Bulletproof Book Proposals

by Eric Neuhaus and Pam Brodowsky

Bringing together three perspectives in the publishing process, agent, author, and editor, to deliver publishing trade secrets on how each of these people view a book proposal, this work contains a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1582973679
• ISBN13: 9781582973678
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Writer's Digest Books
• Length: 296 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.4" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

A rare resource

First off, you should know what a book proposal is before you get this book. If you're trying to sell a novel, you won't need a book proposal. But if you're interested in writing a non-fiction book, seeing examples of successful proposals before you compose your own is invaluable. It would be best, of course, if your book is in a similar genre to the examples in here. Those examples are entitle: "PR on a Budget"; "The Killer Book of True Crime Trivia"; "Now What Do I Do? The Woman's Guide to a New Career"; "Gadget Nation: A Journey Through the Underbelly of American Invention"; "Diabetes-Free Kids!"; "Project Management for Design Professionals"; "How to Raise the Children You Want to Keep"; "The Right Weigh"; "Powerwriting: The Hidden Skill You Need to Transform Your Business Writing"; "Yoga for Depression: A Compassionate Guide to Relieve Suffering Through Yoga"; "Pragmatism and the Method of Modern Architecture"; and "Office Emails That Really Click." The book also gives editors' reactions to each of the proposals. An appendix contains a list of useful websites. All told, this is a must-have guide for selling your book.

It's Good Because It Offers Real World Advice for the Modern Times

I've been working on my first book proposal for over a year. In the process I have read 4 book proposal books, including the "classics" by Larsen and Herman. I figured they've been around for so long, and you always see them referenced as quality books, so I should read them. They are good books if you want a general idea of how books historically have been sold. But what you get from Bulletproof is a very modern take on the topic. This is vitally important because while the Larsen and Herman books offer timeless advice, this book tells it like it is in today's publishing world. The book also includes insights from authors, editors, and agents which proves extremely valuable as you craft your own proposal because you get a real sense for your audience. This book propelled my proposal to completion because it answered those nagging questions I had about what editors and agents are looking for today, not 10 years ago. I highly recommend this book for first timers and veterans alike because there is some very excellent, fresh advice included.

Really useful!

This is an absolute help in writing a proposal. The information is concise, but the examples are priceless. You can adapt your copy easily. Best one I've read.

For every 100 book proposals submitted to publishers by hopeful authors, two will make it and the ot

For every 100 book proposals submitted to publishers by hopeful authors, two will make it and the other ninety-eight will not. That's why literary agent Pam Brodowsky and successful author Eric Neuhaus teamed-up to create a 'how to' manual of instruction and advice to help aspiring writers seeking to break into print better the odds against them. The first part of "Bulletproof Book Proposals" addresses the book proposal writing process through clear instructions and exercises, along with a ten-step approach designed to teach the author how to craft an overview of their writing project that is clear, concise, and engaging; conduct a thorough competitive-book analysis; define primary and secondary markets, and write effective chapter outlines and summaries. The second part of "Bulletproof Book Proposals" presents twelve real-life book proposals that were successful in getting published. Also featured are informative commentaries from the authors and agents of those proposals, as well as the editors who accepted them for publication. "Bulletproof Book Proposals" is a complete, 'user friendly', and strongly recommended do-it-yourself seminar workshop in the creation of effective, successful, profitable book proposals - a skill that is a fundamental necessity for anyone seeking to create a professional writing career for themselves. Also very highly recommended from Writer's Digest Press are two other references for aspiring authors: "The Glimmer Trains Guide To Writing Fiction" and Bill Brohaugh's "Unfortunate English: The Gloomy Truth Behind The Words You Use".

Packed With Publishing Insight from Various Viewpoints

Over the years, I've written dozens of book proposals. For the last five, years, I've been a book acquisitions editor and reviewed hundreds of book proposals. You may wonder why I'd need to read this book. I did. There is always something new to learn and there is not ONE way to create a book proposal. Literary Agent Pam Brodowsky and Eric Neuhaus have created a well-crafted ten step plan for proposal creation. In each section, they have included the particular portion of their proposal for BULLETPROOF BOOK PROPOSALS. The reader goes from defining the idea to packaging the proposal. For the second section of the book, they include a dozen sample nonfiction book proposals on different topics, with different publisherss (some of them the same publisher) and different literary agents (some proposals don't have an agent and a number of them were from Pam Brodowsky--where she would have had the greatest access to this material). Each proposal includes insightful comments about why it is shaped in a particular way. The overall result of BULLETPROOF BOOK PROPOSALS is to provide the reader with more insight into this crucial process to selling a nonfiction book. I recommend this title.