Book Proposals That Sell: 21 Secrets to Speed Your Success

by W. Terry Whalin, Marilyn Allen (Foreword by)

Overview

An insider reveals the secrets to pitching your nonfiction book: “Traditional publishing is shrouded with mystery. Terry Whalin peels back the curtain.” —Michael Hyatt, New York Times–bestselling author of Your Best Year Ever

In the beginning stages of writing a book, most people start with a blank page and write their entire manuscript. According to acquisitions editor, former literary agent, and author of dozens of traditionally published books W. Terry Whalin, this approach is backwards. He knows that about 80% to 90% of nonfiction books are sold from a book proposal.

This mysterious document called a proposal contains many elements that will never appear in a manuscript—yet these details are critical to publishing executives who make the decision about publishing or rejecting an author’s project. Book Proposals That Sell reveals twenty-one secrets to creating the kind of effective, impressive book proposal that can help an author make the sale.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781631955112
Publisher:	Morgan James Publishing
Publication date:	09/27/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	158
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

W. Terry Whalin has worked both sides of the editorial desk—as an editor and a writer. He worked as a magazine editor, and his magazine work has appeared in more than 50 publications. A former literary agent, Terry is an Acquisitions Editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 books through traditional publishers in a wide range of topics from children’s books to biographies to co-authored books. Several of Terry’s books have sold over 100,000 copies. He has an innovative online training course to help authors effectively connect with literary agents and editors called “Write A Book Proposal”. He is a popular speaker and teacher at numerous writers’ conferences and an active member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors. Terry lives near Denver, Colorado and has an active following on twitter (@terrywhalin).

What People are Saying About This

Kelly Gallagher

"As a former publisher, the truth and insider information from Book Proposals That Sell resonates with my own publishing experiences. Terry Whalin helps would-be authors or experienced writers walk through the critical questions from any acquisitions editor. If you answer these questions, it will help you gain serious consideration for your book idea."
—Vice President, Evangelical Christian Publishers Association

Jeanette Thomason

"With practical know-how and tons of proven tips, this book is like that wise friend who's been in the business, knows what works and why. Step-by-step, Terry Whalin guides and inspires both beginners and even experienced writers to doing better, successful, meaningful work."
—acquisition editor, Revell Books

Cecil Murphey

"Many beginning book writers complain that it's harder to write the proposal than the book itself. Until they know how, that's probably true. Terry Whalin knows the secrets of good book proposals. As a writer, he's composed many book proposals; as an editor, he's read hundreds of them."
—writer, co-writer, or ghostwriter of more than 100 books including Committed But Flawed and 90 Minutes in Heaven

Claudia Cross

"As an agent, I've read Terry's nonfiction proposals and have always been impressed. He knows how to put together a winning presentation to capture a potential editor's attention and get a decision. In Book Proposals That Sell, Terry combines his compassion for writers with his considerable publishing experience to create a must-have book for anyone preparing a nonfiction proposal."
—Literary Agent, Sterling Lord Literistic, New York City

Les Stobbe

"A well-written book proposal gains attention, piques interest, and provides the information an editor--and later the publicity department--needs to convince not only his editorial staff but the whole publishing team. Terry Whalin provides the know-how to add sales appeal to any book proposal."
—Literary Agent, Editor-in-Chief, Christian Writer's Guild