what is a cover letter for a book proposal

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Hints for a Great Cover Letter

[I originally posted this piece over 12 years ago. The information still holds true, but I suspect many have not found the necessary information elsewhere, so I dare post it again. I’ve left all the comments intact since they add to the ongoing conversation. Feel free to add your thoughts.]]

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Here are a few suggestions for you to consider when approaching an agent or an editor. Remember to use these as hints…do not follow them slavishly as if a literary agent will spend their time critiquing your cover letter.

By the way, we distinguish between a cover letter and a query letter. A cover letter goes on top of a longer proposal and sample chapters. The query letter is a stand-alone letter that goes to the editor/agent without a proposal or sample chapters. We prefer the cover letter and the rest of the package. Why? Because a query only shows that you can write a letter. A proposal begins the process of showing that you know how to write a book.

Address the letter to a specific person. If sending something to The Steve Laube Agency, simply address the appropriate agent. Every proposal will cross the desk of the designated agent eventually. (Please do NOT send it to all of us at the same time)

Use this cover letter in the body of your email, but NOT the proposal and sample chapters! You’d be stunned to see how many people contact us with a blank email carrying only a subject line of “here it is.”

Don’t waste your time or ours. Do your homework! If you are submitting to an agent, visit their website and follow their guidelines!!! We cannot emphasize this enough! Make certain to spell the person’s name right. (My name is spelled, Steve Laube. Not “Laub” “Labe” “Lobby” “Looby” etc. But note that Bob Hostetler has to address me as “sir” or “the honorable” or “Mr. Boss”.)

If you use The Christian Writers Market Guide or some online database listing agents or editors, make sure you have the most current information because addresses do change (go to their website). Our main office changed its mailing address in February of 2007…and we still discover material is being sent to the old address. You would be astounded by the number of calls or inquiries we receive from writers who have not done their research. Someone called the Phoenix office the other day looking to talk to one of our agents who does not live or work in Phoenix.

Whatever you do, do  not say your book is the next bestseller like Purpose Driven Life , Eat Pray Love, Left Behind , or  The Shack , or that it will sell better than  The Da Vinci Code ,  Twilight ,  Harry Potter , or  The Chronicles of Narnia . That shows an ignorance of the market that is best left alone. [update note: These examples will date you really fast. The Harry Potter books are over 25 years old, published in 1997.]

In addition, please do not claim “God gave me this book so you must represent or publish it.” We are firm believers in the inspiration that comes from a faith-filled life, but making it part of your pitch is a big mistake. Read this blog post for a larger discussion on this point.

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The 4-part Cover letter:

1) A simple introductory sentence is sufficient. Basically, you are saying “Hi. Thank you for the opportunity…”

2)  Use a “sound bite” statement. A “sound bite” statement is the essence of your novel or non-fiction book idea in 40 words or less.

The fiction sound bite could include:

a. The heroic character b. The central issue of the story c. The heroic goal d. The worthy adversary e. Action f. The ending g. A grabber h. Or a twist

The non-fiction sound bite should include the main focus or topic. One suggestion is to describe the Problem, Solution, and Application.

If someone were to ask about your book you would answer, “My book is about (write in your sound bite.)”

Another word for sound bite is “hook.”

3)  Tell why your book is distinctive – identify who will read it . (Targeted age group….adult, teen, youth) – point out what’s fresh, new, and different.

One suggestion would be, for your intended genre, read several recent books in the same genre as your own to familiarize yourself with the market.

4)  G ive pertinent manuscript details : a) mention whether or not your book is completed (if it is not, then give an estimate as to when it will be finished) b) word length of the complete manuscript, even if it is an estimate (approximate – round off the number) c) pertinent biographical info d) tell the agent if it is a simultaneous submission e) let the agent know they can discard the proposal if rejected.

Click here to review a sample non-fiction cover letter from someone who approached us via an email inquiry. We signed her as a client.

Keep the letter to one page!!

Please don’t use narrow margins or tiny print to fit it all on one sheet. That is silly. We once received a cover letter with an 8-point font and 1/4-inch margins. It was virtually unreadable.

About Steve Laube

Steve Laube, president and founder of The Steve Laube Agency, a veteran of the bookselling industry with 40 years of experience. View all posts by Steve Laube →

Reader Interactions

January 17, 2011 at 5:45 pm

Thanks for clarifying the difference between a query and a cover letter. And I never thought about including a note about discarding the proposal if it’s rejected. I’ll remember that next time.

January 17, 2011 at 8:40 pm

Thanks for the helpful information. Appreciate, too, your making it print friendly. This is going into my “Writing Aids” file.

January 19, 2011 at 2:52 pm

This is very helpful. Thank you for this overview of the cover letter. I critique manuscripts at writers conferences, and I plan to refer them to this post!

January 19, 2011 at 11:09 pm

I am confused; this article requires a cover letter be ONE page, double-spaced, exactly while the Guidelines article requests the story be summed up in up to THREE pages, single-spaced. So what are you supposed to do since these contradict and I would like to present myself as expected by Mr.Laube?

January 20, 2011 at 8:24 am

Let me clarify so as there is no confusion.

This article is about the cover letter. Keep that to one page.

The synopsis is not the cover letter. That piece is where you tell the whole story of the novel in a maximum of three single spaced pages.

Any presentation package to an agent or a publisher has three parts. 1) The cover letter (one page) 2) The proposal – which includes, among other things, a synopsis of the book or story 3) Sample chapters

Hope that helps!

March 8, 2012 at 11:53 am

Thank you Steve. Any bits of wisdom imparted to the masses is wonderful.

February 4, 2016 at 11:54 am

So, just to clarify, should the promo sentence, sales handle and back cover copy be included in the same document as the synopsis?

The word count, target audience and platform are all mentioned briefly in the cover letter. Should they also be reiterated more in-depth in the proposal?

Just trying to line up my wayward ducks. There’s no point in submitting a manuscript if it isn’t submitted properly.

September 21, 2017 at 8:20 am

Thank you for your guidance and clarification. It helps to have every aspect broken down so well.

May 21, 2021 at 4:29 am

thanks for the offered clarification, one further point please. Perhaps I am reading too deeply and detailed, but cover letter, sample chapters, synopsis, we are talking three separate attachments to the email, given the different structures of each piece. Thanks

January 20, 2011 at 10:33 am

Now I understand. Thank you for taking the time to reply 🙂

As an aside, for further clarification – the sample chapters should always be the first three correct? (No other chapters instead?) And if you have a prelude, I would assume that would not be counted as the first chapter, particularly if it is only a few pages?

One last question please: in the cover letter should you use specific names of characters or simply be broad until you arrive at the synopsis?

Thank you so much for making things clear and God bless you.

January 20, 2011 at 11:06 am

Sample chapters. Always the first pages. Include a prelude or a preface if applicable. The idea for the limitation is to keep what you send under 50 pages of text. Some chapters are very short, some are long. But sending too much will put you in the “I’ll read this someday, when I have the time” pile.

As for the cover letter? You aren’t retelling the whole story in the cover letter so character names are not as critical. But they can be used if appropriate. Don’t write something like “Snow White along with Sneezy, Sleepy, Dopey, Doc, Happy, Bashful, and Grumpy went to the local grocery store to buy some apples.” That can wait for the manuscript or the synopsis if you want to use those names.

January 20, 2011 at 1:37 pm

Great! Thank you again and one absolutely necessary (and final) question please: my prelude is the first 4 pages and that with the first three chapters bring you to page 60. Is that a problem? Should I just cut the story off at page 50? Thank you and this is my final question 🙂

January 20, 2011 at 1:44 pm

I can safely say, without seeing your work or reading a word, that your chapters are too long to begin with.

Cut your chapter length by thinking in terms of scenes. Make chapter breaks more frequent. A twenty page chapter in a novel is far too long in today’s market.

To be even safer, consider hiring a good freelance editor ( click here for a list ) to give you help and advice before ever sending it to us. If a manuscript is pretty good, we will reject it. It has to be magnificent and nearly ready for market.

March 20, 2017 at 10:23 am

Any idea of the price range for a freelance editor that you have listed on you link?

January 20, 2011 at 7:17 pm

Thank you for the input. My work is Christian fiction, so a few of the chapters are for world-building so that is why some of the chapters may be a little longer. I have plenty of chapters that are 8 or 11 or 14 pages long, but the third one in particular is 27 pages. I suppose I will have to split that up of course, and I do think in terms of scenes (as in a movie)…So be it then.

January 21, 2011 at 1:43 pm

One more question: if you are writing a trilogy and are only submitting the first book thus far, would the synopsis cover only the 1st book or would it encompass all 3? Thank you!

January 21, 2011 at 1:47 pm

Ryan, There is no hard and fast rule. It is usually a good idea, when submitting a trilogy, to have at least a half page worth of synopsis included in the proposal. A publisher needs to have something they can see in order to buy.

March 16, 2013 at 4:14 am

I have a project encompassing 5 books on the religious beliefs of the Founding Fathers which uses the historical record to refute the Internet claim that the FF were deists and atheists. The first book is done, 2 others are 85% done. There are over 600 separate cited sources in the first book, two-thirds of which are in the public domain. Must I get written permission from the other 200 sources before I can publish the book or will footnoting the quotes used with TITLE, AUTHOR, PUBLISHER INFO, DATE, AND PAGE NUMBER be sufficient ?

Thanks very much for your help.

January 21, 2011 at 9:38 pm

Great, and with that, I have run out of questions, much to your satisfaction 🙂 Thank you and I will be sending you something soon.

February 15, 2011 at 4:58 pm

This is a great post. Thank you.

I do have a question, though. I have published my book (11/8/09), but I would like to be represented. What kind of pages do I submit? The book or the final draft of the ms before it went to print?

Also, this book is the first of a series of books that I have outlined at this point with one other ms done (children’s book, which is apart form the series).

How would I document this in a cover letter (the book and subsequent ideas I have outlined as I know you don’t accept children’s books)?

I appreciate your time and attention.

February 19, 2011 at 11:05 pm

A necessary question: are the sales handle, promo sentence & back cover copy lumped in with the synopsis or are they separate in a fiction proposal so that the proposal would contain a cover letter, synopsis, sample chapters and then another page with those 3 items? It just is not clear from what I have read on here. Thank you for clearing this up! God bless you in His name, Ryan

May 17, 2011 at 6:58 am

Dear Steve,

Thank you for explaining what you expect of our submissions to your office. I spent the night finishing my proposal and cover letter to your specifications and sent out my package today.

Faithfully, Christopher Holms

August 19, 2011 at 8:33 pm

Steve, I’ve finished my first Biblical historical novel about Jesus, the God-man. While my goal was to stay with twenty pages per chapter, some are a couple of pages longer. And how many lines per page do you suggest? I’ve tried to stick with the typical publisher’s guideline, but would appreciate your comments on this area. Also since you state that you’re open to all genres of fiction, does this include Biblical historical?

August 20, 2011 at 11:13 am

Simply use the computer’s double-space format. Also use one inch margins on all four sides. And use a Times Roman 12 point font. Whatever you do, do NOT try to squeeze more lines on a page. That will only irritate a reviewer.

In general, when using the above formatting you will end up with about 300 words on a page…which is very similar to the word count on a finished book.

A chapter that runs to 20 pages is probably going to feel long, depending on the action and dialogue included. That is over 6,000 words in a chapter.

As for our agency’s interest? I personally tend to stay away from most Biblical fiction. The only exception is Tosca Lee (see her novel HAVAH: The Story of Eve). But you may find that our other two agents may be more interested.

And be aware that if your novel is based on the life of Jesus you will need to compare it to the classic novels by Marjorie Holmes and the novel by Walter Wangerin…all of which are still in print.

October 2, 2011 at 7:35 pm

As as up and coming writer, it’s so important to attend conferences, begin networking, but most of all, read about your craft. In order to put your best foot forward, a writer needs to know what is expected. I’ve learned the answer to many of the questions above through writers groups, networking at conferences and obtaining an editor to work with me on my projects.

October 8, 2011 at 8:58 pm

Thank you for this practical advice! Much appreciated. I in preparing the proposal to send off, I am grateful for your graceful bluntness of what you are looking for. Saves us both time and energy when communicating.

October 20, 2011 at 11:46 am

Thank you for outlining so clearly what exactly you expect in a cover letter! I was unclear on one point, however; the first part you identify – “a simple introductory statement is sufficient.”

I confess, I’m unsure on what you are looking for in that statement. Your example is, “Hi, thanks for the opportunity,” but I can’t imagine that you’re looking for something to blunt and plain. What are you wanting from the author in this statement; what are you seeking to know? Is this statement really necessary, or could a cover letter open with the second part, the sound bite?

Thank you for taking the time to clarify this matter.

November 5, 2011 at 10:55 am

I have the same question regarding the Introductory Statement. Thank you for posting this information about the cover letter. It is a huge help!

November 25, 2011 at 4:21 am

Steve, when submitting a proposal for a novel that is intended as the first of a trilogy, is this something that should be mentioned in the cover letter? I’m uncertain as the second book is not yet written and the first works as a stand-alone.

Thanks so much,

November 26, 2011 at 8:43 am

Marge, If you intend to propose a series, even if book one stands alone, that should be mentioned in the cover letter and the proposal. If you are doing a query letter without a proposal then most definitely reveal the plan for a trilogy.

But if you are not certain a second book can be written then do not mention it, instead go with the stand alone.

There are times where the success of a first book creates demand for a sequel. However, most agents and publishers like to know that there is a career or a future with a particular author beyond the first book. One-book wonders do happen, and with some success. But generally we look at the total potential of an author.

May 9, 2014 at 5:50 am

Steve, Is your answer intended to convey to those of us in later life that we have little chance of finding agents and publishers? Now that I am in my early sixties and have retired I finally have the time to write but I am realistic enough to see that my literary career is unlikely to be long.

How do foreign authors work with American agents? Our style and spelling do not always align well with yours – I am English but I write (and speak) in British English not American.

Many thanks Steve

May 9, 2014 at 9:09 am

Steve Long,

We have no idea of the age of an author because we are reviewing the content of a proposal. The age of the author is immaterial.

Our primary audience is the U.S. reader. If you write with British English a U.S. based publisher will note that they will have to work harder at the various editing stages to change the style to fit U.S. English standards. Some contracts even name the Chicago Manual of Style as the standard to which the submitted manuscript must comply.

My advice? Change to the American style of English and it won’t be a potential barrier.

December 5, 2011 at 7:03 am

We write for the love of it, to entertain and educate and nobody knows for certain what will fly, so don’t worry too much about anything.

Yes, being professional is good so one ought to be polite and open minded, but we need to write compelling stories – – those that will pull readers in and not let them out easily.

Set our tone, grab a theme and move the story along like an expert, keeping us engaged, questionning and interested. Action, drama, suspense, pathos and transformative characters are excellent pieces of narrative. Hook ’em and don’t let them go.

January 24, 2012 at 12:59 pm

If I have a self-published book but hope to see it reach a greater audience, do I make copies of the pages to submit to you? I do not have them on a Word document form any longer. Thanks!

February 9, 2012 at 12:11 pm

You will need to have your manuscript in digital form at some point (Word is preferred by most publishers). If you self-published it had to be in digital form at some point. Even your printer should be able to provide a file. If it is a PDF it can be converted back to Word with the right software.

Just copying pages and mailing them is not a good idea.

January 25, 2012 at 3:19 pm

I’m a Canadian who has a completed manuscript about a personal family tragedy that garnered both political and public support. It tells how our faith and God’s intervention brought discoveries that eluded authorities after the failure of the largest search launched in 30 years.

Although this is a personal story, the case is now being used at symposiums for both Crown and Defence attorneys in Canada.

Does this story fall into the category of anything you’ve worked with or be willing to work with. I am looking for an agent in a very competitive field.

February 9, 2012 at 12:14 pm

Hard to comment in a blog comment like this because technically I still don’t know what the story is about. Best not to use the comment section to make the pitch.

We have, on occasion, represented a personal story if it is highly unusual and has commercial appeal. In 2013, look for UNTIL WE ALL COME HOME by Kim de Blecourt as an example (published by FaithWords).

March 2, 2012 at 10:40 pm

Steve – I am seriously impressed to see that you are still tracking new comments on this post a year after it was first posted.

April 30, 2012 at 2:41 pm

Thanks for the how-to on the cover letter.

May 7, 2012 at 2:46 pm

Hello: I’d like to receive an example of a one page cover letter to an agent. I have query and synopsis letters and some agents want a cover letter as well. Thank you for your help! Brenda Sue (This is a fiction, suspenseful, murder, romantic novel dealing with international art theft.)

June 19, 2012 at 1:08 pm

Hi Steve, Thanks so much for going far beyond the call of duty and explaining exactly what is a cover letter. Now, it’s up to me. I’ll do my best.

Blessings, Jackie King-Scott

July 7, 2012 at 11:58 am

Steve, I have a quick question. I am nearing completion on a Biblical fiction novel about the nativity of Jesus. Since everyone is already familiar with the story, should I take a different approach to the cover letter and synopsis?

Thank you for any advise.

Respectfully, Deborah

January 18, 2014 at 11:03 am

Your cover letter should focus on what makes your story unique. That “selling point” is critical for a publisher when considering whether or not they can make room for it in the marketplace.

July 23, 2012 at 7:03 pm

Thanks so much for all the help you’ve given us in this post.

Sincerely, Jackie

August 8, 2012 at 7:49 pm

I’m curious to know if you can provide a sample cover letter as an example. I’m sure it would help others who are visual learners like myself.

In Christ, Fletch

January 18, 2014 at 5:56 pm

A sample non-fiction cover letter is now available for review on our site: https://stevelaube2.wpengine.com/sample-cover-letter/

August 23, 2012 at 10:04 am

Hello Steve, I have a question. I published a book with another publishing company that turned out to be a POD. My book has a part two to it. The way that I wrote part two you really don’t need to read part one to understand. I would like to send it to you. Would this be a good idea to send in part two.

January 18, 2014 at 11:01 am

That is risky because while you may think the reader doesn’t need part one, in reality there may be things in the story that are confusing to a reader of book two.

I’ve never seen a publisher jump at the chance to publish book two in a series if they do not also publish book one.

August 23, 2012 at 6:46 pm

Hello, I am currently self published under a freewill contract in which I can cease printing at anytime. I have had issues getting proper statements and wish to be represented for traditional publishing. Will this be an issue for you to accept a manuscript?

January 18, 2014 at 11:00 am

Not an issue if you own the publication rights. It is your book to sell to another publisher.

January 13, 2014 at 11:08 am

Thank you for the helpful information. I have one question: when sending a proposal by email, do you want a query letter in the body of the email and the a cover letter, sample chapters and synopsis attached as a file, or is the cover letter in the body of the email? Thank you, Lara Van Hulzen

January 18, 2014 at 10:59 am

The body of the email should contain a pitch of some sort. The content of the cover letter described above would serve that purpose well.

A HUGE mistake is made by some who send an email with the body of the email blank or with a sentence like “Here is my book. Take a look.”

Or “If you want to read my book go to this web page.”

January 18, 2014 at 10:39 am

Do you prefer single or double-spacing in a cover letter?

January 18, 2014 at 10:56 am

Single spaced. Just like a regular letter.

The only thing that is double-spaced is the sample chapters or manuscript itself.

January 18, 2014 at 11:57 am

Thank you, sir, for the fast reply.

April 29, 2014 at 9:03 am

I have nothing to submit in the moment except my deep gratitude for your site, so full of so much a writer needs to understand and apply. It’s like a free tutorial, clean, clear, concise, a true resource for the explanation of the sticky things, like query, and proposal and what to send to whom, what never to do, what’s absolutely necessary to do, and anything else that causes a writer to do the Stupid Stumble. You save our face over and over with all this help.

I just want to express my pleasure to have discovered such a credible site run by a gifted teacher. Okay. Back to the memoir.

July 22, 2014 at 11:23 am

I am now confused over the length of chapters. My chapters in standard spacing are between 8-13 pages in length. When I double space them as asked the first three chapters are 19 pages in length. So when you recommend chapters be less than 20 pages are you talking about double-spaced print or standard print? Thanks for your reply.

July 23, 2014 at 6:42 am

Always send a manuscript using Double-spaced text. The proposal and synopsis is single spaced.

Thus your chapters are very long. But it may be that they are just fine as is. Sometimes you can get away with longer chapters.

I do recommend leaning toward shorter…

March 7, 2015 at 8:30 pm

Within the first paragraph (second sentence) one reads, “…As if a literary agent is going to spend their time….” I would have thought someone in the “profession” would be a bit more capable of matching a singular subject with a singular pronoun. This confusion of “number” has become acceptable I suppose because so many are willing to worship at the altar of political correctness, so as not to appear behind the times while ruffling feathers.

March 7, 2015 at 10:31 pm

I suppose I could have use “his or her” or “his/her” instead of “their.” But instead I used what is called the “Singular Their.”

See this post about that topic: https://stevelaube2.wpengine.com/the-singular-they/

Hope that helps clarify.

May 18, 2015 at 2:49 pm

I have written a memoir and believe that Karen Ball is most likely the agent with your group who would be interested.

I understand that a cover letter, proposal and sample chapters should be sent to her. In reviewing your instructions for submissions, it seems that much of the information in the cover letter gets repeated in the proposal (or is it just me?!)

Should I therefore just keep the cover letter very succinct? Or do a combo cover letter/proposal and attach sample chapters? Thank you! I’m very new to this.

June 5, 2015 at 11:48 am

So when writing a cover letter you should specify that you are writing or have written a series of books? I am on my third book and plan on making at least two more. I was told before when writing the manuscript to only focus on that one book, and to reveal the ending of that one book.

October 27, 2015 at 5:50 pm

Hi Mr. Laube, After reading through the post and the comments, I just want to make sure I understand. Do you prefer the cover letter and proposal to be emailed or mailed?

