What Every Acquisitions editor craves
The #1 thing editors thirst for? An exquisite book proposal that can be devoured quickly.
Let me say that again: acquisition editors want an immaculately written proposal that’s gobbled up like manna from heaven and then swiftly passed around to colleagues marked high (!) priority.
Next obvious question: What makes for an exceptional proposal that gets noticed, read, and paraded around a publishing house? Having written a blizzard of book proposals over the past twenty-plus years, I’ve witnessed the evolution of these important selling documents. And they are harder to craft today given the volume of noise with competing book concepts in the same genre and plenty of credentialed authors to write them. Gone are the days of submitting 100-page proposals with addendums of CVs and a long list of academic papers. Gone, too, are the days of thinking an author’s great idea and solid credentials are enough. To make your proposal stand out (or even stay out of the slush pile), you must make every single word, line, and paragraph count.
No fluff. No BS. All can’t-put-this-down power.
Editors are busy. They will skim when necessary and skip the majority of the content if it doesn’t leap off the page. And I mean LEAP. You’ve got to reel them in from the start and not let them go until they’ve finished to the end and then eagerly jump up to share your tantalizing pitch.
Here are five tips to flex your proposal muscle and attract editors’ attention:
1. Lead with a super-grabby story: Begin your overview section with a brief, compelling story that sucks editors in and hooks them right away. Your cover letter should have already given away the main premise and your credentials for writing this book (and if not, focus on that or the editors won’t even get to the main proposal). If they’re going to read anything after the cover letter, you’ll want to wow them with provocative new material to keep them intrigued to read more. Editors are smart; repeat content will bore them and potentially send your proposal back into the pile.
2. Be careful with competitive titles: Think you’re going to be the next Stephen Covey? Mark Hyman? Brené Brown? Malcolm Gladwell? Even if you are, don’t start comparing yourself to superstar authors unless your book is a true comp and you can make a plausible case (e.g., “This book will plant its flag in good and recognizable company, appealing to readers of a long-standing tradition of mega-bestselling classics such as…”). Do not, under any circumstances, pick the top five biggest selling titles in your book’s genre if they’re not spot-on comps. Be choosey and realistic. Avoid seminal works published a long time ago (e.g., more than five years ago). To be a true comp, it’s more than just being in the same category. Many editors skip comp sections in proposals because they often miss the mark and are entirely unhelpful. Waste of their time. You can even consider moving this section to the back of the proposal, after your short, snappy chapter summaries.
3. Have short, snappy summaries: Long chapter summaries will drown editors and sabotage your proposal. The execution of the book’s content is way more important, which is why many editors will skip summaries and go right to your sample pages. One- to two-paragraph summaries per chapter can be ideal. Sneak in mini-stories and anecdotes wherever possible to keep editors engaged and show off your writing (avoid too much “I will do this” and “I will do that”). In truth, book proposals that sell handsomely are largely bought off the cover letter, sample material, and what the author brings to the table (i.e., credentials, built-in audience, connections, mediagenicity).
4. Include probable promotional plans: Editors know you fantasize about getting on a popular national television show or having Oprah anoint your book in her book club. Fill your short promotional plan with what you can realistically pull off—no platform aspirations. Editors will roll their eyes at your promises to approach top podcasters, influencers, and long-standing New York Times bestselling authors for their engagement and endorsement. Lean into the marketing and public relations strengths that you’ve already established. By the same token, keep your author bio tight too because editors can infer that if you’ve earned a spot at a big, impressive, speaks-for-itself table (e.g., Aspen Ideas Festival, the TED conference) or if you have a huge social media following, you’ve probably got a long list of past appearances. No need to include all the minor details of your life’s bio, just highlight big hits.
5. KISS: You know the old motto: Keep It Simple, Stupid. Think about how you can streamline every section of the proposal so nothing gets skimmed or worse, skipped. Watch out for too much repetition. Aim to keep your proposal to a maximum of fifty-pages. Indeed, it’s infinitely harder to write short than long. But if you succeed in writing short, your authorship journey might go long.