K.I.S.S. Proposal Overview Form

"I created this Proposal Overview form after reading internal publishing house marketing forms that, at a glance, provide a book's editorial and marketing highlights to sales and marketing staffers. I've shared this form with a number of other authors who have used it with great success. Agents and editors like and appreciate having the nuts and bolts info it contains upfront and at-a-glance. Use the form's items that apply to your book. Good luck!" - Nina

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Nina L. Diamond's Surefire Proposal Overview Sheet

Proposal Overview

 Since agents and editors are always pressed for time, and it's also easy for even those thoroughly reading your book proposal to miss some of the most important information if it's scattered throughout, use this Proposal Overview form to present that info. This page (or two, if needed) should be placed after your cover letter, and before the rest of your proposal. Title this page: PROPOSAL OVERVIEW

I created this after reading internal publishing house marketing forms that, at a glance, provide a book's editorial and marketing highlights to sales and marketing staffers.

I've shared this Proposal Overview form with a number of other authors who have used it with great success. Agents and editors like and appreciate having the nuts and bolts info it contains upfront and at-a-glance.

Use the form's items that apply to your book. Add any other items you need. Use as many lines as you need for items such as Content, Special Features, and Marketing (which includes target readers, sales, promotion, and publicity), but try to keep the entire form to no more than two full pages. One is ideal, if possible. You can attach extra pages if you have a detailed marketing plan: On your Proposal Overview form, write "See Attached" next to Marketing.

Use this form with your query letter to agents as well as the proposal package you send to agents and you or your agent send to editors. Let us know if the Proposal Overview helps you get an agent or sell your book, and if you get any feedback from agents and editors about the form. Good luck!

PROPOSAL OVERVIEW

Title: (Put title in italics)

Subtitle: (Put subtitle in italics)

Author:

Ghostwriter:

Categories:

Length: (approximate number of words/pages)

Format:

Illustrations:

Foreword:

Content:

Special Features:

Blurbs:

Marketing: (include target readers, sales, promotion, and publicity)

Estimated Time Needed to Complete Manuscript:

* * * * * * * *

This proposal package contains the following:

  • Proposal Overview
  • Author Bio
  • Ghostwriter Bio
  • Book Outline (or Synopsis, if applicable)
  • (Sample Chapters included in package - for example: Chapter One, Chapter Two...)
  • Press Clippings
  • Photos
  • Published Clips