November 8, 2015 at 8:00 am

When researching agents and their submission requirements, I see “query, synopsis and first 3 chapters or 50 pages”. I’ve never heard of a “cover letter”. My novel is a 29,000 word middle grade story.

February 3, 2016 at 8:43 pm

It’s really, really hard to boil down a 200 page book to 40 words. I feel like I”m trying to write a haiku of my entire life….

February 10, 2016 at 11:35 am

When you write or type a query letter; should you follow the guidelines of literary sites or not to follow the submission guidelines? There were a few writers who didn’t follow the guide-lines and sent a query letter and got represented.

June 13, 2016 at 3:33 pm

Steve, can you offer a sample 40-word sound bite for a historical? Struggling with the 40 word concept.

Always learn from you.

August 22, 2016 at 2:29 am

if you are writing a cover letter, or book review, synopsis etc. you should take a glance at this page to find out some tips

September 19, 2016 at 9:50 am

I was hoping you might clarify for me concerning your guidelines for submission of a query letter versus a cover letter. Do you prefer a query letter be sent via email with the book proposal and sample three chapters or a cover letter sent through the mail with an attached book proposal and sample three chapters? I am slightly confused because its appears the cover letter would only be sent if you were interested in the query letter. Would it be possible to send the covered letter instead via email with the attachments for the book proposal and sample chapters?

July 4, 2017 at 7:55 am

Daniel, I can see how that might be confusing. Try not to overthink it.

Let me clarify…as far as our agency goes, which is not a universal thing.

Never send us a query letter. That one page, if sent by itself, will not help us evaluate your writing in any way.

Always send a full proposal. A part of that proposal will be your cover letter, which is basically a “hello my name is” sort of introduction.

November 2, 2016 at 7:32 pm

Great post. I didn’t think I could shorten my pitch to a 40 word sound bite, but I did. Thanks

April 6, 2017 at 9:09 am

Hi Steve This is great. I just watched your interview in the Masters class in the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild. That was very informative. Thank you. If I want to use a pen name do I include this information in the cover letter? Thank you for your time.

July 4, 2017 at 7:52 am

Yes. It can be as as simple as “I write under the pen name of I. Noah Tall, which you will notice on the title page of the proposal.”

July 3, 2017 at 11:18 pm

Thanks so much for this helpful post! I just have one question–where can I find the book Hope for Anxiety Girl from the example cover letter? I am 100% the target audience and I so want to read it! I can’t find it online and I’m wondering if a) it was retitled, b) it’s not yet published, or c) it was repurposed into a different book. Thanks again! 🙂

July 4, 2017 at 7:50 am

Rebecca. That specific book idea has gone through multiple iterations but has yet to be published. However, the writer has had other successful projects released. The latest is a co-authored book (with Kathy Lipp) called OVERWHELMED.

https://www.amazon.com/Overwhelmed-Quiet-Chaos-Restore-Sanity/dp/0736965386/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1499179781&sr=1-1&keywords=cheri+gregory

July 4, 2017 at 8:52 am

Thanks! I purchased a copy of Overwhelmed last night. 🙂

July 28, 2017 at 10:50 am

In the Proposal Guidelines, it says to include:

Promo Sentence Sales Handles Back Cover Copy

Do you actually want to see those headings in the proposal? Sorry if this is a dumb question.

September 22, 2017 at 11:37 am

You’re my kind of girl! Although we’ve seasons and waxing and waning needs, I’ve grown comfortable in the book club porch hammock with a tome of my own selection. I hate someone else deciding where I need to mature or what I’m going to spend a month devouring.

“Teach us to number our days aright, o Lord, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” With a barrage of published and digital words stalking us, we need discernment on what edifies.

October 9, 2017 at 12:41 pm

I’m a man with a unique name and a unique manuscript searching for a unique agent. I found your answers very helpful, practical and instructive. Thank you.

July 18, 2018 at 3:09 pm

Hello! I’m not sure if you still check a post this old, but I’ll give it a try. Should the cover letter be the body of the email with the rest of the proposal as the attachment, or should it be a part of the attachment with the rest of the proposal?

August 15, 2018 at 7:51 am

Thank you for the helpful post! It’s nice to have a concrete idea of what the agent is looking for before sending out the book proposal.

April 11, 2019 at 12:48 pm

This is wonderfully informative. Thank you!

June 10, 2019 at 5:47 pm

In looking at the guidelines for a proposal, it lists a number of things for non-fiction, compares fiction and adds a few additional notes. My question is, in non-fiction it asks for a half page to one page overview. If all of the additional topics are addressed for fiction it seems to cover a lot of what is described in the overview. Do you want a half page to one page overview for a fiction proposal as well?

June 13, 2022 at 6:54 am

Steve, Thank you for this terrific perennial post! The patient answers to the many questions demonstrate your passion for supporting writers. Thank you for taking the time to instill such great knowledge. It is much appreciated by this new author.

June 13, 2022 at 8:10 am

Thanks so much, Steve! These posts with examples for how to do the basics are always so helpful. I look back on them whenever I work on my proposals. Such a great resource!

June 13, 2022 at 1:26 pm

Steve, I’ve published numerous articles and love my work as an editor of books and articles and author and editor of academic research. If I submit everything you described in this great article correctly and well, and my contemporary and historical women’s fiction books have been alpha and beta reviewed with strong support and appropriately edited, but I have virtually no platform (only 1046 Followers on my website), is there realistically any point in submitting a proposal to an agent before I build a larger platform? Thanks to reading Writer’s Guide and this column for many years, I think I’ve mastered and actually enjoy the submission process you described, but I keep running into the platform roadblock. If there is no platform of thousands to cite in the proposal, is it likely to generate an offer to represent or publish? Thanks!

August 2, 2022 at 9:59 am

Okay, so I got to eat a little crow here(which isn’t bad if you put a little A-1 on it), I didn’t read the submission instructions properly and submitted my information, and a portion of my book totally wrong. I have since gone back and read as I should have done in the first place. Now I will PROPERLY submit my work as it should be. I hope this didn’t cause too much of a headache for you and your staff and please forgive my anxious foolishness. I do have a couple of questions: 1. Do I have to wait a certain amount of time before I can re-submit my work? 2. The manuscript is being edited, should I wait until the edit is complete before I resubmit it?

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How to write a covering letter to a publisher, editor or agent

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Creative writing competition: The Olga Sinclair Prize 2024

23 may 2024.

The first thing publishers see when they open your submission package is the covering letter. It doesn’t matter how good your synopsis and sample chapters are, if this vital document fails to impress an editor or agent, then your submission will be rejected. So to ensure you make an excellent first impression, follow the advice of the experts

The first thing publishers see when they open your submission package is the covering letter. It doesn’t matter how good your synopsis and sample chapters are, if this vital document fails to impress an editor or agent, then your submission will be rejected. So to ensure you make an excellent first impression, follow the advice of the experts...

Find the right publisher for your manuscript

Before you start writing your covering letter, you need to find the right publisher for your manuscript. If your book is a non-fiction guide to growing your own vegetables, you need to find a publisher who produces non-fiction gardening books. Sending it to a publisher who specialises in short story romances will result in instant rejection. It is also essential that you check their submission guidelines and follow them precisely. They may specify how long the covering letter should be or what you should include.

What to include in your covering letter

Show off your strengths

The Writer’s Journey: From Inspiration to Publication demystifies the world of publishing and outlines the steps non-fiction writers need to take to present their work to agents and publishers professionally and with confidence.

For non-fiction covering letters, include:

• Compelling Key Sentence • what makes your book different • who it is for • your passion for writing it • your credibility as the author • a mention of your platform/key sales, marketing or promotional opportunities

For fiction covering letters, include:

• Compelling Key Sentence(s) • key themes/features of your story • genre • length • why you wrote the book • something about you/background • life experience • your influences as a writer, writing career • how you see the book in terms of the market ie who for, is it first in a series etc.

Points to remember when writing your covering letter

• Get the name of the publisher/editor right • State where you found their details and why you are approaching them • Tell the publisher about your book • Give your blurb or Compelling Key Sentence • Tell the publisher about yourself • End on a positive note

Ever considered a writing course?

Becoming a successful writer

Are you new to writing and wondering how to go about breaking into print? If so, this course can almost certainly help. It will help you find the field for which your own writing talents are best suited, and will show you how to produce the kind of material that editors and publishers in that field demand.

Polish Your Writing Style

How should you structure paragraphs? What factors should influence your sentence length? What is the difference between a topic sentence and a what-next sentence and when should you use these sentences? These are typical questions your course addresses and will give you a flavour of the kind of work you will be tackling.

Making The Most of Your Life Experiences

A unique, purposeful and enjoyable course to tell you how to best capitalise on what is probably your most prized possession: your stock of personal memories. The course will guide you through what is likely to work well and warns you of obvious dangers. It is full of tips gained from practical experience which you can apply to telling your memories, whether you do so for occasional pleasure or as the basis of a business.

Full Course List

We have lots of excellent courses for writers of all levels. Take a look at our complete course list here.

Start Here: How to Write a Book Proposal + Book Proposal Template

Book proposals are used to sell nonfiction books to publishers.

A book proposal argues why your book (idea) is salable and marketable in today’s market. It essentially acts as a business case for why your book should exist, and—for many authors—persuades a publisher to make an investment in your work before you sit down to write it. 

That’s right: nonfiction authors, if they’re smart and strategic, will sell a publisher on their book before they’ve written very much of it.

Instead of writing the entire book, then trying to interest an editor or agent (which is how it works with novels), you can write the proposal first if you’re a nonfiction author. If a publisher is convinced by the proposal, it will contract you and pay you to write the book. This applies to all types of nonfiction, although it can be very challenging for memoirists to sell a project on the basis of a proposal if they are unpublished or without a compelling platform. (More on that in a second.)

If properly developed and researched, a proposal can take weeks, or longer, to prepare. While proposal length varies tremendously, most are somewhere around 10 to 25 pages double-spaced, not including sample chapters. It’s not out of the question for a proposal to reach 50 pages or more for complex projects once sample chapters are included.

Unpublished or beginning writers might find it easier to simply write the book first, then prepare a proposal—which isn’t a bad idea in the case of memoir, since many editors and agents want assurance that an unknown writer has sufficient writing chops to pull off their project. 

But having the manuscript complete does not get you off the hook when it comes to writing the proposal. If an agent or publisher wants a proposal, you still need to write one even if the book is complete.

What about novel proposals? You may occasionally hear someone refer to novel proposals, which typically includes a query or cover letter, a synopsis, and a partial or complete manuscript. This bears very little relation to a nonfiction book proposal.

Your business case may matter more than the writing

People don’t like to hear this, but for many nonfiction books, the artfulness of the writing doesn’t matter as much as the marketability of the premise, topic, or author. You can see this played out in the rejections received by Rebecca Skloot, author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks .

If your book’s purpose is to improve readers’ lives or to teach, then you’re usually selling it based on your expertise, your platform, and your concept. The book proposal persuades agents/editors that readers will pay for the benefit that your book provides, rather than learning from YouTube, Google, or even a competing book. While everyone expects the writing to be solid, they’re probably not expecting a literary masterpiece. To learn how to lose weight, readers don’t need a poet; they need a clear communicator who can deliver her ideas and methods in a way that will help and inspire readers to achieve their goals. Plus those ideas and methods ought to feel fresh and exciting, and not like last year’s 100 weight-loss books on the market. (Even better: the book shows how the most recent books really missed something critical that readers must know to succeed.)

Especially in how-to categories such as health, self-help or self-improvement, business, or parenting, your credibility and platform as a professional in the field play a critical role; your background must convey authority and instill confidence in the reader. Would you, as a reader, trust a health book by an author with no medical experience or degrees? Would you be OK reading a serious guide on how to invest in the stock market by someone who is living in a van down by the river?

For narrative nonfiction, especially memoir, the writing does matter

Some types of nonfiction require authors with proven journalistic or storytelling skills. (What is narrative nonfiction? It’s a story of someone or some thing other than yourself. Think  Seabiscuit . ) If your book must succeed based on its ability to artfully weave a story, then your strength as a writer becomes more and more important to the proposal’s success. It’s still necessary to prove there’s a market for that story, but you won’t be successful if your sample chapters are poor or you can’t point to a successful publication record in outlets that matter to your topic or book’s future success.

If your book doesn’t require a narrative structure or long-form storytelling, with masterful use of craft and technique, then your skills as a writer mainly have to be up to the task of producing and revising a book manuscript with an editor’s or agent’s guidance.

The biggest mistake writers make in their book proposals

It’s natural to assume the book proposal should discuss what your book is about. But this is a mistake. Rather than focusing on the content, focus on why this book matters right now to the intended readership . Why is it going to resonate? How is it addressing an urgent need? How does it offer something new and surprising that doesn’t feel like everything that’s come before?

While some types of evergreen topics may not have a sense of urgency tied to them, they still have to demonstrate market relevance. For example, if you’re pitching a knitting book, you probably need to demonstrate that your techniques or projects will be of interest to knitters today, rather than knitters 30 years ago.

Whatever you do, don’t get lost in the weeds of your book’s ideas or content. Always discuss the content in relation to the reader’s need or community need and why it matters now.

Other common pitfalls:

• Assuming that a “comprehensive” treatment or an in-depth discussion of your topic is a selling point. Rarely is this enough. Instead, think about how and why the argument that your book makes is new and compelling. How does it shed new light on a topic people care about? How does your book illuminate the unexpected or challenge readers in ways they don’t expect? Another way to think about it: Eric Nelson comments on how authors should position their ideas in terms of a switch instead of a dial if they want to generate agent or editor enthusiasm.
• Assuming that a short, “accessible” treatment is a selling point. It is challenging to prove that an audience is out there waiting to a buy a book only if it were shorter or less difficult than the alternatives.
• Assuming that your personal experience of the issue is a selling point. Unless you are a famous author or have an established platform that has attracted agents and editors to your door, just because you have personally experienced something doesn’t make your book instantly more salable.

The memoirist’s dilemma

Submission guidelines vary tremendously when it comes to memoir. Some agents don’t require a book proposal, while others want only the book proposal and the first few chapters. Some agents may even ask for both the proposal and the complete manuscript if you’re an unpublished author.

Professional, published writers can typically sell a memoir based on the proposal alone. New, emerging writers who have no publishing track record may be asked to submit a complete manuscript to prove they can write, sometimes in addition to the book proposal itself.

Your memoir is not salable unless you’re confident of several things.

• Your writing must be outstanding. If your memoir is your very first book or very first writing attempt, then it may not be good enough to pass muster with an editor or agent.
• You must have a compelling and unusual story to tell. If you’re writing about situations that affect thousands (or millions) of people, that’s not necessarily in your favor. Addiction and cancer memoirs, for example, are common, and will put you on the road to rejection unless you’re able to prove how yours is unique or outstanding in the field.
• You have the start of a platform. If you have a way to reach readers, without a publisher’s help, then you’re more likely to secure a book deal.

Here’s the dilemma for many memoirists: If an agent wants a book proposal for a memoir, they are likely judging you based on the strength of your platform or as much on the platform as the writing. They want to see if your story premise might have mainstream media potential or the ability to land major interviews that will lead to sales. If you have little or no platform, and your story is lyrical, quiet, or literary, then you should try to target agents and publishers who don’t require a proposal. A proposal will only highlight what your project lacks.

Finding a literary agent (and do you need one?)

If you want to publish with one of the big New York houses, then you’ll need to submit your work to literary agents . Projects that don’t necessarily require agents include scholarly works for university presses, books likely to be published by regional or independent presses, and niche titles with limited commercial appeal.

The most common book proposal sections

While there’s no single “best” way to write and assemble a book proposal—it will depend on the  category, the author, and the publishers’ submission guidelines—the following sections appear in almost every book proposal.

Comparable titles or competitive title analysis

I mention this section first because this is where I suggest writers start their proposal research. It will help clarify your idea and avoid lots of wasted time. This section discusses comparable titles your ideal reader would know about or buy; the goal is to show not necessarily that your book “beats” these other comparable titles, but to point to the readership for your book—to prove how, where, or why there is a readership for your book.

The  analysis typically includes 5 to 10 titles, but you might be okay discussing just a few if your book is on a specialized topic or for a niche audience. For each competing title, begin by noting the title, subtitle, author, publisher, year of publication, page count, price, first published format (usually hardcover or paperback), and the ISBN. You don’t need to list things such as Amazon ranking, star rating, or reviews. Then briefly summarize the book and its readership in relation to your own (about 100–200 words per title).

Don’t worry about including the sales numbers of the competing titles. There’s no way for an average author to find out that information, and the agent or editor can look it up themselves. However, when doing your comp research, if you discover that most or all of the titles are self-published, have few or no reviews, and probably haven’t sold a copy in 20 years, you have a big problem on your hands. You’re choosing comps that aren’t doing well today in the traditional publishing market. Go back and look for comps that indicate your book can be commercially successful. That means you want to look for comps from well-known publishers, with a good number of reviews, decent media coverage, and a semblance of success in the market.

Resist trashing the competition; it may come back to bite you. (Publishing is a small industry.) And don’t skimp on your title research—editors can tell when you haven’t done your homework, plus fully understanding the competition should help you write a better proposal and a better book. I discuss the research process here.

Whatever you do, don’t claim there are no competitors to your book. If there are truly no competitors, then your book might be so weird and specialized that it won’t sell.

For some nonfiction topics and categories, the availability of online information can immediately kill the potential for a print book. Travel is a good example—its print sales have declined by 50 to 75 percent since 2007. Also, many book ideas I see pitched should really start out as a site or community—even if only to test-market the idea, to learn more about the target audience, and to ultimately produce a print product that has a ready and eager market once it’s published.

Target audience

Who will primarily buy your book? “Primarily” is key here. You want to describe the people who will be easiest to convince, or the most likely readership. Who will be lining up to pre-order and spread the word from there?

Avoid generically describing the book buying audience in the United States, or broadly discussing how many memoirs sold last year. Publishers don’t need to be given broad industry statistics; they need you to draw a clear portrait of the type of person (beyond “book buyers”) who will be interested in what you have to say.

It can be very tempting to make a broad statement about who your audience is, to make it sound like anyone and everyone is a potential reader.  Avoid generic statements like these:

• A Google search result on [topic] turns up more than 10 million hits.
• A U.S. Census shows more than 20 million people in this demographic.
• An Amazon search turns up more than 10,000 books with “dog” in the title.

These are meaningless statistics. The following statements show better market insight:

• Recent reviewers of [competing titles] complain that they are not keeping up with new information and trends. The hottest new trend in [category] is not discussed or covered in recent titles.
• The New York Times recently wrote about the increased interest in military memoirs; [X and Y] media outlets regularly profile soldiers who’ve written books about their experience.
• My readers include the people who have become devoted supporters of [X podcast or Y paid newsletter], which have X subscribers/downloads.

For more guidance, see my post on How to Define and Describe Your Readership .

Marketing plan

What can you specifically do to market and promote the book? Never discuss what you hope to do, only what you can and will do (without publisher assistance), given your current resources. Many people write their marketing plan in extremely tentative fashion, talking about things they are “willing” to do if asked. This is deadly language. Avoid it. Instead, you need to be confident, firm, and direct about everything that’s going to happen with or without the publisher’s help. Make it concrete, realistic, and attach numbers to everything.

Weak I plan to register a domain and start a blog for my book.

Strong Within 6 months of launch, my blog on [book topic] already attracts 5,000 unique visits per month.

Weak I plan to contact bloggers for guest blogging opportunities.

Strong I have guest blogged every month for the past year to reach 250,000 readers, at sites such as [include 2–3 examples of most well-known blogs]. I have invitations to return on each site, plus I’ve made contact with 10 other bloggers for future guest posts.

Weak I plan to contact conferences and speak on [book topic].

Strong I am in contact with organizers at XYZ conferences, and have spoken at 3 events within the past year reaching 5,000 people in my target audience.

The secret of a marketing plan isn’t the number of ideas you have for marketing, or how many things you are willing to do, but how many solid connections you have—the ones that are already working for you—and how many readers you NOW reach through today’s efforts. You need to show that your ideas are not just pie in the sky, but real action steps that will lead to concrete results and a connection to an existing readership.

It can be helpful to begin with a bio you already use at your website or at LinkedIn. But don’t just copy and paste your bio into the proposal and consider the job done. You have to convince agents and editors you’re the perfect author for the book. Show how your expertise and experience give you the perfect platform from which to address your target audience. If this is a weak area for you, look for other strengths that might give you credibility with readers or help sell books—such as connections to experts or authorities in the field, a solid online following, and previous success in marketing yourself and your work. Agent Anna Sproul-Latimer has great advice on author bios for book proposals .

This comes at the very beginning of your proposal. I suggest you write it last. Think of it as the executive summary of the entire document, around two to three pages. It needs to sing and present a water-tight business case. If done well, it can become the basis of your query letter. My proposal template (see below) includes more guidance.

Chapter outline and/or table of contents

A chapter outline works well  for narrative or meaty works, especially those that are text-heavy and anticipated to come in at 80,000 words or more. For each chapter, you write a brief summary of the idea, information, or story presented. I suggest your chapter outline not extend past 3,000 words, but some agents may ask for even more meaty chapter descriptions.

If writing a chapter outline seems redundant or unnecessary for your book’s content, then use a table of contents. And if you want to use both, that’s completely acceptable. The most important thing is to show how your book concept will play out from beginning to end, and strongly convey the scope and range of material covered.

Sample chapters

If you’re writing a memoir that has a distinct beginning, middle, and end, then include sample material that starts at the beginning of the book. If your work isn’t a narrative, then write or include a sample chapter that you think is the meatiest or most impressive chapter. Don’t try to get off easy by using the introduction; this is your opportunity to show that you can deliver on your book’s promise.

