was in the papers and on every local news channel. There were not enough chairs, barely enough room to stand, and the line to get our books signed snaked around the room.

During the Q&A at the end of the presentation, Marianna talked a little about the publishing process. I had to ask, “How important was the proposal in getting the book published?”

“The proposal was everything,” she answered. “It was so important. We had our outline, and that essentially became the book.”

Since this is my blog, I’m going to take the liberty of repeating that. “The proposal was everything. It was so important. We had our outline, and that essentially became the book.”

My case rests.