Common problems with book proposals

• The writer hasn’t articulated a clearly defined market or need—or the writer has described a market that’s too niche for a commercial publisher to pursue.
• The concept is too general or broad, or has no unique angle.
• The writer wants to do a book based on his or her own amateur experience of overcoming a problem or investigating a complex issue. (No expertise or credentials.)
• The writer concentrates only on the content of the book or his own experience—instead of the book’s hook and benefit and appeal to the marketplace.
• The proposed idea is like a million others; nothing compelling sets the book apart.

If you’re told the market isn’t big enough, maybe you approached too big of a publisher. Is there a smaller publisher that would be interested because they have a lower threshold of sales to meet? Big houses may want to sell as many as 20,000 copies in the first year to justify publication; smaller presses may be fine with a few thousand copies.

The most common problem leading to rejection: no author platform

A sizable platform and expertise is typically required to successfully sell a nonfiction book to a major publisher, especially for competitive categories such as business, cooking, health, self-help, or parenting. ( Here’s a definition of platform. ) An agent or editor is going to evaluate your visibility in the market, and will want to know the following:

• The stats and analytics behind your online following, including all websites, blogs, social media accounts, email newsletters, regular online writing gigs, podcasts, videos, etc.
• Your offline following—speaking engagements, events, classes/teaching, city/regional presence, professional organization leadership roles and memberships, etc.
• Your presence in traditional media (regular gigs, features, any coverage you’ve received, etc)
• Your network strength—reach to influencers or thought leaders, a prominent position at a major organization or business
• Sales of past books or self-published works

You typically need to be visible to tens of thousands of people, with verifiable influence, to interest a major publisher. Traditional houses are pickier than ever; producing anything in print is a significant investment and risk. They need to know there’s an audience waiting to buy. Plus, given the significant change in the publishing industry, authors shouldn’t consider a print book their first goal or the end goal, but merely one way, and usually not the best way, for making money.

A book proposal template to help you get started

Download a nonfiction book proposal template (Word file) that is already formatted according to industry guidelines. It also includes brief guidance, tips and common mistakes for each section.

I also offer research worksheets , to help you prepare to write the book proposal.

 More resources on book proposals

• Agent Ted Weinstein outlines the necessary parts of a book proposal , and also offers an audio recording of his 90-minute workshop on proposals .
• My favorite comprehensive guide on book proposals is  How to Write a Book Proposal   by agent Michael Larsen.
• For professors and academics, I recommend Laura Portwood-Stacer’s resources .

Jane Friedman has spent nearly 25 years working in the book publishing industry, with a focus on author education and trend reporting. She is the editor of The Hot Sheet , the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2023. Her latest book is The Business of Being a Writer (University of Chicago Press), which received a starred review from Library Journal. In addition to serving on grant panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund, she works with organizations such as The Authors Guild to bring transparency to the business of publishing.

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[…] Most nonfiction: You must write a book proposal (basically like a business plan for your book) that will convince a publisher to contract and pay you to write the book. For more information on book proposals and what they entail, click here. […]

Wrt expertise, Malcolm Gladwell has no subject matter credentials and he seems to use that as an advantage. Could you address expertise counter examples like this and how to leverage expertise between fields?

Malcolm Gladwell is a journalist who worked 10 years covering business and science for the Washington Post before he ever published a book. Then he got a gig at the New Yorker that led to his first book deal. If he had tried to get a book deal first—before his years of experience as a proven journalist—he probably would not have succeeded.

[…] Start Here: How to Write a Book Proposal | Jane Friedman […]

[…] How to Write A Book Proposal by Jane Friedman. This is an in-depth look, lots of insight and resource links – recommended read. […]

As usual, a wealth of great information. Well organized, articulate, easy to understand. Thank you, Jane.

[…] To: Start Here: How to Write a Book Proposal, by Jane Friedman – “A book proposal argues why your book (idea) is a salable, […]

[…] Friedman has just released an extensive, free new guide for nonfiction writers on her site: Start Here: How to Write a Book Proposal. Back to Table of Contents @ebooknoir Honestly, I’m beginning to think that I should reduce […]

I think this could be very helpful to my husband (climatologist/geographer and long time organic gardener) when he goes to write/pitch his book on gardening and climate for the lay person. 🙂 Thank you!

How to Write a Proposal Cover Letter: Examples + Free Template

Posted by: Cinthya Soto

Proposal cover letters are brief overviews that introduce the more in-depth content of a proposal. Cover letters are normally the first page of a proposal, making them the first impression you will give and your first opportunity to convince the reader to work with you. These letters directly communicate with the client and set the stage for the following proposal details.

If your proposal cover letter is not convincing enough, the reader might not read your entire proposal and choose a competitor. That’s why understanding the do’s and don’ts of proposal cover letter writing is crucial. 

In this blog, we’ll teach you how to structure and write a proposal cover letter, what makes a good and a bad proposal, and we even provide a free downloadable template for your firm to use. 

What Is a Proposal Cover Letter? 

A proposal cover letter is a letter that accompanies an RFP response or bid submission. Its primary purpose is to introduce the proposal, explain its relevance to the recipient, and persuade the reader of the value and credibility of what’s being offered. It sets the tone for the entire proposal, so make sure it’s well-crafted. 

The cover letter needs to be persuasive and blow your prospect away because it provides a first impression. Since it’s often the first thing the recipient will see, it plays a key role in the recipient’s decision to even consider reading the full proposal. 

The cover letter is frequently the initial opportunity for your proposal to align with the reader’s objectives. While it goes on top of the proposal, it shouldn’t be confused with an executive summary that outlines the main highlights of your proposal. 

Why Your Proposal Cover Letter Matters 

Your proposal cover letter is made up of the most important paragraphs you’ll ever write because it’s the section everyone will read. That’s why it’s essential to nail it, or you stand the chance of losing the project. A cover letter helps busy clients decide if they’re interested in reading the complete proposal. Therefore, having a winning proposal cover letter is equally important as the actual proposal. 

The proposal cover letter gives you a chance to leave clients with a memorable first impression. While proposals lean towards factual information, cover letters offer a more personal touch. Establishing an emotional connection from the beginning significantly increases the likelihood of the reader engaging with your entire proposal. 

What Should Be on a Proposal Cover Letter? 

Though the specifics of your proposal may vary based on the nature of your offer and your sector, the proposal cover letter should consistently stick to the following structure: 

Contact Information 

It’s essential to include your contact details, including your name, email, and phone number, as well as your organization’s information such as its name, email, phone number, website, and even its social media handles. For bonus points, include the link to your LinkedIn profile in the heading too so the reader can get a deeper understanding of who you are. 

Make these details easy to find by placing them at the top or bottom of the cover letter, ensuring they’re in a bold and easy-to-read font so potential clients have no problem finding them. Using the company’s letterhead for the letter not only ensures the inclusion of this information but also gives a professional touch. 

Greeting 

This is your chance to introduce your company and what you do. It’s your first opportunity to make a positive impression and establish a connection with the reader. 

Begin with a concise statement about your company. This could be your mission statement, a brief history, or an overview of what makes your organization unique. This is your chance to highlight areas where your company excels, which helps you establish credibility. 

Additionally, highlight your primary areas of specialization or the main services/products you offer. This will give the reader a clear understanding of your role and what you do. 

Summary  

Often, decision-makers are drowned in proposals, and they might not have the time or patience to go through every detail initially. A concise summary ensures that they can quickly understand your proposal’s primary objectives and value.

You should provide details about your value propositions at a high level and connect how they meet your client’s requirements. By summarizing how your proposal addresses the client’s specific challenges or needs, you can instantly resonate with them, emphasizing that your solution is tailored to their situation.

Offer 

Continuing to the offer, this is where you should further explain how you can provide a personalized solution. Clarify to the client the unique value your solution brings to solve their problem. 

Having captured your potential client’s interest, you now have to focus on keeping it. Achieve this by highlighting the clear benefits that directly compellingly address their challenges, making it easy to understand. 

While you’ll be mentioning how your work will benefit the prospect, you should also explain what they will win from choosing to work with you. 

Here are some tips on how you can accomplish this: 

• Select the three to five primary attributes of your solution 
• Explain their advantages for your client in a concise statement 
• Be straightforward– This is what we provide. This is how it solves your issue 

References 

In situations where multiple firms submit proposals, having strong and relevant references can set you apart from competitors. It offers an added layer of reassurance to prospective clients about your experience and competence. Essentially, relevant references help the client understand why they should choose you over others. 

References also show the prospective client or partner that others have trusted you and that you’ve delivered results. By showcasing references from satisfied clients or partners, you demonstrate that you have been trusted in the past, which can solve any insecurity or concerns the potential client might have. 

Visuals 

Visuals aren’t a must for proposal cover letters. However, they can enhance its impact by emphasizing crucial information. If you have a designer on your team, you can incorporate graphics that highlight the key points of the letter. 

Some examples of what this might look like: 

• Highlighting a customer satisfaction quote in a different font to make it stand out 
• Using callout boxes to draw attention to your key value propositions (especially helpful for busy teams skimming the page) 
• Using the company letterhead
• Including the signature from a senior person at your company 

Conclusion 

Similar to introductions, many cover letters tend to focus more on the body content than the concluding paragraph. However, ending on a powerful note is as crucial as creating a compelling start. It’s recommended to conclude your cover letter by highlighting a significant benefit and the value your project will offer to the company. 

Additionally, when wrapping up your proposal cover letter, always encourage them to continue by reading the complete proposal.

How to Write a Proposal Cover Letter 

Now that you know the structure to follow on the proposal cover letter, it’s time to go into the details of how to write a proposal letter. 

Powerful First Sentence 

Starting with a powerful opening sentence can grab the reader’s attention immediately, encourage them to continue reading, and make your proposal stand out among the endless others they may have received. It’s beneficial to use impactful verbs and straightforward wording to ensure your initial sentence remains engaging and brief.  

Demonstrate You Understand the Problem 

In any proposal, it’s essential to demonstrate to your client that you understand the problem they’re facing. Highlight their goals and the reasons behind your collaboration. Present the company’s challenges in an easily comprehensible manner. Dedicate a section to focus on the company’s concerns, and later in the cover letter, you can introduce the proposed solutions. 

Offer to Discuss the Proposal Further 

Before ending your cover letter, you should stress your readiness to dive deeper into the proposal and address any questions or concerns the reader might have. Additionally, this serves as a chance for you to propose a face-to-face meeting with the potential client to further increase your chances of landing the project. 

Thank the Issuer for the Opportunity 

In the cover letter, you have the opportunity to express gratitude to the proposal’s recipients. Recognizing their participation in the process and expressing appreciation for the opportunity not only demonstrates courtesy but also signals to all reviewers that you’ve closely read the RFP guidelines. 

Persuasive Closing

After completing the structure and details of your proposal cover letter, end with a persuasive closing demonstrating your understanding of the next steps. Clients want to understand how you’ll assist them in achieving their objectives and the next steps for moving forward. This demonstrates to them that you can simplify the process by detailing the necessary steps to advance. 

As mentioned earlier, you’ll want to encourage the reader to read the entire proposal. However, you should also mention the opportunity to discuss the proposal further. Some examples of what this might look like include: 

• “We look forward to the opportunity to discuss our proposal further.” 
• “Once you’ve had an opportunity to review our proposal, please don’t hesitate to reach out and follow up with any questions.” 
• “Our team will be following up in a week for an update and see if there are any additional ways we can support your team. “

Signature 

Don’t forget to include a signature! But who signs it? Who signs the proposal cover letter varies based on different factors. The person who has the relationship with the client is in charge of the strategy, and probably carried out the research leading to the proposal is typically the one that should sign the proposal cover letter. 

However, it’s recommended that you have the proposal cover letter signed by the individual with the highest authorization level, ideally someone the client knows. 

Otherwise, you should consider having the executive director of your organization sign the cover letter and include their contact details for professionalism. People to consider for signing the proposal cover letter include: 

• Executive director 
• Account manager  
• Executive of executives 
• CEO (a strategy used by small firms or when the RFP represents a large portion of a responder’s annual revenue) 
• Someone with a senior title 

What Makes a Good Proposal Cover Letter?

So, now we know how to structure a proposal cover letter and how to write one, but how can we make it stand out? Here are some tips you should follow to craft a good proposal cover letter. 

Capture Reader’s Attention Early 

Within the framework of a proposal, the first paragraph is the best chance you have to catch your reader’s interest. This means the introduction is one of the most essential parts of your proposal cover letter. It’s crucial to catch the reader’s attention immediately, so think of an engaging way to introduce yourself and your company. You can do this by finding a way to relate to them or showing that you understand their needs. 

Mirror Clients’ Words and Phrases 

When writing a proposal cover letter, it’s essential to align your language with the client’s terminology to show that you understand their needs. Failing to do so might not only display a lack of alignment and agreement. 

Prioritize the Prospect 

A common mistake is making a proposal letter about yourself. Clients aren’t focused on your achievements or your professional journey. They want to understand how you’ll assist them in reaching their objectives. Therefore, the cover letter should focus on how you plan to help the client in reaching their objectives.

If you do want to mention special company achievements, make sure they are relevant to your client’s objectives and provide value. 

Get Straight to the Point

Keep it simple. Be clear and avoid any uncertainty. Being unclear can break trust quickly. So, gather all your information before writing, so you don’t sound unsure. Make sure what you write is accurate. You’re the expert. Write confidently and avoid wasting your client’s (or your) time by putting unnecessary information in your proposal cover letter. The goal is to have clients read to the conclusion and sign. 

Stand Out From the Competition

The proposal cover letter shows that you understand the client’s worries. It helps you be different from others and encourages clients to read your entire proposal. After reading the cover letter, they can then look at the more detailed parts.

Moreover, the proposal cover letter is your first chance to highlight your value proposition and what makes your offer unique compared to others. For the cover letter, you should focus on how you can distinguish yourself from competitors.  You don’t want to “sound” the same as the competition. 

RFP Cover Letter Mistakes to Avoid 

Now that we’ve seen what makes a cover letter good, let’s take a look at what makes a cover letter bad. Here are the proposal cover letter mistakes to avoid. 

Repeating the Executive Summary 

Avoid repeating content from the executive summary within your proposal cover letter. Each document — the executive summary, proposal, and cover letter — should be separate. Repetitive information can damage the impact of your message and possibly bore or discourage the reader. 

Not Utilizing the Right Software 

When creating RFP responses, you need to manage digital assets while keeping everything accurate and up to date. With the right software, like a DAM system , you can store and manage all your project images, videos, and other media in one place. This makes it easy to find and incorporate the most relevant and impressive visuals into your RFP to make it more compelling.

With a DAM, you can quickly search, access, and integrate assets from the software directly into your RFP documents. This means that with the right DAM integrations for your industry, you can create documents in seconds with pre-designed templates. 

Additionally, a DAM helps ensure that all images and media used are in line with your brand guidelines and accessed by the right people. 

TIP: Want to know more ways a digital asset management (DAM) system can help you create RFP responses and win more clients? Read our Ultimate DAM Guide now. 

Not Reading the RFP Multiple Times

Overlooking details is the first challenge in the RFP response process. The data presented by the client within the RFP serves to guide and inform your proposal. Hence, it’s crucial to carefully review the RFP multiple times to ensure all essential elements are seen and there is no critical information missing. 

Moreover, if you don’t follow the client’s RFP guidelines, they’ll most likely ignore your response, and all your effort will be lost to those who did thoroughly read the RFP.

Not Understanding the Client’s Needs 

This might seem like a general mistake, but it’s a big one. If you don’t understand what the client wants, your whole response won’t matter. For this reason, you need to read the RFP carefully to know what the client looking for. Don’t send a proposal that’s missing details or doesn’t match what they need. 

Making the Length Too Long 

Your cover letter should always be one page unless you’re dealing with a long proposal of 100+ pages. If you do end up with a longer cover letter, it might be because you are including too much detail. Instead of describing every detail of your proposal (save that for the executive summary), focus on the top three aspects that will catch the reader’s attention. This will leave the reader wanting to know more, encouraging them to read the entire proposal.  

Proposal Cover Letter Examples 

It’s time to take a look at good proposal cover letter examples to help you further understand what is expected. 

Construction Proposal Letter Example 

Here is a construction RFP response cover letter example that works: 

Source: Examples   

Architecture RFP Cover Page Example

Here is an architecture RFP cover page example that works: 

Source: Utley Strategies 

Engineering Cover Letter for a Proposal 

Here is an engineering cover letter example that works: 

Free Cover Letter for Proposal Template 

Below, you can download a FREE proposal cover letter template made for the AEC industry from OpenAsset partner and proposal writing guru, Rachelle Ray. Just enter your name and email for immediate access.

AEC Cover Letter Template

Responding to an RFP? The downloadable RFP cover letter sample has the structure you need for a proposal cover letter that wins more clients. 

How to Create Quality Proposal Cover Letters Every Time 

Creating quality proposal cover letters every time isn’t an easy task. However, as the #1 DAM for AEC and Real Estate, OpenAsset can help you find, share, and use the digital assets you need to create high-quality AEC proposals quickly and easily. 

With dozens of integrations and useful features, OpenAsset makes it easy to share and manage the heavy amounts of digital assets needed to create winning proposals . 

Get your free downloadable proposal cover letter template today. And if you’d like to learn more about our DAM technology, you can reach out to one of our digital asset experts today to schedule a demo . 

Get OpenAsset DAM Insights

How to Create Winning Proposals

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How to Write a Book Proposal: The Ultimate Guide

Table of contents, introduction.

What is a Book Proposal?

What Goes into a Book Proposal?

3 Steps Before Writing a Book Proposal

How to Write a Book Proposal

Nonfiction Book Proposal Template

Formatting your book proposal.

You Have Your Book proposal, Now What?

If you’ve made it to this page you likely have a big dream of writing and publishing a bestselling book. You may already have plans to sit down every morning and start writing. But as you contemplate creating your masterpiece, you find yourself asking— do I need to write a book proposal ? Before diving into this ultimate guide on book proposals, you must first answer a few simple questions:

• Are you writing a non-fiction or a fiction book?
• Do you want to self-publish or traditionally publish your book?
• Do you have a clear idea of what books in your niche are already out there and how you’ll break through the noise to reach your target reader?

Traditionally book proposals are only for non-fiction books. Why? The nonfiction category is about the hook, the writing and the author’s platform—all of which can be highlighted via the shorter-format book proposal. Given how much they have to read every day, agents and editors prefer getting the highlights when possible.

With fiction, editors need to know the book will hang together start to finish, so they need to assess a completed manuscript. They aren’t as interested in the author’s marketing efforts, since novels are typically sold through word of mouth. While great writing is important for nonfiction books, too, a book’s sales potential is linked more closely to the author’s platform and ability to hook the book’s target audience. 

If you’re writing a non-fiction book and want a traditional book deal, then writing a book proposal is in your future. While you don’t need to write a book proposal if you’re self-publishing your non-fiction book, you may still choose to do so. 

Book proposals can help you get clear on how you’ll differentiate your book from the competition and put it into the hands of the people you want to read it most. Plus, writing a proposal teaches you how to talk about your book so that you can clearly articulate what your book is about and why people need to read it.

What Is A Book Proposal?

A book proposal is a hybrid of a book sample and a book business plan . It’s a 40 to 60 page document that explains who you are, what your book is about, how you’re going to promote it, and shows an agent and book publisher if you have the skills to create a book that will sell. 

Book proposals come before you write your book and provide an opportunity for you to pitch your book idea and show “why it matters,” and that you are the best person to write the book.

What Goes Into A Book Proposal?

While the preference for book proposal structure may vary slightly from one literary agent to another, most agree that a complete proposal should have the following five components: 

• Book overview 
• Marketing sections (Audience, Promotion and Competitive Titles)
• Chapter summaries
• 1 – 2 sample chapters

Your book proposal is a tool that your agent will use to secure a book deal . It should help a book publisher decide if they want to publish your book or not. Even if the structure of your book proposal is slightly different from the industry standard, it should always make a strong case for why a book publisher should give you an advance to write this book.   

3 Steps Before Writing A Book Proposal

Writing a book proposal may seem as easy as following a template and filling out the different sections. But before you even think about jumping into the proposal template, you need to do some critical homework. These next three steps will make or break your proposal. Done well, you’ll capture the attention of an agent and book publisher.

Step 1: Conduct Market Research

One of the most overlooked steps authors make when it comes to writing their book is R&D, aka Research and Development. Conducting research will ensure that the content you put into your book will help people in a meaningful way. 

You want to make sure that the solution or wisdom you are providing people in a book is tested and proven to solve a specific problem. There are many ways to test your content before it’s codified in book form. Here are a few ideas: 

• Invite people in your network to a beta version of a course where you teach the content you plan to write in your book and record the results people get;
• Write blog posts or an email newsletter where you share your ideas with readers and get feedback on their results; 
• Create a YouTube channel or a podcast where you teach people concepts that will be in your book and ask for feedback from your audience;
• Work with clients privately and have them implement the lessons or training that you will share in your book.

The goal is to ensure that your book will help people solve the problem it is set out to solve. You can’t really know if your content works until you’ve tested it out on real people!

Step 2: Build Your Author Platform

Agents and book publishers will not only want to know that your methodology works, but also that you have enough people in your network for your solution to reach its target audience. 

In the publishing world, your following, fans, and superfans are called your “author platform.” These are the people who are ready, waiting, and primed to buy your book. 

Having an author platform is a must for book publishers. They want to know that you have enough of a fanbase for them to make back their investment with book sales. The idea is that if a percentage of your fanbase buys your book, they can cover the cost they invested in paying your advance, cover design, editing, printing, and all of the other components of publishing a book. 

Your author platform includes but is not limited to the following:

• Email subscribers (this is by far the most important to publishers)
• Social media followers
• A column you write for a newspaper or magazine
• A regular appearance or show on television or radio
• Your speaking schedule
• Podcast listeners and/or appearances
• YouTube subscribers
• Your relationship with big organizations

When you have an established following, an agent has more confidence that they can get you a book deal and a book publisher has more confidence in your ability to sell books.

Step 3: Identify Your Hook

Your book hook is the elevator pitch for your book. It’s the key to getting the attention of a literary agent or publisher. 

When you’re writing a transformational nonfiction book, the primary reason a reader buys your book is to answer a need. For example, if a person has a relationship challenge, they’ll find a relationship book that can help them with that challenge. 

Your hook should say to the person who has the problem that you can solve, “This book is the book you want! It will provide precisely the relief you need!”

Your entire book proposal should be written with your hook in mind. Your book overview should make it clear to the reader what problem your book will solve and who it is for. Your chapter summaries should be a roadmap to solving the problem. And your marketing plan should show how you will identify the people with the problem and get your book into their hands.

How To Write Your Book Proposal

Once you’ve tested that your book idea will help solve a problem, have built your author platform (and have a plan to continue to build your platform even after the book comes out), and are clear on your hook, it’s time to start writing your book proposal. 

Most large book publishers receive hundreds of proposals from agents each week. By completing steps 1 – 3 before you start writing yours, you’re giving your book a better chance of being well-received by both an agent and a publisher.

You will likely write, revise, and edit your book proposal multiple times before you have a final product. As you write and edit your proposal, ask yourself, did I create a compelling case for investing in this book idea? In me as the author? When you can confidently answer “yes,” it’s time to get your book proposal into the hands of an agent.

Earlier we shared that there are five components of a book proposal that most agents align on:

• Book overview

While these components are the bare minimum of a book proposal, to make the strongest case for why a book publisher should pick up your book, we recommend four additional components:

• A book proposal cover letter

Book Table of Contents

Below you’ll find additional information on the seven components of a book proposal that we recommend.

Book Proposal Cover Letter 

Before an agent or book publisher dives into your proposal, they’ll read your book proposal cover letter. This one-page letter gives a brief introduction to the book you’re pitching, you as an author, and why this book will do well in the marketplace. Your cover letter should include:

• A salutation addressed to the agent using their name;  
• This is an opportunity to use statistics or anything that will make a case for why your book needs to be published;
• What you do for a living
• If you’ve written a book before, information about its sales history highlighting any bestseller milestones;
• What media outlets you’ve been featured in, if any.

The goal of the book proposal cover letter is to prepare the agent for what they’re about to read and to pique their interest so that they keep reviewing your book proposal.

Book Proposal Title Page & Table of Contents  

Think of your title page as a contact sheet that includes the title and subtitle of your book as well as your name, email address, phone number, and website URL. It says to the agent and book publisher, here is the title of the book I’m pitching you and how to get in contact with me once you’ve made a decision. 

Right after the Title page comes your Table of Contents. This page is the directory for each section of your book proposal. It should include the contents of the proposal as well as the starting page for each section. 

Book Overview

The overview section is your chance to tell why your book should be considered.  In approximately 1500-2000 words, you’ll capture the agent or publisher’s attention and show them why they should keep reading. The book overview should tell the agent or book publisher the following:

• What pain point the reader is struggling with that will be answered by this book;
• The solution you’re proposing; 
• The benefits the reader will receive; 
• What makes you an authority on this subject (credentials, life experience, platform numbers if you have them);
• Why now is the right time for this book to come out. 

The Overview is arguably the most important section of the proposal. If the agent or publisher gets bored reading the overview, they will not keep going. This is your chance to highlight the most unique and interesting content you have to offer.

About the Author

This is where you can brag about all that makes you magical—as long as it’s relevant to your book. In a 250-500 word blurb, the About the Author page reinforces why you should be writing this book instead of someone else. In this section you’ll start with whichever credentials explain most clearly why you are qualified to speak on the topic of your book:

• What makes you an expert in the book’s topic
• What you do for a living (assuming it’s relevant to your book topic)
• Any other credentials of note
• A mention of any relevant books you’ve already published

When it comes to your author page, focus on the qualifications that are relevant to your book topic. For example, if you are writing a book about energy work, but you have been a CPA for 30 years, don’t focus on the latter! Instead, focus on what makes you an authority in energy healing. It is also recommended that you include a photo in this section so that the agent or editor can picture who would be writing the book. 

Pro tip: Be sure to include a professional color as part of your Author bio section!

Marketing Sections

As mentioned earlier, there are three main parts to the Marketing section of a book proposal: Audience, Promotion and Competitive Titles.

By this point, you’ve shared that there’s a problem in the world and you’re just the person to solve it. But are there enough people with this problem to warrant a book? That’s what you’ll have to prove in the market analysis section of your book proposal. This is where you show that there is a large and hungry audience waiting for your book. How do you do this? Here are some suggestions:

• Quote statistics found in articles, journals, or relevant websites;
• Show the population of people ready to pick up your book;
• Identify how many people are searching online about this topic.

You have about 1 to 1 ½ pages to make the case that there is an audience for your book. Contrary to popular belief, the narrower your audience, the better. Book publishers do not want to hear that your book is for everyone. They want to see that there is a very specific audience for your book and that this audience is big enough to sell. How many books will you need to sell? That varies, but a good rule of thumb is the larger the advance, the bigger the book sales expectation.  

Once you’ve made the case that people will want to buy your book, it’s time to convince agents and publishers that you can make it happen. Book publishers will help you get your book in print and onto bookstore shelves. But the heavy lifting of getting those books off the shelf and into a reader’s hands is primarily the job of the author. What is your plan to promote the book? 

In this section, you’re going to talk about the audience you already have, what you’re doing to continue to build and grow your platform, and how you plan to get the word out far and wide. This is not about telling the publisher that you’ll be available for any media opportunities that they may arrange—that should go without saying—it’s about the efforts you will be extending toward promotion. Here are some things you can include in your promotional plan:

• What kind of audience you have
• Past speaking engagements
• Any media, celebrity, or other influential connections you have that will help you spread the word;
• Any organizations you have connections with that will agree to buy your book or help promote it;
• Places where you have spoken that will gladly bring you back for another speaking engagement;
• Podcasts you will target to be on;
• Any PR or marketing agencies you will hire to help you promote the book;
• Magazines you have written for that will agree to promote your book;
• The size of your platform and how you will leverage it to sell books.

Marketing your book is like marketing any other product. Take the time to think about how you will reach your target reader and inspire them to purchase your book. Then detail your plan in 1 to 1 ½ pages.

Competitive Analysis

Are there books already on this topic? Don’t be alarmed if there are books on your topic already . It’s an indicator that there’s interest in the topic. The key is to identify how your book will be different.

In this section create a list of five books that are similar to yours. Try to avoid explaining all the reasons your book is better than these other books; instead, give the other books praise where due while at the same time pointing out how your proposed book would be different or come from a different angle. 

If there are mega-bestsellers in your category, try to avoid including them in your competitive analysis. Books that hit that level of sales are few and far between, and publishers know that lightning only strikes so often. Give more reasonable examples, published by houses of a similar size to the one you are pitching. 

For each book, provide 1 – 2 sentences describing the book and why you’re including it. Then add a brief explanation of how your book complements this book or adds to the success of the category. Make sure for each book you include the title, author, publisher, and year of publication. 

Before diving into the five competitors, take time to explain which shelf your book belongs on in the bookstore. This will help an agent and an editor picture the specific category your book falls into. When they know the category, it will be easier for them to picture selling it into bookstores. While you may feel your book should be everywhere, focus on the single best placement for your book.

Now it’s time to give a sneak peek of what will be in your book. This starts with your book’s table of contents. If you wonder what this should look like, just crack open any book on your shelf and find its Table of Contents. Then make your own, including all the chapters, as well as the part titles, if you’re breaking the book into parts. Start with the foreword and introduction (if either is applicable), and finish with appendices, resource sections, and acknowledgments.

If you intend to have a foreword written by another author or public figure, include this person’s name only if you have already received confirmation in writing that they will be writing the foreword. This is not a place for “wishful thinking”! 

Chapter Summaries

After your outline, it’s time to share a little bit more detail about the content found within each chapter. Think of your chapter summaries as abstracts for each chapter you plan to include. They should talk about the content of the chapter, rather than providing a sample of the chapter content. 

Each chapter summary should be between 200-350 words in length. Consider starting each summary with “In this chapter, I will show the reader…” or “This chapter will reveal…” The goal is to give an idea of what the takeaway of the chapter is in a few paragraphs. Be sure to include mention of any illustrative stories, exercises, recipes or other content you intend to include.

This section is critical to the agent and editor’s understanding of the scope of the material. As they read your proposal they will be asking themselves, “Do we really need a whole book on this subject? Could it be an article instead?” So it’s your job to sufficiently represent the breadth of the content in these summaries.

Two Sample Chapters

If an editor or an agent has gotten all the way to this section of your book proposal, there’s a good chance that you’ve kept their attention. This is an opportunity for you to bring it home by showing a sample of your writing style. Most industry professionals will expect to see two full chapters in this section. However, if your chapters are on the shorter side, you may want to include three. Aim for approximately 7500-10,000 words of sample content.

Note that you do not need to begin with chapter one. Instead, choose the most compelling chapters you can. If your book will include recipes, exercises, charts, or poems, make sure you include samples in this section. Remember, this is your opportunity to showcase your most exciting information and your voice—make sure it’s as compelling as it can be!

Before you print and send off your book proposal, you’ll want to make sure it’s formatted properly. Proposals are most commonly formatted in Microsoft Word or PDF. We recommend 1.5 spacing throughout the proposal, with the exception of the cover letter (single-spaced) and the sample chapters (double-spaced). Here are some pro tips:

• Use a common font, such as Times New Roman 12-point font; 
• Use standard margins. With this formatting, you’re looking at 300-350 words per page;
• Do not get fancy with the design unless you’re proposing a highly designed interior for your book—easy-to-read words on a page are all an editor or agent cares about at this point;
• Number your pages;
• Include a header and a footer throughout with your name and the title of the book. 

Once you’ve edited and formatted your book proposal, it’s time to get it into the hands of a literary agent—and ultimately a publisher!

You Have Your Book Proposal, Now What?

With your book proposal written, the final step is to sign with a literary agent and have them pitch your book and negotiate a book deal. But how do you find a literary agent ? And what is it that they do anyway?

Literary agents are the liaisons between authors and publishers that may want their book. They are part salesperson, part editor, part legal consultant, and even part counselor. They are the gatekeepers of the traditional publishing world. Most traditional book publishers will only accept submissions from an agent and will not even review your book proposal unless it comes from an agent they trust. 

If you’re looking for an agent, the Publishers Marketplace Membership is an excellent resource. There is a small membership fee, but it will allow you to find agents that represent the type of book that you’re writing. 

Another excellent resource, which is free, is the Agent Query website . This will also help you identify potential agents. 

And if neither of those sites work for you, try looking in the acknowledgments section of authors in your category. If they had a positive experience, they will likely thank their agent in this section of the book.  

The key is to find an agent that has connections with a book publisher that wants your book .

Now that you have an idea of what it takes to get your book proposal into the world, it’s time to get started. You may be excited and ready to start—or you may be a bit overwhelmed. 

Wherever you are, we’d love to provide you with the support you need to write and publish your book with a complimentary   consultation. 

In this call, we’d identify where you are right now in your book writing journey, discuss what you would need to get your book proposal and ultimately your book ready for its debut and discuss if working together is right for you. To get started, schedule a call  with one of our Publishing Consultants and we’ll discuss the right next steps for you.

10 thoughts on “How to Write a Book Proposal: The Ultimate Guide”

Thank you this is great! I just finished my contract and 1-hr consultation with Nirmala who read my whole book. She gave me valuable insights and now I am ready to do a book proposal. She thinks the project has legs so keep your fingers crossed.

Keeping my fingers crossed! Bringing a book into the world is a wonderful feeling, wishing you all the best!

thank you Kelly

Will schedule a call as soon as I have some things in place

That’s wonderful! We look forward to having you join the KN Literary family!

Just had my 15 min free consultation call and it was absolutely helpful and great. We worked out the next step forward for my book proposal. Thank you.

We love to hear it, Lisa! That’s a big step forward. Looking forward to continuing our work together!

Yes. I do believe that my book, will create a positive impact in the Brain Injury community. I think that there is a brain injury that happens every six seconds, throughout the world, may be off on that number. but still! Have been interested in sharing what has happened to me, and the ways through healing, and have always wanted to get a book out there, for well over twenty years. In assisting others whom may feel, that there may be no hope in the continuation of healing. I have been feeling much more positive about the steps needed to do this, through your amazing guidance, Just have to put the pedal to the floor in this, ONGOING quest! Still waiting on that Irish leprecon to grant me the wish. Thank You Rick rickyd227 at gmail.c for anyone that may give me some umpf in the completion?

We’re so glad to be an encouragement in your book journey! You’ve got this!

@Richard- Sending positive thoughts & encouragement for the TBI healing content! I sustained a TBI & other injuries, with long-standing deficits, nearly 6 years ago, & have found it is a frustratingly difficult & lonely feeling. Your book could help many people navigate the journey toward feeling better & growing stronger. Good luck!!🍀

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How To Write a Covering Letter

Literary agents will read the manuscript you send, and some the synopsis, but all will read the covering letter. Writing an effective one may take you a long time, but it is well worth the trouble. 

The whole thing should:

• Be well written – you are writing to people who care about words
• Be concise (don’t waste their time; you want to direct them to the manuscript rather than tell them everything about you). One side of the page is plenty
• Look attractive (it is the spaces on a page that draw the eye in, not the text, so paragraphs of different lengths and a ragged right-hand margin really help to attract the reader and keep them going)
• Be knowledgeable about the agency 
• Begin well (according to David Ogilvy, the copywriting guru, the first 11 words are crucial)
• Describe the project briefly (in no more than two or three sentences) so that the reader is clear about what kind of book is on offer, and wants to know more
• Never say at the end of the letter that you’ll telephone in a few days to follow up your submission – it sounds rather menacing (but do email to check on progress if you haven’t heard anything in a month or so).

Some agents and publishers acknowledge what they receive; others do not. Do bear in mind that some small agencies or publishers only deal with the unsolicited submission pile every few weeks, and so the waiting time may be slightly longer.

An agent’s advice

Here is the advice of  literary agent Simon Trewin on writing an introductory letter:

" Life is short and less is more. No letter should be more than one side of A4 and in a good-sized (12pt) clear typeface.

Sell yourself. The covering letter is one of the most important pages you will ever write. I will be honest here and say I find selling myself very difficult, so I can see how tricky this is – there is a thin line between appearing interesting/switched-on/professional and arrogant/unreasonable.

The letters that include phrases like “I am a genius and the world doesn't understand me” or “My Mum thinks this book is the best thing she has ever read” (of course she does – that is her job!) don’t exactly fill my heart with longing! In your pitch letter you are trying to achieve some simple things: you want me to feel that you take your work seriously. Wear your writing history with pride. Tell me about that short story you had published or that writing course you attended and the fact that you are writing alongside a demanding job or in the evenings and weekends when the kids are asleep. Tell me why you write – I love hearing about the different paths that have led people to the moment when they think “I want to write”.

Tell me who your influences are and tell me about the book you are sending me. A few lines will do the job here; I just want to get a sense of the territory I am going to enter. Tell me what you want to write next. Hopefully you won’t be following your commercial romantic comedy with a three-volume science fantasy epic or vice-versa!

At the end of your letter I want to feel in good company and ready to turn the page. I am not interested in seeing what you look like or how old you are – we are not running a model agency here! Publishing isn’t as obsessed with age and beauty as you might think, but it is obsessed with finding distinctive new voices. And a final point: get a friend to read the letter and give you some honest feedback. Put it to one side for a day or two and come back to it – distance is a great editor. "

Simon Trewin

Case Study. The Night Attila Died: Solving the Murder of Attila the Hun by Dr Michael Babcock  

Dear [Literary Agent]:

I am seeking representation for a non-fiction book entitled The Night Attila Died: Solving an Ancient Murder Mystery. I am a college professor with a PhD in medieval languages and literature from the University of Minnesota and a MFA in Creative Writing from the University of North Carolina. [1]

Historians tell us that Attila the Hun died on his wedding night in 453 AD. Drunk and flat on his back, he died of natural causes – an internal haemorrhage. The only problem with this account (and it’s a big one) is that it’s a complete fabrication. The Night Attila Died challenges 1,500 years of history by presenting evidence that Attila was murdered and that the truth was covered up in the official imperial records. [2]

The events and characters are among the most interesting that history has ever assembled on one stage. There’s Aetius, the ruthless Roman general and boyhood friend of Attila who defeated the Hun in a decisive battle in Gaul. There’s the weak and stupid emperor, Valentinian III, who pulled a dagger from his robe and assassinated Aetius in a jealous rage. There’s the emperor’s older sister, Honoria, who secretly plotted to wrest power from her brother and managed to start a world war in the process. [3]

In the eastern Empire, the characters are just as colourful: Emperor Theodosius II, a weak ruler who bungled the first assassination plot against Attila, and Emperor Marcian, whom I accuse of masterminding the plot that finally destroyed the Empire’s greatest enemy. Throw in, for good measure, a scheming eunuch and a pathetic little dwarf named Zerko. It’s a great set of characters. [4]

But what the book is really about is philology. The textual science pioneered two centuries ago by the Brothers Grimm is the tool that lets us peel away layers of conspiracy and propaganda. Through the philological method we can reconstruct what really happened and how the conspiracy to kill Attila was covered up as official history. Chapter by chapter the reader participates in the detective work. In the end the threads of an ancient conspiracy are revealed and the verdict of history is overturned. [5]

There’s more at stake than just a good detective story. This is ultimately about what happens when two cultures with irreconcilable worldviews collide. It’s how we confront the Other with all the power of the sword and pen. What emerges from these violent confrontations is a skewed understanding of the past. We may call it history, but it’s often just propaganda. The Night Attila Died is rooted in the historical moment of the late Roman Empire, but the conclusions I draw are deeply connected to our own time. [6]

My publications to date are academic, in particular a book on the literary representations of Attila. I am uniquely qualified to write The Night Attila Died, having spent 15 years studying the historical and literary records as preserved in Latin, Greek, Old Church Slavonic, Old Icelandic, Old French, and Middle High German. (But that isn’t keeping me from writing a lively narrative!) I am recognised as an expert in this field and have consulted for a History Channel documentary on “famous deaths”. As an enthusiastic and dynamic speaker who speaks widely at conferences, I intend to promote the book aggressively. [7]

May I send you a full proposal with a sample chapter? [8]

Michael A Babcock, PhD

Commentary (keyed to the paragraph numbers)

[1] Direct introduction. No beating around the bush. No ‘clever’ attempt to hook the agent. Identify the type of book it is. Briefly identify yourself and your credentials.

[2] The hook. What’s unique about this book? Why should the agent keep reading the query letter?

[3] What you’re trying to demonstrate in the body of the letter is your style, your personality, and the ‘interest factor’ of the subject itself.

[4] With carefully selected details, you can pique the interest of the agent. Agents and editors love books – that’s why they do what they do. So show them what the pay-off will be for reading this book. You are also conveying the depth of the subject and your expert handle on the material.

[5] Establish the significance of the topic and its relevance. Establish points of contact with general knowledge (the Brothers Grimm).

[6] Again, this draws out the significance and timeliness of the subject – that is, you’re trying to answer the ‘So what?’ question.

[7] Return to your credentials and qualifications as to why you're the best person to be writing this book. 

[8] End with a direct, unambiguous appeal that requests a specific follow-up action.  

How it worked

‘This letter was sent out by e-mail to agents and out of the ten I submitted to, I heard back from nine and all nine wanted to see the full proposal. Of these nine I had three agents who were interested in representing the project and one, in particular, who pursued it aggressively. This agent called me up and expressed such enthusiasm for the concept and my writing style, that I felt he was the natural choice. Even though there were better known agents who were interested in the project, I opted for the lesser known agent on the theory that he was highly motivated to sell my book. The book sold in less than a month. There were three editors who were interested in making an offer on the book; in the end it came down to two and the higher bid won out. As a side note, the book sold on the strength of the formal proposal and a single sample chapter. The book was sold in December 2003 and submitted in final form to my editor in July 2004. It was published in July 2005 by Berkley Books.’

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Home / Book Publishing / How to Write a Book Proposal in 2024 + Free Template

How to Write a Book Proposal in 2024 + Free Template

Table of contents

• What is a book proposal?
• What should you include in a book proposal?
• 9 Tips for Writing a Book Proposal
• Do self-publishers need a book proposal?
• Template to Copy + Paste
• You’ve written a book proposal. What now?

A book proposal is a comprehensive document you create to propose your book to traditional publishing houses, typically alongside your literary agent. It’s like a business plan for your book.

Don’t get a book proposal confused with a query letter, which is what you write and send to potential literary agents . Despite what some popular Google results say on the topic, a book proposal is not a query letter.

However, you almost always need an agent before you write and send a book proposal, so writing a query letter should also be on your radar.

What does the perfect book proposal accomplish? Ultimately, your book proposal should perfectly answer these 3 questions:

• Why this story?
• Who would buy this book?
• Why are you the person to tell this story?

Let me take you through how to write the best book proposal possible as you answer these 3 questions effectively and excitingly.

• What to include in a book proposal
• Who needs a book proposal
• Book proposal template
• 9 steps to writing a compelling book proposal

Quick note: As you probably already know, I’m a big proponent of self-publishing . Traditional publishing is almost impossible nowadays. Self-publishing can be more profitable and is a lot more achievable.

However, if you already have an agent, or a publishing house solicited your manuscript, you should still keep reading for valuable information.

A book proposal acts as a business plan in the eyes of publishers. Traditional publishers want to see how marketable your book is and to whom they can sell it. This is why you (and often your literary agent) craft a book proposal and send it to multiple prints in the publishing industry.

You need a book proposal for both fiction books and nonfiction books, although fiction proposals and nonfiction proposals are slightly different.

Your book proposal is critical to landing a traditional book deal . First book? First-time author? If you can guarantee a publisher tens of thousands of pre-sales, then you could land a book deal even if you’re a new book writer.

How do you propose a book to a publisher ? 95% of the time, you will need to secure a literary agent to propose your book to a traditional publisher, such as Penguin/Random House or Simon and Schuster.

5% of the time, you will find a traditional publisher accepting unsolicited, unagented submissions . In their submission guidelines, they may ask for a full-on book proposal. Remember that they’re going to receive thousands of submissions and only choose a few to publish. 

Nevertheless, submitting an unsolicited submission might be worth a shot if the opportunity is there.

Rarely, a traditional publisher will solicit a book proposal from you . This may happen if you have a large following on social media or a friend or family member in the biz. However, if publishers are soliciting you for a manuscript, chances are high that you already have an agent.

What is the purpose of a book proposal? The purpose of a book proposal is to show publishers that your book will sell. With these proposals, publishers are looking for authors who already understand the way traditional publishing works. In their minds, that equals sales.

How many pages is a nonfiction book proposal? A typical nonfiction book proposal contains 20-50 pages, usually landing on the lower end of that spectrum. This length is standard for fiction book proposals as well.

How much does a book proposal cost? A book proposal shouldn’t cost anything unless you hire a professional ghostwriter to write it or a professional editor to edit it — both of which are valid considerations.

What is included in a book proposal? With the help of an agent, you should include the following in any book proposal:

• Header: The header should include basic information such as the title, your name, email, and phone number.
• Synopsis: You can have a brief synopsis and often a longer synopsis of the book. The book synopsis should include a succinct and compelling one-to-five paragraph description of the project, as well as a longer narrative description answering questions about the project, your qualifications, and potential commercial viability, including target audience and methods for reaching them.
• Chapter breakdown: In creating a book proposal, it is recommended to create a chapter list with a brief summary of each chapter, including images if applicable, and potential ideas for a foreword by a well-known person to increase sales, though the chapter breakdown may change throughout the book's development.
• Sample chapter (sometimes optional, see the editor's requirements): Non-fiction book proposals should include the introduction and one or two sample chapters, while fiction proposals should submit the first 40-50 pages or the entire manuscript, with a focus on high-quality writing and crafting a captivating beginning to draw in readers.
• Word count : Be sure to include the word count or estimated word count of your book.
• Author bio : In the book proposal, it is important to make a convincing argument for why you are the right person to write the book, including relevant published articles or books, press outlets that have reported on your work, and lectures you have given, as well as potential for public speaking or TV appearances, to demonstrate your capability of reaching a buying audience.
• Platform, target audience, market profile: publishers want to see that you can reach an audience that will buy your book. In your book proposal, you should include a section that demonstrates your reach, such as your social media stats, website or blog metrics, and the number of people on your mailing list, among other things. Additionally, you should include a section that outlines the market profile for your book, including a narrative on the book's market and a list of similar books with synopses, to show that your book fills a gap in a viable market.
• Influencers: If you know people who might provide a foreword or blurb on the back cover, you should include that information as well
• Schedule to publish: Include a preliminary schedule on how long it will take you to finish the final draft, any images or other needs that will take time, etc.
• Competitive titles analysis (5-10 comparable titles with shared audiences)

How do you structure a book proposal? The structure of a book proposal is usually title , synopsis, chapter outline, sample chapter (if needed), and then the other details, such as about the author, marketing analysis, competitor analysis, etc.

• Don’t write the book first. For nonfiction writers, do not complete the entire book before you send out book proposals. Publishers like to accept nonfiction book proposals before the proposed book is fully written. (However, for fiction authors, it is customary to propose a complete book.)
• Focus on how your book will benefit the reader, not just what your book is about. Experts call this “evidence of need.” This aspect is especially vital for nonfiction proposals.
• Be specific about your book. If it sounds like your book idea is derivative and same-old-same-old, then no one will want to publish it (or buy it).
• Make sure your book proposal has a hook . Just like any good story, your book proposal needs to hook the editor who reads it, so they send it to their superiors. For your proposal to have a hook, your book needs a hook. There’s an art to hooking your readers .
• Avoid generic statements. Don’t say, “A Google search turns up more than 10 million results!” or “Everyone will be talking about this book, so everyone is my target market.”  Generic statements often cross over into laughable hyperbole or annoying irrelevance. Instead, name-drop recent trends, making a clear connection between the increased relevancy of your book and current events or specific statistics.
• Don’t be modest. Mention if you know famous people, publishing biz pros, other writers, etc. Mention all your experience and natural talent. Answer the question: Why are you the right person to write this? You can be modest some other time — not during a book proposal.
• Start networking years ago. This is cynical, but you already need to have laid the groundwork for marketing and outreach long before you publish. Traditional publishers are looking for authors who already boast a network of high-profile influencers (such as book reviewers ). Publishers seldom accept a book proposal if you can’t guarantee 20k pre-sales.
• Be realistic. Publishers may take you less seriously if you compare your book to New York Times bestsellers. Instead, be realistic about your audience size and compare your work to reasonably successful competitors.
• Build your platform as early as possible. Nowadays, you need a pre-established platform to sell books . Whether self-publishing or hoping to land a traditional publisher, start building your platform as early as possible. If you haven’t started yet, start now. This can include social media, email list, guest blogging, vlogging , or even procuring subscribers on YouTube . (Think Jena Moreci’s successful channel that has gotten her brand in front of hundreds of thousands of new eyes.)
• Proofread. Please, do not send a book proposal with spelling and grammatical errors. This often equals an automatic toss in the bin. Check out my list of Best Proofreading Software for more info.

No, self-publishing authors very rarely need a book proposal.

You may find a traditional publisher accepting unsolicited, unagented submissions. If they require a book proposal in their submission guidelines, you will need to write a book proposal even though you don’t have an agent.

At that point, you would be seeking traditional publishing, so you wouldn’t really be considered a self-publisher anymore.

Free Book Proposal Template

Use this free template as a sample proposal. Copy and paste the following text into a document, and follow the directions after the asterisks. Delete the instructions (and asterisks) from the text once you have done what the directions say.

Alternatively, you can download Kindlepreneur’s free book proposal template here .

[BOOK TITLE; 16-point Times New Roman, can be in all caps]

[Book Subtitle, 12-point Times New Roman]

***Bottom of title page

[Author name]

[Email address]

[Phone number]

***Insert page break (CTRL+ENTER on PCs, CMND+ENTER on Macs). Don’t just press ENTER until you reach a new page. The text from here on should be left-aligned (not justified), 12-point black Times New Roman, double-spaced, with either first-line indents of 0.5” or an extra 10 points of space between paragraphs.

[This is where you describe the overall point of your book, as well as the need it fills in your market. Include a brief summary.]

***Page break

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Don’t waste time talking about your step-by-step writing process. Be sure to include a high-quality headshot at the end of this page.]

MARKETING PLAN

[Also called a market analysis. Here, you answer the editor’s inevitable question: Why will people buy your book? Be specific. No vague generalizations of, “Everyone will want to buy this book!” Instead, focus on why a select market of people will spend their money on your work. Include what celebrities or influencers you can get to plug your book, if applicable.

Publishers like to see steps: for example, step 1) write a great book , step 2) push pre-sales on Twitter and email list, step 3) have the following influential friends mention the book on Instagram , step 4) tour the country on speaking engagements at colleges and business functions where I can push my book, step 5) book media appearances on national news and talk shows. Bonus points if you say you’re going to spend part of your advance on marketing.]

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

[This is where you analyze 5-10 competitor books, why they succeeded, how your book compares and contrasts, and how your book’s marketability compares to theirs. A book published less than 5 years ago is preferred. Break this section down by each competitor. List the title, subtitle , author name, publisher, year of publication, price, page count, and ISBN number.]

CHAPTER OUTLINE

[Some writers start with a simple table of contents, but this is optional. The required part is outlining what each chapter entails. Remember, publishers don’t really care about what’s in your book, as much as they care to know that it flows and is an interesting, relevant take on the subject matter. Break this section down by chapter. You may use bullet points below each chapter title if that helps your organization. Don’t include your entire manuscript.]

SAMPLE CHAPTER

[Choose the most intriguing chapter, preferably from the first half of the book.]

Where to Submit the Book Proposal?

One of the best ways to find successful publishing companies (so you can submit your proposal to them) is to analyze the genre for your book and see what other companies are publishing books in that genre.

If you're doing this manually, this can take a very long time, and you'll end up finding a lot of other companies that aren't really great.

Thankfully, there's a tool that makes it easy to see all of the major publishers for the bestsellers of any genre.

That tool is Publisher Rocket .

With Rocket's category analysis tool, you can easily find a list of publishers for any genre by doing the following:

• Finding your desired category/genre through the Category Search
• Clicking on the “Insights” link
• Hover over the “i” icon under the Large Publisher tile
• Find a list of large publishers in that genre

A lot of these publishing companies will be traditional publishers, so you can reach out to them if you want a traditional publishing deal. Or you might find some hidden gems, like lesser known but successful small publishers.

Congrats! You know how to write a book proposal. Now it’s time to land that book deal if that’s what you’re going for.

Note: Most publishers will require your book proposal in DOCX file format , if not printed on standard 8.5” x 11” paper.

Check out my Book Marketing Podcast . Even if you land a traditional book deal, you’ll still have to do most of your own marketing . (Traditional publishers are astonishingly bad at actually selling books to readers.) And check out my free course on Amazon Ads for Authors .

Best to get ahead on your marketing endeavors now for future success!

Dave Chesson

When I’m not sipping tea with princesses or lightsaber dueling with little Jedi, I’m a book marketing nut. Having consulted multiple publishing companies and NYT best-selling authors, I created Kindlepreneur to help authors sell more books. I’ve even been called “The Kindlepreneur” by Amazon publicly, and I’m here to help you with your author journey.

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Blog • Understanding Publishing

Last updated on Apr 12, 2024

How to Write a Book Proposal in 7 Simple Steps

Do you have a nonfiction book idea and dream of securing a lucrative deal — all before you finish writing the actual book?

Well, you can.

We have two words for you: book proposal. In the nonfiction world, you can secure a book deal with a publisher by submitting a book proposal — a short document that pitches the essence and structure of your book.

In this post, we break down what a book proposal is, and how to write one that stands out from the slush pile. With the help of Reedsy's top editors, we’ve also created a free book proposal template you can download below. Let’s get started.

FREE RESOURCE

Book Proposal Template

Craft a professional pitch for your nonfiction book with our handy template.

What is a book proposal?

A book proposal is a document sent by nonfiction authors to pitch their book idea. Commonly 15-50 pages long, a book proposal includes an overview of the book, an author bio, comparable titles, potential marketing strategies, a chapter outline, as well as some sample chapters. It’s not a complete manuscript, but instead a chance to gain a publisher’s interest in your book.

It should build a complete argument for your book idea. According to developmental editor Katharine Barclay, every good proposal will cover:

• What the book is about,
• Why you're the perfect person to write this book,
• Who will buy the book, and
• How you are going to convey the message.

Above all, your proposal must also show an evidence of need . In other words: what is your unique premise? How will it benefit people who read it? Will readers care enough to buy it?

When successfully executed, a book proposal will convince a publisher to invest in you and your goal: a published book. 

What are the common elements of a book proposal?

While some publishers will have different specifications for their preferred format, most book proposals follow a similar structure. Here are the most common elements:

• Overview of the book
• Market analysis
• Author bio and platform
• Marketing plan
• Comp titles
• Chapter outline
• Sample chapters
• Conclusion and writing timeline

Put together, this is the document that will convince a publisher to take a chance on your book. 

How to write a book proposal

Bear in mind that there is no one-size-fit-all for book proposals. Think of the proposal as a house 一 depending on the circumstances, you may move the furniture around. Ultimately, the key is building the best argument for why your book idea deserves to be published.

1. Start the book proposal with an overview

Every proposal begins with an overview of the book you're planning to write. The overview covers what (or who) the book is about so that the acquisition editor has a clear idea of your proposed topic and the commercial appeal of the book.

Developmental editor and former literary agent Elizabeth Evans advises you to “write your overview as though you're writing the copy of your book jacket. Employ the same combination of vivid description, charm, and salesmanship the publisher will eventually use to woo book buyers.”

An overview will usually be less than two pages long and should hit the key facts about a book: its topic, themes, and intended audience. The overview will also provide insight into the significance and reach of the book, explaining why the subject matter is important and how this book is unique or will fill a gap in the market. 

Perhaps most importantly, an overview includes the all-important “ book hook .”

Hook them in with your elevator pitch

Andrew Crofts , a ghostwriter who’s worked on multiple proposals before, shares his pro-tip for hooking editors in: “The opening sentences should be the ‘elevator pitch,’ making readers want to find out more.”

For a better idea of what an overview should be, take a look at this example from an actual book proposal sample for a memoir that Andrew co-wrote with author Hyppolite Ntigurirwa:

This is the shocking and inspirational memoir of a boy who survived the Rwandan genocide. When he was seven years old, Hyppolite lost eighty members of his extended family and witnessed the murder of his beloved father.

Born in a mud hut without shoes, water, or power, he struggled after the genocide to gain an education and to learn to forgive the killers.

By the age of thirty, he had graduated from university in Rwanda and worked as a journalist and radio presenter, a playwright, and a theatre director.

Note that this “hook” distills the essence of the memoir into a simple sentence: This is the shocking and inspirational memoir of a boy who survived the Rwandan genocide. Then, with the editor’s attention captured, the next sentences unpack the main themes and story that will be explored in the book. Once the main message is covered, editor Jaimee Garbacik recommends wrapping up with “a note about the significance and reach of your subject matter.”

As Elmer Wheeler put it once in The New Yorker : “The sizzle’s sold more steaks than the cow ever sold, although the cow is, of course, mighty important.”

Your proposal needs that “sizzle” in the overview to keep publishers reading. It can be a story, anecdote, thought-provoking question, or compelling statistic — but it must make the subject of your book sound intriguing, new, or pressing. Think of the way the first paragraph in a magazine article grabs the reader’s attention, and try to capture that effect.

2. Identify your target audience

So you’ve ended your overview on a strong note and successfully hooked the reader. Great! Now, you want to elaborate on why your book is important — a.k.a. why it will sell. 

To do this, you need to identify your target audience , or the people who will be interested in buying your book. Spoiler alert: no, you can’t say, “My book is for everyone!” A teenager and a working parent simply do not share the same reading interests, and identifying a specific target market is essential in a nonfiction book proposal.

If you’re struggling to put your finger on who your nonfiction is for, try answering these questions, suggested by editor  Patrick Price :

• Whose needs do you meet? 
• What’s the age range of the audience?
• Where do they live? What’s their lifestyle like?
• What other similar books do they enjoy?

With these in mind, you can search for social media groups where your audience may unite, or survey previously published books on similar topics to see how popular they are. This will give you a better idea of the number of people who may be interested in your book — demonstrating that you’ve got a sizeable target audience will be helpful when it comes to suggesting marketing plans, which we’ll discuss later.

As ghostwriter Barry Fox points out, you are the expert about this specific market. If you’re a historian, you have a better idea than the publisher of the number of students who are interested in your research area. If you’re a doctor, you know your clients’ worries better than anyone else. Lean into that special insight when you research and write this part of your book proposal: let publishers know that there’s demand for a book like yours. 

3. Write a strong author bio

Beyond providing you with unique market insights, your experience also makes up your bona fides — giving your readers (and the publisher) faith that you can deliver the answer to what they’re wondering about. 

Your author bio should make all of this clear, but should also demonstrate that you’re connected and visible in your field. According to Elizabeth Evans, it should be thought of as a stone that can hit two birds: “First, it details what makes you the authority on your subject; and second, it elaborates on the size of your reach.” 

To that end, you can write a strong author bio by including information on your:

• Author platform,
• Qualifications (and any seminar you teach),
• Past awards and recognition,
• Previous publications (books and articles),
• Media appearances (e.g. lectures, speeches, interviews…),
• Connections to VIPs in the industry,
• Your personal media contacts, and
• An author photo.

In other words: what about your background, experience, and platform makes you the perfect fit to write this book?

Grab our Author Bio Template

Use this to write an awesome “about me” in less than 5 minutes.

Keep the Author Bio short and sweet — and exclude all irrelevant information (your eye color, the number of times you won Candy Crush, etc). Be honest and purposeful, highlighting your assets above all.

As well as bolstering the author’s credibility, the bio will also come in handy in the next section.

4. Create a realistic marketing plan

Some publishers may ask you for a marketing plan. If so, know they’re not saying, “Tell me what to do in order to sell your book.” Instead, they want to see that you are  currently able to reach your target market via your author platform.

The marketing plan will explain how the writer plans to leverage their pre-existing audience (as established in their author bio) into a successful launch. Again, the key is to be exact and specific — for instance, this isn’t a great example of a marketing plan, as editor Jeff Shreves points out: “I will create a website for the book.”

Consider these questions:

• Are there VIPs in the field you can ask for a blurb from?
• Have you guest spoken anywhere before? Could you reach out to the organizers for a future event?
• How about columns or articles — have you written some before and can you secure another one when the book comes out? What about an interview?
• Have you got a strong subscriber base to your newsletter?
• Do you have connections with bookstores or libraries who can distribute your book, like those of your alma mater, for instance?

You can find more marketing ideas in Barry Fox’s Reedsy Live webinar on book proposals, but the goal is to make use of all the assets you’ve listed in your Author Bio. That way, you show that you can contribute to the overall marketing efforts.  

5. Compile nonfiction comp titles for your book

Given all that information, the next question the acquisition editor will ask is whether there’s really space on bookshelves for your title. Others have probably written books on your topic already. So what else can you offer? 

To prove to the publisher that your book indeed deserves a place on the shelf, you need to know your predecessors and your competition. 

Identify the gap in the market

Where exactly can you find your competition? An actual bookshelf would be a good place to start, for one. Visit the nearest brick-and-mortar bookstore. Figure out where your book would sit, and check out the titles there. Then go onto Amazon.com and search for books in the category you just identified. Scroll down for the “Frequently Bought Together” and “Customers Who Bought This Book Also Bought” titles. This should give you a treasure trove of comparative books. You should note down:

• Publishing date
• Price and format

Carefully study the qualitative elements at this point. Who provided blurbs? What can the reviews of each comparative book tell you about the book’s strengths and faults? Is it a bestselling title? If so, why? What features made it stand out? How does your book compare and contrast?

Editor Geoffrey Stone warns you not to compare yourself to well-established authors, since their platform is likely far bigger than yours. Instead, search their books up on Amazon and see what else is suggested in the “Customers who bought this also bought” section. (And for timeliness’s sake, keep to more recent releases!) 

In other words, don't go for megahits like Atomic Habits — find respectable but less known alternatives! Having a variety of up-to-date and lesser-known titles will best demonstrate your knowledge of the existing market.

Analyze the competition

Once you pick your 4-8 comparative titles , the next step is to evaluate them. Keep it to a paragraph or so for each analysis. Sales figures aren’t obligatory, but might be useful if you can find them.

Now, for each competing title, talk about how your book compares with each of them. Explain how your book challenges, updates, or enhances each of the comp titles chosen. The point of this exercise is to show the publisher how your book is uniquely positioned in the existing market.

Just one other reminder from editor Jeff Shreve : “Don't shy away from describing other books' shortcomings, but be respectful. Odds are that you'll be submitting your proposal to the publishers of many of these competitive titles, after all.”

6. Include a chapter outline

Now that all market-related issues are covered, you’re ready to finally elaborate on your actual book! By this point, the publisher’s hopefully on board with your idea — they just need to know that your plans for actually writing the book are viable. 

Show that a full manuscript is right down the road by providing a chapter-by-chapter sketch of your book (just 1-2 paragraphs per chapter will do). If you don’t have a clear idea about where to begin yet, perhaps this guide on how to outline a nonfiction book can be of some use.

Remember that the chapter outline will show your approach to your idea. To that end, make sure that the progression of your chapters is clear and purposeful. Editors acquire books across a broad list, so you should also steer clear of industry-specific jargon such as: “This chapter will examine MSCI’s adjusted EBITDA, EPS, and beta of 1.5 in the context of its 2016 non-GAAP measures.” That may only fetch you glazed eyes in return!

7. Provide sample chapters from your manuscript

While you don’t need to produce a full manuscript yet, publishers will expect a sample chapter or two, demonstrating that you don’t just have the ideas — you also have the skills needed to put them into writing. 

In that spirit, you want to pick a chapter that best shows the essence of your book. Remember the hook at the beginning — which chapter exemplifies the selling point you promoted? Our Rwandan author from the book proposal example earlier might find the first chapter describing the lived experience of the genocide impactful. Or if you’re writing a business book, you might find that a later chapter about how your business took off after some experimentation in strategy could better show your potential. Try and find heavy-hitting chapters that stand well alone.

Sample chapters should follow the rules for proper manuscript formatting .

Download our free manuscript format template to present your sample chapters in the most professional way.

Manuscript Format Template

Get your manuscript ready for submission to agents and publishers.

Because you want the sample to strengthen other elements of your proposal, Jeff Shreve says that he likes to leave this to the very end of the proposal-writing process: “Once you have the full chapter outline and the overview nailed down, it will become much clearer which chapter you should highlight. And this can help you avoid duplicating the overview.” 

8. Finish with your writing timeline 

At this point, you can zero in on the logistics of writing your book. Let the publisher know:

• How long you might take to write the book;
• What range the word count might fall in; and 
• Whether you need any assistance throughout your process. 

Assistance might mean photographic material, special design needs for tables and graphs, or perhaps even a research assistant. Of course, these are open to discussion once you get an offer, but publishers will appreciate the heads-up!

Once you’ve written a pitch that ticks all the boxes, there’s nothing left to do but submit your proposal to publishers . For help keeping track of your submissions, download our free query tracker spreadsheet.

Query Submissions Tracker

Stay organized on your journey to find the right agent or publisher.

Download: Free Book Proposal Template

As a parting gift, we recommend that you download our free book proposal template to structure your book proposal.

We hope you’ve found all the tools and assistance you need to write a nonfiction book proposal to help you secure the right deal.

5 responses

liladiller says:

08/03/2018 – 03:42

Under #5, where is stage 2?

↪️ Reedsy replied:

14/03/2018 – 20:24

Hi Lila — Stage 2 is the analysis portion of the Competitive Titles section :) It's all evaluation of your 4-8 comps from that point on.

Patty says:

04/06/2018 – 11:17

The above post seems to be for commercial non-fiction. What about a memoir? Wouldn't that be different? How?

07/06/2018 – 04:45

You're correct, Patty — memoirs fall into a bit of a gray area when it comes to book proposals. Could you drop us an email at [email protected] with a brief description of your memoir? I'll be able to point you in the right direction from there :) – Yvonne from Reedsy

24/09/2019 – 20:12

What about a series? My book is an overview with human interest stories, how to do projects that lasting records of the several heroines.

Comments are currently closed.

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Table of Contents

What Is a Book Proposal?

Why do publishers want book proposals.

• How to Structure a Book Proposal - Must Haves
• How to Structure a Book Proposal - Optionals
• Book Proposal Template

How to Write a Non-Fiction Book Proposal (with Template)

You want to get your book picked up by a traditional publisher? Let me be very clear about this:

Most authors should skip traditional publishing and self-publish instead.

This is for many reasons; it’s nearly impossible for most authors to get a deal, and if you get one, you won’t own the rights to your book, you won’t have creative control over your book, it’ll take forever to publish, and you can’t market it in ways that benefit you (these reasons are explored in depth in our post on publishing options if you want to really dive in).

All that being said…there are some authors who can—and should—still get big deals from a traditional publisher. We even work with some of those authors here at Scribe (Todd Herman, Joey Coleman, Steve Sims, etc).

For those authors who can get a traditionally published deal, they still need to write what’s called a “book proposal” before they can take their book to a traditional publisher to try for a deal.

If you’re one of those authors who can still get a deal and wants to pursue it, then this blog post is for you. What I’ll do here is walk you through what a book proposal is, the purpose they serve, and how to structure them.

I just want to warn you:

Book proposals are a very unusual form of writing, unlike anything else you’ll ever do in your life.

They are counterintuitive. They are illogical. And they are, quite honestly, a pain in the ass to write.

I know this because I’ve written more than 20 book proposals that have sold to publishers at prices ranging from $150k on the low end to $2 million on the high end—and this blog post walks you exactly how to write your own (if it makes sense for you).

Note: Scribe has worked with over 2,000 Authors, including bestsellers like David Goggins and Tiffany Haddish. If you decide self-publishing is the best option for you, Scribe’s proven process can take you from book idea to published book in as quickly as 9 months. Schedule a consultation with one of our Author Strategists to learn more.

Think of a book proposal as a business plan for your book. It has one purpose: to convince a traditional publisher to give you money to write the book.

When you self-publish , you don’t need to write a book proposal. To work with a traditional publisher, you are in effect asking them to invest a lot of money into your book, and a book proposal is the document that will convince them to do that.

If you write a great proposal—one that convinces the publisher that your book idea, content, and marketing plan has a serious chance of commercial success—the publisher will make a monetary offer to you as an advance against royalties , and buy the rights to publish the book (and own the book and profits as well).

For a deeper explanation of the differences between traditional and self-publishing, read this .

The most common question I get from new authors is something along the lines of, “Can’t I just write it first? Don’t they just want to see the book?”

That’s a very logical question. In theory, it would make total sense to do that.

But in practice, it doesn’t work like that. Submitting an already written non-fiction book as a proposal is a great way to almost guarantee you will not get a book deal.

That is absolutely how the system works. Don’t try to use reason or logic to argue that it would be better a different way. Logic doesn’t matter when talking about how people actually do things—though, in this case, there IS a logic to it, most people just can’t see it from the outside.

Why is it this way? If you understand these two things, the book proposal format makes perfect sense:

1. Reducing publishers’ risk by showing you will sell copies This is the #1 thing that all traditional publishers want to see in a proposal—proof that you have a clear and definitive plan to move a lot of copies of your book.

Please don’t fall victim to thinking that publishers can sell books. They can’t. For real, traditional publishers are very bad at selling books. I know, it sounds crazy, but it’s true. Traditional publishers are very good at selling books to bookstores, not to readers.

They want a proposal because they want to know that YOU can do the job they can’t (I discuss this in more depth later on when we talk about marketing plans).

2. Signaling you understand traditional publishing and media The irrationality of a book proposal is actually a feature, not a bug. You see, by having such an unusual process, one that requires a person understand all the intricate unspoken rules of an “irrational” system, it acts as a filtering mechanism.

Traditional publishers can look at a proposal and know—in an instant—if the “right” format was followed. If it’s not, they know they can probably disregard the proposal, because the author doesn’t have the right social connections to have someone “in the know” teach them the “right” way to submit.

In effect, if the author can’t figure out their process—in their logic—they aren’t the right person to work with a traditional publisher. ______

Notice what isn’t in either of those headings?

The quality of the book idea.

I’m not saying the book idea doesn’t matter. At some houses, book ideas still matter a lot. At others, not so much.

The thing that does matter to all editors at traditional houses is sales. They are under intense pressure to produce results—which for them, is book sales. This means they need to know you and your book can sell copies (so they don’t lose their job).

The point of a proposal is to show them you can sell copies, and show them that you understand how the traditional book publishing processes work so that you are a “safe” author for them to publish.

Like I said—there’s a logic to it. It’s just not a logic that is apparent at first glance.

How to Structure a Book Proposal

Every proposal has to have a standard set of sections, and then there are some that are optional. I’ll start with the “must haves” and then explain the “optionals.”

The Must Haves:

1. overview.

For most acquisition editors, this is a very important part of the proposal. This is the section where you lay out the basic idea of the book and discuss why people will want to buy it.

The biggest mistake that authors make in this section is talking a lot about the book idea, why they want to write it, or why they think people should want to read it. Again, that seems like the logical thing to do here, but it’s not the ideal approach.

The overview should only focus on the content of the book enough so that the editor understands what the book will say.

If you want to talk about the content a lot, that’s fine, but you must talk about it only in relation to the needs, problems, and desires of your audience.

In short— the editor does not care about your idea, or even your book. They only care about you, your idea, or your book in relation to the problem it solves for readers, and thus its commercial potential.

In effect, your book needs to answer the questions in the editor’s mind:

Why do people care what you have to say? Why will anyone care about this book? What need does it fulfill? What problem does it solve? Ultimately, why will people want to buy it?

In effect, think of the Overview as a sales letter. You are selling the editor on the idea that there are a lot of people who have an urgent problem your book will solve, and that they will see your book as the solution to that problem.

2. About the Author

The mistake authors make here is bragging or talking about themselves too much. Again, it seems natural to talk about yourself in the About the Author section, but again—that is wrong.

Everything you say about yourself should be framed from the perspective of why you’re the perfect person to write this book for your audience.

So yeah, you will talk a lot about yourself, but only in the context of the book. You can probably skip over the things you’ve done in your life that have nothing to do with the book, (unless they are really impressive, like winning an Olympic medal).

This is not a place to brag or carry on needlessly about yourself. That sends a negative signal to the editor that you aren’t spending enough time worrying about the reader and their needs.

3. Marketing Plan

This is it, the section that makes or breaks almost all book proposals. Lemme explain the dirty little secret about why this section—that didn’t used to be very important as recently as 30 or 40 years ago—has become so utterly crucial to book proposals:

Traditional publishing companies do not know how to sell books to readers, and they now rely on the author to do that crucial task.

This is why the marketing plan is so important.

The problem is that traditional publishing companies spent 100 years with one customer: bookstores. But the world changed, and they did not change with it.

No traditional publisher (with a few notable exceptions, like Hay House and Rodale and a few others) has any ability to sell directly to their readers. They don’t have meaningful email lists, engaged social followings, or any set group of people waiting to buy books they publish.

Because of this, the editors that work at traditional publishing houses are in a tough spot. They have to rely on the author to have an audience waiting to buy their book.

You see, the acquisition editor is putting their reputation and their job at stake every time they make an offer to an author. If they sign a lot of authors whose books sell well, they will be respected and secure in their job. If they don’t, they won’t.

Before the internet and Amazon, editors used to be able to invest smaller amounts of money in a lot of authors, and see who could develop an audience organically. This is because there was little competition in book publishing, so it was easy to make money.

But once anyone could self-publish and everyone had access to every book ever published, the game changed. Traditional publishers saw most of their easy profits siphoned away, and they were forced to scale down their publishing and focus only on the “big hit” books.

What this means for you is one thing:

Your book proposal must convince the editor and publisher that you have tens of thousands of people waiting to buy your book.

Many authors make the mistake of trying to argue that the potential market for the book is huge. That may even be true, but that’s not how editors look at it. Without an established platform, without a confirmed set of readers ready to buy the book, the risk for a traditional publisher is usually too high.

I’m not just saying this. Book agent Byrd Leavell says this (he’s repped several #1 New York Times bestselling authors who have sold tens of millions of books):

“Publishers aren’t buying anything that doesn’t come with a built in audience that is waiting to buy it. They don’t take risks anymore, they don’t gamble on authors, they only want sure things. I won’t even take an author out unless they have an audience that can guarantee 20k pre-sales to them.”

This is why, in my breakdown of who can get a traditional publishing deal , I am very clear they usually only go to a select group of people:

• Famous people like celebrities/athletes/musicians
• Well-known business people and politicians (sometimes)
• People with built-in audiences waiting to buy their book
• Topical books that hit on specific subject matter at a specific moment in time (like books about Trump during his presidency)

So what, exactly, should you put in the marketing section? Here is what the editor is looking for and what you’ll see in the examples I provide later on:

• All the metrics about your audience. How big is your email list, how many social media followers do you have, how big is your YouTube channel, what other forms of owned media do you have, etc.
• Your earned media presence. Where do you write or get regular coverage, how will this interact with the book, what your plan is to use traditional media, etc.
• Public appearances and speaking, including your upcoming speaking schedule, how many copies you plan to sell through speaking or appearances, anything like that.
• Organizations and memberships you belong to, and how they intend to help.
• Your network, and how you plan to use it. Who are you friends with, how have they committed to help you, what organizations are backing you, what will they do with the book, etc.
• Optional, but huge: If you have published a book in the past and it sold well, put those numbers here. If you had a book that did not sell well, then explain why it didn’t.

4. Chapter Description/Outline

This is pretty simple. You want to create a Table of Contents for your book, with a quick description of what will be in each chapter.

The important thing here is that you can show how your book idea flows from beginning to end.

The big mistake most authors make here is taking a deep dive into an explanation about what is in each chapter. Don’t do that. Remember, this is NOT an informational document, it’s a sales document.

You want each chapter description to be interesting and engaging on its own. This is not the Table of Contents that will go in your book. The chapter descriptions should be fun to read, full of open loops, engaging questions, interesting tidbits and assertions.

5. Sample Chapter

This is a pretty important part of most book proposals, but the importance varies. The better your marketing plan, the less this matters.

That being said, always give yourself the best shot by writing up the most engaging chapter. The one that you think the editor and readers will be most interested in? Put that in here.

The Optionals:

Media links.

Media links should also go here: a list of any significant media hits you have received. Don’t include lesser hits (blog posts, unknown publications, etc.), which can actually work against you by making your platform look unimpressive—only the significant ones.

Comparable Titles

Not all editors consider this optional, but I’ve sold many deals without this section. This is a section that can help a lot if your book has an unusual angle or different positioning. Editors are like sheep—they all want to follow a leader. So if your book isn’t falling into an obvious positioning slot, then give them a bunch of examples of books just like it that have succeeded.

Advance Praise/Influencer Quotes

Only use this if you have some really good quotes here. This section is perfect if you’re one of those people who have a ton of famous and noteworthy friends ready to go to bat for you, but no one in the general public knows who you are. Otherwise, you can skip this.

Target Audiences

The best way to talk about target audiences is in the narrative of the Overview, or in the marketing plan.

That being said, I see lots of book proposals with this in there. I don’t think it matters, but obviously some agents do. Put it in if you want, but I’ve never used it.

Examples of Successful Book Proposals

If you look on the internet, you will have a very hard time finding actual book proposals. I don’t know why people won’t post these, but it gets back to what I was talking about with elitism in publishing.

Below are some examples of real book proposals that have actually sold to major publishers. As you can see, not all of them are the same, and some even violate the rules I am giving you. Like I told you, this is a fluid thing with many “unwritten” rules, and in spaces like that, you can break those rules at times and in certain cases, but usually that doesn’t work well.

Six Figure Proposal:

Steve Sims Proposal :  This is the proposal for author Steve Sims that became the book that became  Bluefishing: The Art of Making Things Happen . We helped Steve write this proposal, and he got a low six-figure advance for it from an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

Seven Figure Proposal:

Mate Proposal (Tucker Max/Geoffrey Miller) : I wrote this proposal with Nils Parker, and it sold for low seven figures to Little, Brown. This book started off being called Mate: Become The Man Women Want , and the publisher changed the name to What Women Want for the paperback.

Quick Book Proposal Template

I am going to go the extra mile here and actually give you a template to use for your book proposal. This is a very basic template because most of the value in a book proposal comes in the copywriting and sales of the actual proposal.

Get the Scribe Book Proposal Template here.

Note: You can convert this template from Google Docs format to Microsoft Word by first clicking Make a Copy, then by clicking File > Download > Microsoft Word (.docx).

Traditional publishing isn’t the right option for most Authors. If you’re serious about self-publishing your book and you’re ready to get started, schedule a consultation to speak with one of our Author Strategists. Scribe has helped over 2,000 Authors publish their books—we can help you too.

The Scribe Crew

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How to write a proposal cover letter [with example]

Why you need the ultimate library for your rfp responses.

Selling & Enablement

Updated: Mar 1st, 2024

Like the devilishly tempting Hostess Ding Dongs treat, a proposal cover letter has to be short, sweet, and dense. Unlike that aforementioned hockey puck of delectability, proposal cover letters cannot be mass-produced. To write a proposal cover letter with nary a wasted word, you first need to understand its strategic significance in the overall proposal.

I’ve spent more than 17 years on proposals and have written hundreds of proposal cover letters. When I started, we printed out proposals and created huge binders to share with reviewers. Reviewers would open the binders to see the proposal cover letter, then an RFP executive summary , and then dig into the proposal itself. Binders are part of a bygone era; there’s been a big digital shift since I started.

Requests for paperless submissions and the growing popularity of online portals has altered the strategic significance of the proposal cover letter. It’s gone from a “must-have” element, to a “nice-to-have” one. My background is predominantly healthcare and insurance. Anecdotally, maybe only 30% of requests for proposals (RFPs) in healthcare and insurance request executive summaries while most volunteer that a cover letter is optional. If they give you an option, take it.

Some online portals don’t even give you an opportunity to include extra documents like cover letters. In such cases, you now have to include the cover letter as part of your proposal PDF. At the same time, RFPs are more complex than ever, requiring more details in submitted proposals. Issuers expect you to have your content in order, and a lot of it.

Speaking of issuers and what they’re looking for in proposal cover letters: They don’t need information that they can find on your website, that they can Google, or that sounds canned. They want to make sure you’ve reviewed the RFP requirements, and it’s absolutely essential to hit them with that up front, in your proposal cover letter. Especially if your solution meets all of the issuer’s requirements. Emphasize that fact simply and directly.

What is a proposal cover letter?

The proposal cover letter is meant to frame up your RFP proposal. It’s not a rehashing of the proposal or executive summary . It’s a vehicle to thank the issuer for the opportunity to respond, to say, “We’ve seen your business requirements and composed this proposal because we think we’re the best partner for you.” Think of it as the bow on your RFP proposal package.

Whether paper, PDF, or stone tablet, one thing that hasn’t changed about the proposal cover letter is that it’s your first opportunity to declare the value propositions that differentiate yours from competitive proposals. These value props will be the threads that weave through your proposal, from cover letter, to executive summary, to answers to questions.

As far as length, I aim for a page and a half when I write proposal cover letters. Try to keep it under two. Go longer only if a template or specific framework for the cover letter is provided by the issuer, which is sometimes the case in government RFPs.

Why a good proposal cover letter matters

RFP reviewers will be looking for deviations in responses. Deviations among responders as well as deviations from their (the issuers) requirements.

When you can write a cover letter and state, “After reviewing the RFP, we are confident that our solution meets all requirements and detail that fact in our proposal,” you make a compelling argument for reviewers to concentrate on how your proposal illustrates how you solve problems. They’ll notice cover letters that do not mention something that direct, and will review those proposals to look for where the solutions fall short.

When should you write the proposal cover letter?

It’s page one so it should be written first, right? Not necessarily. I’m a proponent of writing the executive summary first, the cover letter second, and then building the proposal. Certainly review the RFP first so you can determine what it’s asking for. But don’t just jump into a response from there. Take the time to establish the value props that will make it a cohesive proposal.

Writing the executive summary first helps you formulate your argument and determine which content you’ll need for the proposal. Once you know what you need to be persuasive and how you can solve the issuer’s problem, then you can develop the three-to-five value props (I try to boil it down to three solid, unique value props) that you can define in the proposal cover letter.

Who signs the proposal cover letter?

Notice I didn’t title this section, “Who writes the proposal cover letter?” The person who writes it and the person who signs it may not be one and the same.

If your proposal team is fortunate enough to have a dedicated writer, then have them write the letter based on input from the frontline sales rep. Whoever writes the letter must be fully informed of response strategy and have intimate knowledge of the proposal and executive summary. Strategy, voice, and style need to be consistent across all documents (cover letter, executive summary, and proposal).

Who signs it depends on a variety of factors. In most cases, the frontline sales rep will sign the proposal cover letter. They have the relationship, own the strategy, and likely conducted the discovery that informed the proposal. However, it’s not uncommon for an executive sponsor such as a VP of sales to sign. The thinking being that executive reviewers may appreciate seeing a proposal that’s been vetted by a fellow executive.

There are also those cases when the executive of executives, the CEO, signs the letter. There are two common scenarios for this play. One, the RFP may be large enough to represent a significant percentage of a responder’s annual revenue. Two, the responding organization is concerned with appearing relatively small, and in an effort to improve its stature, seals the proposal with a CEO’s signature.

There’s definitely some gamesmanship at play here. Even so, the name on the letter will never overshadow the content of the proposal.

7 steps to write a proposal cover letter

The compact nature of the proposal cover letter makes it difficult to fit everything in one or two pages. Good writers are valuable assets in these instances. Every proposal cover letter should contain the following sections:

• Thank the issuer (and broker, where applicable) for the opportunity.
• Recite your understanding of the opportunity to validate that you reviewed the RFP requirements.
• List your abilities to meet requirements. If you can meet all of them, lead with that fact.
• Describe your value propositions. You’re trying to portray that, “This is what we bring to the table, and that’s why we’re the best choice.”
• Provide a high-level future snapshot of what business will look like after your solution is chosen.
• Conclude with a persuasive delivery of your understanding of next steps: “We look forward to the opportunity to discuss our proposal further.” Show that you’re able and willing to move forward in the sales lifecycle.
• Sign it from the frontline sales representative or executive sponsor. This should not look like a form letter from the organization as a whole.

3 common mistakes to avoid

Beyond the mistakes of not including a proposal cover letter at all or writing one that’s too long, proofread your next letter for the following mistakes before sending it.

• Avoid repeating anything from the executive summary or proposal. Those documents need to live on their own, just like the proposal cover letter.
• Don’t waste space with your resume. Something like this… Responsive’s growing list of 600+ clients including 40+ Fortune 500 organizations continue to take advantage of our one-of-a-kind Unlimited User licensing model, expanding their usage on the platform to scale organizational success. With Responsive as their team’s support system, every day they break down silos by facilitating collaboration and efficiency in their RFx response process ….is boilerplate that can appear elsewhere in the proposal or not at all, given that it’s likely available to the issuer on your corporate website.
• If a broker is involved, thank them, too. The proposal cover letter is also an opportunity to directly address the issuer. This can be particularly valuable when a broker is involved. Some issuers rely on RFP brokers to sift through responses to make sure only the best possible solutions get serious consideration. Ignore these brokers at your peril. While the response and executive summary will address the issuer and the problem at hand, the cover letter is where you can give a nod to the broker. Acknowledging their involvement in the process and thanking them for the opportunity as well will at the very least alert all reviewers that you paid close attention to the RFP requirements.
• Don’t guess. Make sure you or someone on your team does the legwork and discovery to inform your response strategy. The more you have to guess, the longer the letter will take to write.

Proposal cover letter example

Feel free to use the proposal cover letter example below as a template for your next letter. One of the many advantages of proposal software such as Responsive is the automation of the cover letter process. Don’t get me wrong, you still have to write it, but RFP software helps:

• Access and write in the template within the platform (no need to toggle back and forth between a word processor and whatever application you’re using to build your proposal)
• Include identical brand elements as the proposal and executive summary
• Add the cover letter to the front of the proposal and/or executive summary when you output it for submission

When you use the following example, you’ll need to swap out the RFPIO-centric items with your own company and solution information as well as the custom value props for that specific proposal. The three value props highlighted in the example are Salesforce integration, data security, and customer support. For your letter, these will be specific to your solution and the problem stated in the RFP.

Hi [Issuer(s) first name(s)],

Thank you for considering Responsive as your potential vendor for RFP automation software. We are cognizant of the effort it takes to make a selection like this, so we very much appreciate the opportunity. First and foremost, Responsive meets all of the requirements detailed in your RFP. That’s illustrated in greater detail in this proposal. In the meantime, the following capabilities make us confident that Responsive is the most qualified company and solution for [issuing company name’s] [RFP title].

• Helping businesses improve and scale their RFP response process for greater efficiency. The time and resource savings reported to us from our clients has allowed them to participate in more proposals and provide high-quality responses that create additional revenue opportunities.
• Automating the import and export functions, centralizing content for RFPs, and facilitating collaboration among key stakeholders.
• Managing knowledge and content through our AI-enabled Content Library .
• Giving clear visibility into the entire RFP process through reports and dashboards—including project status and progress, and analytics for actionable insights.

We know that it’s important for [issuing company name] to find a solution with a strong integration with Salesforce. This proposal details Responsive’s integration with Salesforce , and how it will work for you. In addition to that, Responsive’s open API allows for integrations with many other technologies for cloud-storage, collaboration, and other desired platforms.

We also take your data security concerns highlighted in the RFP very seriously. You can be assured that your data will be safe and accessible. We work with a variety of enterprise customers and understand the necessary level of security that is required. From the beginning, we made it a priority to build security right into Responsive’s technology, which we continue to maintain. We are SOC 2 and ISO27001 certified, while continuing to pursue other best-in-class certifications to ensure security.

Regarding your requirement for ongoing support following implementation: When it comes to customer support, our technical and account managers are high performers. We have an expert group of 110 nimble programmers and developers who are always ready to provide quick technical fixes (that you can request right within the solution). Our reliable and attentive account team is ready to fully support [company name] should we move forward as your vendor.

Upon deploying Responsive, it’s intuitive user experience is simple to get used to. You’ll also get free access to Responsive Academy for all your training needs, now and in the future. Getting started is as simple as loading that first project. The whole team will be collaborating from there. As your Content Library grows, machine learning will provide more and more automation opportunities. It won’t be long before you see a drastic uptick in proposal quality and number of proposals submitted.

If you’re interested in comparing our solution to other comparable tools, we recommend that you visit software review platform G2 Crowd’s top RFP Solutions grid . This information is based on user satisfaction and places Responsive at the top in all categories.

We look forward to the opportunity to discuss our proposal further. We appreciate your consideration, and wish you luck on your selection.

Thanks, [Signee’s name] [Signee’s title]

You should have it “cover”-ed from here

If you’ve done your research and client discovery, and you know the value props specific to the RFP that you’ve already reviewed, then letter writing will go fast. The better you know the client and people involved, the easier it is going to be for you to tailor the proposal cover letter, the executive summary, and, most importantly, the RFP proposal.

To learn more about how Responsive can help you write better proposal cover letters, schedule a demo today!

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5 Simple Steps to Writing a Better Proposal Cover Letter

From getting the prospect’s attention to showing you have the right solution, your proposal’s cover letter has a big job to do. I’m breaking down 15 examples to show you how to create your most persuasive cover letter ever, one that makes prospects excited to read on and sign on the dotted line.

11 min. read

Proposal cover letters.

Does that phrase strike fear in your heart? Or at least give you some anxiety?

From job applications to business proposals, writing a good cover letter, executive summary, or some other introduction isn’t easy.

So, this post will give you an easy-to-follow five-step process to create a killer CUSTOMIZED cover letter for every proposal you send out.

A proposal cover letter is important. It’s your proposal’s first impression with your prospect. It sets the tone, for better or for worse. And writing it can sometimes provide clarity on what should or shouldn’t be included in your proposal.

It shouldn’t be something you slap together before moving on to the ‘meat’ of the proposal or a dull fill-in-the-blank exercise that ends up sounding more canned than Campbell’s.

No more chunky and clunky cover letters.

But, at the same time, you can’t spend hours upon hours crafting a bespoke one. You have a deal waiting on that proposal to get done.

So, what you need is a good writing formula.

I’m borrowing from the outline that my colleague Jennifer set out in her proposal executive summary post . She knows what’s up, having written dozens of cover letters/executive summaries during her time in the digital agency world.

If you’re looking for the why and when, plus some dos and don’ts, of writing one of these bad boys, be sure to check out her post.

Now, let’s dive into the who, what, where, and how here, including some examples.

Executive summary vs. cover letter

What do these phrases actually mean?

It’s tricky because the terms ‘executive summary’ and ‘cover letter’ are sometimes used interchangeably in the world of proposals.

I mean, I just used both in the intro to this very post.

Me taking a photo of the culprit.

You might also hear other terms, like overview or introduction, being tossed around for this piece of proposal writing. But rest assured we’re all talking about the same thing.

Technically, there is some nuance to how each of these sections function in a B2B proposal.

First, a proposal cover letter and an executive summary have some things in common:

• They should appear at the beginning of your proposal.
• They should be one page long, maximum.
• They should be prospect-focused.
• They should NOT be overly sales-y or pitchy.
• They should NOT be a detailed rehash of the entire proposal.
• They should get the recipient excited to read on.

Now, here’s where they differ.

What is a proposal cover letter?

A proposal cover letter:

• Is more conversational.
• Is formatted as a letter with salutation and sign-off.
• Doesn’t contain strategy or execution.
• Can be more persuasive (like how a cover letter for a job mentions why you’re the best person for it).

What is a proposal executive summary?

A proposal executive summary:

• May be formatted as a statement.
• Tells the story of how you provide solutions for your clients and the impact (evidence) of your solutions.
• Stays quite high-level.

Sometimes a prospect will specify that your proposal should include one or the other or both, like when you’re responding to an RFP . However, if there are no client specifications it’s up to you which one you include, how you write and structure it, and what you want to label that section in your proposal document.

Okay, now let’s get writing—with some examples to help you visualize the steps and tips.

How to write a cover letter for your proposal in 5 simple steps

One of the hardest aspects of writing a cover letter is including all the information you want to convey while keeping it as brief as possible and being compelling or even entertaining at the same time.

It’s okay. Here’s how to achieve all that in just five steps.

Step 1: Get their attention Step 2: Show you understand the challenge Step 3: Show you have the right solution Step 4: Show your work Step 5: Tell them what’s next

Step 1: Get their attention

“Snoozefest Co. is excited to submit this proposal to you.”

Are they though?

It reads more like this to a prospective client: “Snoozefest Co. is going through the motions in this proposal intro so we can cash your cheque.”

This is the very first thing the prospect will read in your business proposal! It needs to grab some attention.

Here are some examples of more impactful ways to open your cover letter.

Cover Letter Example 1 - Business consulting

Cover Letter Example 2 - Electrical

Cover Letter Example 3 - Public relations

Why these examples work

They put the focus on the client.

Congratulate them on a recent (relevant) company achievement. Show that you get what it’s like to be in their shoes . Offer up a fun fact or industry statistic that signals you’re already thinking about their market niche.

They build curiosity.

Segue your way to success. Each of these first paragraph examples creates build-up, curiosity, and excitement for what the prospect will read next and throughout the rest of the proposal. Ask a question. Don’t give away all the answers just yet. (what is the “light at the end of the tunnel”?)

They start to allude to the pain point.

You’ll go more in-depth into the challenges you’re solving in the next few paragraphs but it’s good to get it out there up top. It could be more explicit, like in example 1 (how to go from good to great when you’re already at capacity), or it could be more subtle, like how the specific mention of “heritage home” starts to set up the challenge in example 2.

Step 2: Show you understand the challenge

Sometimes when we write, we gloss over the pain point. It can be awkward to write about the challenges someone is facing in their professional life; you don’t want to suggest they don’t know what they’re doing or they’re not good at their job.

In a cover letter, though, it’s essential to dig into the ‘pain point’ they’re feeling in order to close the deal. Showing you understand the obstacles they’re facing is the best way to position your company as the only solution to their challenges. (See Step 3.)

But avoid any urge to make it about you. It can come off as “Look how smart I am!” Again, turn it back to the prospect. A good way to do this is to make sure you use the word ‘you’ more than ‘I’ or ‘we’ in this section.

Cover Letter Example 4 - Legal services

Cover Letter Example 5 - SaaS/Social

Cover Letter Example 6 - Insurance

Why these examples work:

They say what the prospect is likely thinking.

Show you understand all aspects of the prospect’s challenge by bringing up objections before they have a chance to, and then knock them down. Legal advice is too expensive and complicated? Not when you partner with us!

They’re complimentary.

Butter your prospect up a bit. They’re not experiencing these challenges that you understand so well because they’re bad at their jobs. No, maybe it’s just a resourcing issue! Like in Example 5, you can position your team as the experts who take challenging tasks off people’s plates.

They show off the benefits of doing business with an expert.

Give them peace of mind. You’ve done this before and this isn’t your first rodeo. You see and understand the full challenge so you can help clients avoid problems before they crop up.

Step 3: Show you have the right solution

Okay, NOW you can talk about yourself. With a few cautions:

• Keep it relevant. Your company’s Best Float win at the local parade is cool and all but now’s not the time.
• Keep it concise. It’s time to ‘elevator pitch’ your solution.
• And keep it upbeat without overhyping. You want your solution to sound attractive, but don’t write cheques with your cover letter that the rest of the proposal can’t cash.

Cover Letter Example 7 - Solar

Cover Letter Example 8 - Web design

Cover Letter Example 9 - PR

They keep things high-level

No need to outline the eight different ways you’ll test their website or every single PR tactic you’ll use. This isn’t a book report on your proposal.

They still stay specific.

“Public relations...creates and maintains your public image, and positions you as a leader in your industry” is better than “we make you look good”.

But notice that these examples don’t use jargon. If a jargon-y phrase is used, like responsive design, it’s immediately explained in a non-technical way. Stick to plain language like this, unless you cater to a highly-specialized specialized audience that will understand acronyms and look for that industry-insider lingo.

They show how you’re putting everything on the table.

Look at how these cover letters talk about the sales document they’re about to read over. For example, the proposal is not just a package; it’s a “comprehensive package”.

It’s the difference between presenting the proposal as ‘here’s some info’ and ‘we’re presenting you with all the details, including facts and figures’. Let the reader know that your proposal gives them everything they need to make an informed decision.

Step 4: Show your work

Time for a not-so-humble humblebrag .

Maybe it’s a team skill set you’re known for. Or some original research you’ve done that would resonate with this prospect.

You could showcase how your company is a power-player in your niche via previous work you’re especially proud of or awards you’ve received. Or give a quick preview of your proprietary process.

Basically, the information you include in this paragraph should provide an answer to the question on every prospect’s mind: why should they work with you ?

Cover Letter Example 10 - Exterior pressure washing

Cover Letter Example 11 - Content marketing

Cover Letter Example 12 - Construction

They give the references some ‘meat’.

If you’re talking about existing customers, don’t just name drop. Highlight some impressive outcomes you’ve achieved for them as well. For example, they didn’t just construct a building at NYU, it’s an award-winning building they built at NYU.

They cite the facts.

If there’s a specific accreditation that clients will need to know about (i.e.: are you licensed, bonded, board-approved, etc.?), now’s the time to mention it. Basically, anything that would differentiate you from competitors. In a market dominated by big national brands? Talk about how your business is family-run. Or vice-versa.

They go granular but don’t get into the nitty-gritty.

Again, be as specific as possible without going into too much detail.

Talking about “our process” is okay. But “Our four-step process” is an ideal amount of information for the purposes of this cover letter since you’re going to explain the steps later on in the proposal.

Step 5: Tell them what’s next

Your sales team wouldn’t end a sales call without discussing next steps. Your proposal cover letter is no different.

The closing is your chance to set expectations, either for the prospect or yourself. Don’t forget that you have to keep your end of the bargain. If your cover letter says you’ll follow up with them in a certain amount of time, for Pete Campbell’s sake, do it.

(Bonus: If you’re using proposal software, you’ll be notified when your prospect opens your proposal so you can perfectly time your follow up.)

Cover Letter Example 13 - Construction

Cover Letter Example 14 - Financial Services

Cover Letter Example 15 - Public Relations

They show how the vendor and the prospect together.

Why will this specific partnership work? You’ve talked about them, you’ve talked about yourself, now it’s time to talk about why you’ll go together like a square-hole colander and quinoa. (A square shape keeps the round grains from falling through while you’re rinsing it. Obviously.)

They ask for the sale.

You’ve refrained from selling throughout this cover letter. Now’s the time to ask for the close. Don’t shy away from presuming that you’ll be the winning proposal, that you “hope” they’ll pick you.

They talk about the next steps.

What literally happens next? Should they sign now? Will you be meeting to walk through the proposal before a signature is expected? Are you going to follow up with them? Let the reader know what’s expected of them and what they should expect from you.

A quick caveat before you rush off to write your proposal

There you have it. And now you just plug these pieces into your cover letter and copy these examples word for word and…

Not so fast.

The 15 example snippets above are all pulled from our proposal templates , all written by professional writers. Templates and samples like these are amazing starting points. But they aren’t the end-all, be-all.

Notice that all these samples are written in a slightly different voice? How you word your proposal if you’re in legal or financial services might be different than how you would write one in the marketing industry or the world of pressure washing.

And how YOU word your proposal should be consistent with your brand voice, including language, tone, and style . The information you include should speak to YOUR ideal customer. Remember, the cover letter is your proposal’s first opportunity to persuade your prospect that you’re the best choice to hire.

Conversions don’t come from canned, uncustomized content. Use these steps and examples as the catalyst for your own authentic version of a pitch-perfect cover letter for your proposal.

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Convincing Cover Letter for Publishing Industry: Sample + Tips

Are you that person whose nose is always deep into some new title? Do most types of printed periodicals appear oddly fascinating to you? Well, then you are probably well-suited for a career in the publishing industry. 

Despite our collective obsession with digital — and the ubiquity of bite-sized blog posts — a real book still remains an in-demand product too. Last year, the US book industry generated over $26.5 billion in revenue with print book figures improving. And that means that many publishers are once again on a hiring spree.

To land a job with some cool publisher, you gotta have a polished resume. But more importantly, you need to submit a compelling cover letter too. After all, it’s your best way to show your word mastery. 

But even experienced editors often struggle to come up with the right words to frame their achievements. So we’ve created this sample cover letter for publishing jobs as a writing prompt for you. Scroll to the bottom for some extra tips too! 

Publishing Jobs Cover Letter Sample (Word version)

Here’s a sample cover letter for an experienced romance novels editor, looking to work with a national publisher. 

Download cover letter example (.docx)

Cover Letter Example for Publishing Industry (text version)

Dear Mariam Smith,

Do you know how I recognize a potential best-seller? If the first ten pages leave me thoroughly hooked, it’s a strong contender.  My cover letter for an open position of Romance Novel Editor with Clarks and Spencer Publishing isn’t a real pageturner, but it hopefully will provide an interesting narrative into my professional experience and abilities that can be of use to your company.

My journey towards the publishing industry began when I was 6. That’s when I wrote a short love story about a princess and an ice cream delivery man (non-trivial theme, I know). Then I tried to persuade my parents to let me print several copies to give away to my friends. But my mom said that book publishing isn’t free, so I do need to finish several chores first if I want my novel to see the light of day. Since then, I’ve learned a lot more about the publishing industry during my 5 years as an Associate Essay Editor with Angies’ Publishing House and as Romance Features Editor at Wedding Magazine. 

Additionally, I provide manuscript editing services as a freelancer to self-published romance authors, specializing in period dramas — a genre where Clarks and Spencer Publishing certainly excels. Joanne Monroe and Andy McKinzey are two of my long-term favorite authors, whose your house published. 

Apart from having strong copyediting skills, I’m also experienced with the operational side of the business. I can provide creative direction and vision for book illustrations, liaise with authors and agents, and otherwise facilitate the titles acquisition process. 

For previous samples of my work and references, please check my personal website kaylaeditorialservices.com. If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to contact me. 

Kayla Devis 

How To Write A Cover Letter for Publishing Industry Jobs

Since you are in the business of words, your cover letter should be coherent, well-narrated, and a bit artistically articulate. After all, you’d like to advertise your personal writing skills too and there’s no better way to do that than in a cover letter.

Still, your cover letter should respect the “unspoken” code — provide background into your work experience, core competencies, and motivation for joining this particular company. To communicate all of the above within one page, follow these actionable tips. 

1. Explain Your “Why”

Why are you so interested in the publishing industry? Why do you want to work for our company? These are the questions nearly every employer in the industry asks. And they want to see answers to them in your cover letter. 

As Carolyn Zimatore, Director, Talent Management at HarperCollins Publishers puts it : 

“I am not sure which is worse: a generic cover letter that says “I would like the open position at your company” without any mention of what the company is or what the job is or why you want the job, or no cover letter at all.”

So before you put any words down, take a five and research the company . Look into the type of genres they are mostly publishing. Check recent authors. Bring up industry awards. There are a lot of small nuggets you can dig up to make your letter sound as if you intimately know their business. 

2. Use Some Storytelling 

Most people join the publishing industry because they are obsessed with great stories. Show your appreciation of a good narrative by weaving in a quick personal story into your letter like the applicant does in the letter above. Just remember to err on the side of brevity. A cover letter isn’t a novel. So keep your story short and sweet as the author does in the sample above. 

3. Advertise Some Extra Skills 

If you want to work in the publishing industry, you need to have exceptional writing and editorial skills. But that’s what every other job applicant will highlight too. So instead of focusing on just that, bring up some of the “extras” you have. Are you an amazing negotiator and can get the needle moving with agents? Are you a maven when it comes to writing jacket copy and sales notes? Do you also happen to be obsessed with numbers and can do baseline sales projections, price research, and other analytical tasks? Bring all of these complementary skills in your cover letter!

Here are several other in-demand skills for editorial jobs in the publishing industry:

• Publishing process coordination 
• Author relationship management 
• Typography and illustration 
• Market research 
• Deal management 
• Payment records management 
• P&L management 
• Backlist project coordination 

Final Thoughts

Landing a job in the publishing industry is a dream for many bookworms. But don’t let this be just a dream — take proactive steps to get your foot in the door. Sure, such jobs are competitive, but with a little bit of persistence and the right attitude, you’d be able to break into it!

Elena runs content operations at Freesumes since 2017. She works closely with copywriters, designers, and invited career experts to ensure that all content meets our highest editorial standards. Up to date, she wrote over 200 career-related pieces around resume writing, career advice... more

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How to Write a Stand-Out Cover Letter

• How to Write a Stand-Out…

SO, WHAT IS A COVER LETTER?

Literary agents and many literary competitions require a cover letter along with your sample chapters and synopsis. This is a formal introduction to you and your novel. Note: It is not a CV, a bio or a blurb for the book. It’s a letter, written from one professional to another, that should make the agent or judge want to read more. The biggest mistake entrants to the BPA First Novel Award made this year was getting the balance off, either writing too much about the novel or too much about themselves – some poor novels didn’t get a mention. There’s a rough template most agents and competition judges will look for, and it’s pretty doable! Let’s give it a go.

TELL US ABOUT THE NOVEL

First, tell us about the novel. That’s what you’re trying to sell! You want the agent to finish the cover letter with such curiosity about the book that they’re hungry for the sample chapters. 

The first paragraph will usually reveal the title , the genre , the word count of the completed manuscript (If you don’t include this, they might worry you haven’t finished it!) and something that offers a taste of the novel, like a mention of the themes you’re going to explore.

Be specific when stating the genre – if it’s general fiction, think about whether the market is commercial, book club, upmarket or literary. If it’s YA, don’t just say it’s YA – is it a YA romance? YA dystopia? Who’s out there writing YA crime? The literary agent will be familiar with all the terms, so the more specific you are, the easier it will be to picture an audience for the book.

Once you’ve provided these core facts, write an elevator pitch . This is a single sentence that conveys your novel’s hook or USP. For inspiration, check out the Sunday Times Bestsellers List:

• Richard Osman’s  The Thursday Murder Club : Four friends in a retirement village team up to solve a mystery on their doorstep.
• Paula Hawkins’  The Girl on the Train : A commuter’s fascination with a married couple she passes every day turns deadly.

It’s a good idea to follow this up with a one-paragraph description of the novel. Unlike the synopsis, it doesn’t need to tell the entire story, but it should be just more than the premise. Tell us who the protagonist is, what happens to upset the balance of their life, and what their goal is (presumably to restore said life balance!). If you can do that in a couple of sentences, you might also mention one of the novel’s core turning points.

Cover letters should describe the novel first, then the writer, then remind us of the novel at the end. In a short final paragraph, say what inspired you to write the book and offer some comparable titles . (Check out agent Nelle Andrew’s advice on comparable titles .)

The letter should be targeted towards the literary agent or competition judge you’re writing to. Some writers choose to open with this and others incorporate it into the later paragraphs. The best way to make a connection and show you’ve done your research is to mention an author on the agent’s list who has a relevant readership. You could also explain why you think your novel aligns with what they describe in their wish list.

TELL US ABOUT YOU

It’s the writing, not the writer, that’s important … but the agent or judge does want to know about you too. They especially want to know why you were the one person who could write this book . And it’s true – no one else could write the book you’ve written. So tell us why. Did your job as a psychiatrist inspire the analysis of your antagonist’s motivation? Do you live in the idyllic town where the book is set? Have you studied the era of your historical novel? Share relevant details about yourself. 

The agent or judge also wants evidence that you are a writer. You’re not just someone who thinks they have a novel in them; you take your craft seriously. If you can, share what magazines your short fiction has been published in, the competitions you’ve been listed in or the creative writing courses you’ve completed. If you don’t have that kind of experience, share anything that tells us you’re serious. Join a writer’s workshop group and tell us about that. Attend an online masterclass (like the ones BPA runs ) and mention that. Experiment with writing in different forms and tell us about it. S hare which contemporary authors have inspired you, so it’s clear that you’re well read. Just don’t put, ‘This is my first attempt at writing fiction,’ and leave it at that. It doesn’t inspire confidence.

A cover letter should be professional, like the cover letter you would send with a job application, but you also want it to have some personality. And given you’re basically applying for the role of ‘novelist’, it needs to be well written.

So, keep it formal, make sure it’s eloquent, and try to get some flow into it. When you read it aloud, it should sound natural. If it doesn’t, it might be that you haven’t varied sentence length, that you’ve used rigid language, or simply that you’re trying too hard. As formal as a cover letter should be, you want your enthusiasm for this novel you’ve spent so long writing to imbue the lines. 

COMMON ISSUES IN ‘BPA FIRST NOVEL AWARD’ SUBMITTED COVER LETTERS

• Formatting it like a CV or splitting it into sections titled ‘Bio’ and ‘Novel Summary’.
• Sharing irrelevant detail about your personal life. 
• Making it too short – 200-350 words is a good guideline.
• Or too long – unfortunately, nobody’s going to read a cover letter past the first page!
• Writing a vague description of the story e.g. ‘When a mysterious event happens, a woman will have to look to the past to uncover the truth.’
• Including long-winded explanations of why there’s a huge market for your book.
• Coming across as arrogant … or lacking in confidence.
• Sharing more about the novel’s message than its story.

WRITE THE COVER LETTER YOUR NOVEL DESERVES

Once you’ve finished a manuscript, the instinct is to get it on submission as soon as possible, but it’s worth taking the time to give an accurate and exciting representation of the work . Literary agents receive many submissions a day and have to fit reading time in with a huge workload. You need to grab them in the cover letter so that they’re already thinking of you as a potential client when they read the sample.

Out of everything you could have written on the blank pages of a document titled Novel , you’ve carefully chosen each word of this story that has to be told. You know people will love it and you hopefully have a sense of who and why . Get that across to the agent or competition reader, and maybe, just maybe, they’ll request the full manuscript.

For personalised feedback on your cover letter, you might want to consider a BPA Submission Package Report – enquire here .

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Writing Tips Oasis - A website dedicated to helping writers to write and publish books.

How to Write a Book Proposal for Fiction

By Georgina Roy

Writing Tips Oasis previously focused on writing fiction and many of its genres, subgenres, and categories. Now, because every writer needs to know how to write a book proposal, we’ve decided to tackle the subject and create a general guide that can be used for any fiction genre or category.

Now, before we continue, let’s get some myths out of the way.

Myth #1: book proposals should only be done for non-fiction books. This one is not true. Many agents and editors are happy to receive book proposals for fiction, especially because fiction book proposals offer a deeper insight into the book, its audience, its competition on the market, and the author, among many other things.

Myth #2: you should write the book before you send out a proposal. This one is not that much of a myth as it is a choice. For example, you may have not written a book, but you have a platform with a lot of followers, and maybe even an email subscription. You may want to see what your chances are of getting traditionally published before you write the book. Some writers choose to write proposals before they write the book because they do not want to spend time writing a book that might never sell.

On the other hand, if you’re relatively an unknown in the industry, you might want to try to write your book first and then write the proposal. Or, you can write the proposal as you’re writing a book. The book proposal needs to be very concise and precise, in wording and in the information it offers about your book and yourself as the writer, so it might be helpful for you to write it, regardless of whether you will send it anywhere or not.

Now, let’s get down to it.

Table of Contents

1. What’s a book proposal?

2. the purpose of a book proposal, 3. researching agents and publishing houses, 4. preparing the proposal, 5. things to focus on, 6. description of content, 7. synopsis, 8. the competition, 9. marketing and publicity options, 10. promotion plans, 11. possible endorsements, 12. author’s bio, 13. sample chapters, 14. formatting standards, 15. additional elements.

A book proposal is a document that will offer a brief, but very concise information about your novel and yourself as a writer. Usually, it will be divided into several parts, beginning with your book, then your audience and how you can captivate them with your story, then, about you as the writer, as well as your marketability. A good book proposal will include sample pages (or chapters, but never more than two or three), where the agent or the editor can get a good look at your writing style and the story you want to tell.

You might be asking yourself why you need to write a book proposal. Primarily, you might need to write one because an agent has signed you on and they’re requesting a book proposal that they will send to publishing houses. This would be the ideal situation, considering that a lot of editors and publishing houses do not read unsolicited book proposals or manuscripts.

Second, you might be one of the lucky writers out there whose unsolicited query letter to a publishing houses has been accepted, and the publishing house has asked you to write a book proposal and send it to them.

Third: writing a good proposal will give you great insight into your novel, especially if you are still in the process of writing it, or have yet to begin to write it.

However, depending on your goal, you shouldn’t just write a book proposal and send it everywhere (agents, publishing houses, editors). Book proposals should be tailored: to yourself as the writer, to your book, and to the agent (or editor or publishing house) you’re submitting your work to for appraisal.

There are certain technicalities when it comes to writing a book proposal. Each editor or publishing house, for example, have submission rules. Some of them, as previously mentioned, do not receive or accept unsolicited manuscripts, proposals, or even query letters. This means that you cannot just submit your work or send your proposal letter to a publishing house without an agent , unless the publishing house has announced that it receives unsolicited material (usually on their website). And, regardless of their stance on unsolicited proposals, they have probably published their own guidelines in terms of font, spacing, formatting, and even outlines and necessary information that you should provide in your proposal.

So, if you already have a publishing house in mind, research their guidelines. However, what you should also do, at this stage, is also research the titles that the publishing house has previously published. Determine how similar or different your book is compared to their established titles, for it will help you in writing the book proposal.

It’s not easy to write a proposal. You might be able to just jump into writing one, following a template, and come up with the perfect proposal. Only to realize that your whole proposal is longer than 20 pages.

Yeah, that might be a tad too long.

It’s easy to get lost in your story, and within the proposal, you will need to offer a book summary, or a synopsis, where you describe what happens in your novel, plot-wise, and what your characters learn within it (character’s arc), and before you know it, you end up retelling every scene because every scene is important to plot and character (ideally), in which case, the effect of such a proposal will not differ much from the effect of sending an unsolicited manuscript to a publishing house that does not accept them.

So, before you begin, discover which things you need to focus on.

What are your strengths as an author? Do you have a blog or a big following? Have you been active in the business before, or will this be a first time for you? Focus on discovering just how much of an attraction you have at the moment as a writer whose novel will hit the market soon. You will need to summarize all of these within the proposal, and more.

These things include:

• Description of content;
• A synopsis of your novel: it should not be longer than 500 words, and it should offer a streamlined description of what happens in your book;
• Information about your target audience;
• Information about your competition, focusing on the similarities and differences between your book and the competition books;
• Your promotion plans as the author;
• Author’s biography, which should be short and concise;
• Your marketability as a writer;
• The marketability of your novel as per its genre and target audience;
• Possible endorsements (if you have any);
• Sample chapters.

Now, let’s take a deeper look at each of these. We will talk more about the formatting standards later, but for now, it’s worth noting that a fiction book proposal’s template depends on the agent or publishing house you’re sending it to. If the agent or the publishing house have not expressed submission guidelines (usually on their website), there are standard templates that you can use.

The description of content needs to include the title, the number of words in your book (not pages!), the target audience, a short logline, a brief description of the story (often also called a blurb), and, you might want to add a quick information about the issues you’re focusing on in your novel, as well as content warning and triggers (if you deem your novel to have some).

The title of your book is important. The simplest, one or two word titles can work wonders, but that did not stop Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone from being published. In any event, choose the best title you can for your book depending on the genre, but also remain open to alternative titles, and offer some examples on your own.

The number of words in your novel is also important, and largely, it depends on the genre. For example, an epic fantasy is longer than 110,000 words, but most novels fall between the mark of 60,000 and 100,000 words. This means that if you wrote a romance novel longer than 100,000, you should consider editing it and making it shorter, since most romance novels have around 75,000 words. Publishers need the word count of your novel to have better insight into printing costs. If you offer a novel of more than 100,000 words to a relatively small publisher, you might get rejected just because it will be too expensive for them to publish you.

You don’t need to put in extensive information about your target audience. However, you do need to define the age of your intended audience. For example, if your novel is a young adult dystopia, your ideal target audience would be: young adults, ages 13-17, fans of Hunger Games and Divergent. The books you list here in this section should also be included in the competition section.

When it comes to the logline and blurb (not the synopsis!), you need to be short and precise. For example, let’s say that you’re writing an urban fantasy novel where the protagonist discovers she can create illusions of monsters that come to life. The logline for the story might read: When a young woman discovers her shocking powers of illusion, she races against the clock to dispel them before New York is destroyed.

For the same story, the blurb would read: In 2018 New York, Marie Lane is trying to live a normal life. Her mother Charlotte was recently diagnosed with a mysterious disease, so Marie has been working as many hours possible at a small subway diner. One night, as she’s waiting for the train, a homeless man attacks Marie, but two monsters that often appear in Marie’s nightmares come to life behind him and kill him. Before Marie has a chance to react, the monsters disappear deep into the underbelly of the city. Soon, more bodies show up, and all of them are connected to Marie. As the police start putting two and two together, Marie has to find the monsters and discover how to dispel them before it’s too late.

In other words, the blurb and the logline need to offer information about the central plot of the novel, the protagonist, and what the story is about. It’s worth noting that having both a blurb and a synopsis in a book proposal can be overdoing it. Depending on your story, a blurb and a logline might be enough, especially if you are dealing with specific themes in your novel. In that case, you can use a blurb section and themes. Try to explain the themes not in a general way, but specifically how the themes are represented in your novel through the characters.

A detailed synopsis that still manages to be short and concise might be a bit too much to ask, but it’s important to understand that a synopsis will do a better job at letting the agents and the publishers know your story better. Yes, you will need to recount the events of your novel, your characters and their arcs, and you will need to include spoilers and plot twists. Do not be afraid if the synopsis turns out to be more than a page or two, making your proposal longer. Remember, here you need to describe every event of the plot, and the character’s arc of your protagonist as well. This might take one or two pages to do completely, and there is no need for you to try to keep plot twists or sudden surprises hidden. Your publishers would need all of that information to get a better feel of the story you’d be offering to the readers.

Most writers would tell you that this section should be called “comparables,” rather than competition. And we agree, in a book proposal, the title “comparables” creates a better impression.

That doesn’t mean that you don’t need to see these books as competition, because they will be. Readers like to read similar books, that’s true (otherwise, all genres would have only one book to represent each). Also, there is nothing new under the sun. All stories have already been told. What’s different with each other is the interpretation. Your young adult dystopian novel will be different than The Hunger Games, because you as a writer have taken the idea of a dystopian future and offered a different interpretation. Still, that doesn’t mean that The Hunger Games is not part of your competition. In fact, your readers will compare your book to The Hunger Games, looking for similarities and differences. In your comparables section, you need to do this too. You need to choose at least three titles from your genre, read them (if you haven’t done so previously), analyse them and present the differences and similarities to the agent or the publisher. This will show them that your novel will attract readers in your genre, and still be an original story.

Note: It’s important to read the books that belong in your competition. First, you don’t want to sound unprofessional in your comparables section, and this is bound to happen if you have never read the book you’re comparing your own novel to. Second, you should read those novels almost as soon as you’ve decided on the genre. It’s important because you might make story and plot choices that will be very similar to a novel that’s already been published. It’s not uncommon for two writers to come up with similar ideas, especially if their novels are within the same genre.

In this section, you are letting the publishers or agent understand what kind of a marketing plan they will need to promote you. Here is the kicker. Let’s say that the publishers have a pile of 10 book proposals to go through. Let’s say that you’re an unknown and have virtually no online presence anywhere. Let’s say that you cannot really offer much in this section, and the subsequent one (promotion plans). Let’s say that only two of the book proposals have a solid online presence. They blog about writing, about their own books, they may have published some free excerpts and short stories on their website or another website dedicated to free fiction written by unknown authors like Wattpad. They have listed in this section a following of about 5,000, and 10,000 people respectively. The second one even has a mailing list of a 1,500 subscribers, and send out a newsletter every week or month.

Even if your story is better than the others, even if the person with the 5,000 followers has also a good story, the publishers will more likely go for the author who has a following of 10,000 people, mostly because the publishers understand that at least 10,000 people will be interested in buying the author’s book.

Yes, we know this is unfair to unknown writers who prefer to hone their craft before they make an attempt at reaching the world, but that’s how the internet and social media affected the publishing industry. Today, your number of followers, your online (and local) outreach is very important to your chances of getting published. We say chances because your story might still get rejected, even if you have thousands of followers. The reader of your proposal (agent, editor) is the one who will ultimately decide if they like your story or not, and you can bet that their choice will be subjective.

What you can do if you cannot fill out this section to your satisfaction is to create an online presence for yourself. You can still send out book proposals, but since generating a big online presence doesn’t happen overnight, you need to start somewhere. Places like Goodreads or Wattpad are a good way to start, but you should also consider creating your own author’s website, a subscriber list, and blog.

If you already have a steady online presence, congratulations! You’re on the right path, and all you need to do is list all of your outreach mediums (readers on your blog, email subscribers, followers on social media). On the other hand, if you have an Instagram with 2,000 followers and it’s your personal Instagram where you post pictures of your cats and selfies, maybe you should leave it out of your book proposal, unless the Instagram account is about you as an author and your followers are your readers.

This section is not about what the publisher can do to market and promote your book. It’s about what you can do to market and promote your own book. Let’s say that you have contacts in your local bookstores, have been in the publishing industry for some time now, and even though this is your first book, you have participated in events and writing conferences, and have a solid network of people in the industry.

In this section, you need to list the things you can do for your book. Do not wait for your novel to be published before asking your local bookstores if you could do a reading there – ask beforehand, and if you receive a positive answer, let the publishers be aware of this in this section. You have been a keynote speaker and will do so in an event a few months from now, you can make guest posts on the blogs of influential people. Make sure to share how many people you could reach, by yourself, to promote your book, and in how many ways you could do it.

This will let the publishers know that you, on your own, are able to help with promotion and marketing, which again, increases your chances of getting published traditionally.

We mentioned before that if you can make guest posts on influential blogs with many followers, you should share that information in your proposal. The endorsements section is where you will list specific people who are already big names in the industry endorse you as a writer.

If you do not have these, do not despair! If a publisher decides to take you on, they might send out ARCs (advanced reading copies) of your novel to popular reviewers and famous authors (if they themselves have the reach to do so). However, it’s a good idea to begin networking on writing conferences and similar events (if you haven’t started already). It’s always a good idea to get feedback on your work, especially from other professionals, but the real benefit is the connections you will be able to make, both during the event and afterwards.

Imagine that you’re holding your book. Imagine that you’re looking at the little corner where it says “about the author.” What would you like it to say?

Imagine it and write it down. It needs to be short – so don’t go overboard, you’re not writing a full biography. Usually, a bio includes information about the author’s journey to becoming a writer, the author’s previous success (if possible), like awards, endorsements, competition wins and prizes, and so on. Then, a bio would end with where the author lives and with whom, for example, “she lives in London with her husband and their two kids.”

We already mentioned that the inclusion of sample chapters depends on the agent’s or the publisher’s submission guidelines. If the submission guidelines allow for sample chapters in book proposals, they usually do not allow more than three.

Pick these sample chapters carefully. You can choose the first few chapters, or maybe you will make the choice to send important chapters in the middle of the story. In this case, the better option is the first three chapters, rather than later ones. First, your publishers want to know that, well, you’re not boring. A lot of first time writers think that they need to open with a normal day in the protagonist’s life, with a lot of background story told to the reader in the first two chapters. In fact, it’s much better to begin with the action as soon as possible. Showing that you can do this in the first couple of chapters will let the publisher know that you’re not dragging on your story way too long. The first three chapters will also let the publishers view your writing style, the references you might use, and how you write your action scenes and the scenes that are calmer and reflective in nature.

They say that you never get a second chance to make a first impression, so make sure that your book proposal is formatted the right way. Some writers will tell you that what is really important is the text in the proposal (the description of your book), rather than what font its written in and how the lines are spaced. However, we will make a very generous bet that a proposal written in comic sans, for example, will not be taken very seriously by an agent or a publisher. In fact, they might even take it as an insult at worst, or a joke at best. (Comic sans is just a really, really bad font).

So, make sure that your book proposal goes, as follows:

• Category/genre
• Length (in words, not pages!)
• Target audience
• Blurb/Synopsis
• Alternative titles
• Issues and themes
• Marketing and publicity
• Comparables
• Possible endorsements
• Sample chapters

When it comes to formatting, use:

• 12 point Times New Roman font on standard 8½ x 11 sized pages;
• The text needs to be singe spaced throughout, except in your sample chapters;
• Number all of the pages of the proposal, except for the title page. This numbering needs to go even through your sample chapters (do not put page 1 on the first page of your sample chapters, continue with the numbering instead, all the way to the end);
• Include your name, the title of the proposal, and the page number in the header (or the footer, although it’s preferable in the header);
• If you’re sending your proposal in a physical copy by mail, make sure to bind it with a paper clip. Do not punch any kind of holes in the proposal; no stapling, binding, or even gluing the pages together.

Note: in your book proposal, after the tile page, the information up to your target audience can fit into one page, while the rest (especially the synopsis) can take a lot more than one page. It’s a good idea to include a table of contents to make it easier for the reader (agent, editor) to navigate the document.

If you have any other elements to add in your book proposal, like an author’s note on the book, make sure to include them before the sample chapters. The sample chapters should always come at the end of the proposal.

Make sure that these additional elements are really important and can have an impact in convincing the agent or the editor to ask you to read the whole manuscript. Do not include illustrations or pictures of characters, artefacts, objects or places. Be careful with this section, because you don’t want to include too much information that bogs down the reader, making them unwilling to proceed to read your sample chapters.

A book proposal for fiction is important in getting traditionally published. You can send them out to agents and publishing houses (if they accept unsolicited book proposals). Also, if you want to get an agent to represent you, you may wish to begin with a query letter first, and then send a book proposal.

Always, read submission guidelines and make sure to match them. Do not bog down your proposal with repeated information and unnecessary information (like what the characters are wearing, unless it’s a period piece and the clothing is plot relatedly important). Analyse and understand your own marketing and promotion capabilities and include them in your proposal. Keep your bio short, interesting, and precise.

Be polite and respectful in tone, and thank the reader for their time. We hope this guide will help you write book proposals that will yield positive results in agents and editors.

Georgina Roy wants to live in a world filled with magic. As a screenwriting student, she is content to fill notebooks and sketchbooks with magical creatures and amazing new worlds. When she is not at school, watching a film or scribbling away in a notebook, you can usually find her curled up, reading a good urban fantasy novel, or writing on her own.

How to Write a Cover Letter That Will Get You a Job

I ’ve read thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of cover letters in my career. If you’re thinking that sounds like really boring reading, you’re right. What I can tell you from enduring that experience is that most cover letters are terrible — and not only that, but squandered opportunities. When a cover letter is done well, it can significantly increase your chances of getting an interview, but the vast majority fail that test.

So let’s talk about how to do cover letters right.

First, understand the point of a cover letter.

The whole idea of a cover letter is that it can help the employer see you as more than just your résumé. Managers generally aren’t hiring based solely on your work history; your experience is crucial, yes, but they’re also looking for someone who will be easy to work with, shows good judgment, communicates well, possesses strong critical thinking skills and a drive to get things done, complements their current team, and all the other things you yourself probably want from your co-workers. It’s tough to learn much about those things from job history alone, and that’s where your cover letter comes in.

Because of that …

Whatever you do, don’t just summarize your résumé.

The No. 1 mistake people make with cover letters is that they simply use them to summarize their résumé. This makes no sense — hiring managers don’t need a summary of your résumé! It’s on the very next page! They’re about to see it as soon as they scroll down. And if you think about it, your entire application is only a few pages (in most cases, a one- or two-page résumé and a one-page cover letter) — why would you squander one of those pages by repeating the content of the others? And yet, probably 95 percent of the cover letters I see don’t add anything new beyond the résumé itself (and that’s a conservative estimate).

Instead, your cover letter should go beyond your work history to talk about things that make you especially well-suited for the job. For example, if you’re applying for an assistant job that requires being highly organized and you neurotically track your household finances in a detailed, color-coded spreadsheet, most hiring managers would love to know that because it says something about the kind of attention to detail you’d bring to the job. That’s not something you could put on your résumé, but it can go in your cover letter.

Or maybe your last boss told you that you were the most accurate data processor she’d ever seen, or came to rely on you as her go-to person whenever a lightning-fast rewrite was needed. Maybe your co-workers called you “the client whisperer” because of your skill in calming upset clients. Maybe you’re regularly sought out by more senior staff to help problem-solve, or you find immense satisfaction in bringing order to chaos. Those sorts of details illustrate what you bring to the job in a different way than your résumé does, and they belong in your cover letter.

If you’re still stumped, pretend you’re writing an email to a friend about why you’d be great at the job. You probably wouldn’t do that by stiffly reciting your work history, right? You’d talk about what you’re good at and how you’d approach the work. That’s what you want here.

You don’t need a creative opening line.

If you think you need to open the letter with something creative or catchy, I am here to tell you that you don’t. Just be simple and straightforward:

• “I’m writing to apply for your X position.”

• “I’d love to be considered for your X position.”

• “I’m interested in your X position because …”

• “I’m excited to apply for your X position.”

That’s it! Straightforward is fine — better, even, if the alternative is sounding like an aggressive salesperson.

Show, don’t tell.

A lot of cover letters assert that the person who wrote it would excel at the job or announce that the applicant is a skillful engineer or a great communicator or all sorts of other subjective superlatives. That’s wasted space — the hiring manager has no reason to believe it, and so many candidates claim those things about themselves that most managers ignore that sort of self-assessment entirely. So instead of simply declaring that you’re great at X (whatever X is), your letter should demonstrate that. And the way you do that is by describing accomplishments and experiences that illustrate it.

Here’s a concrete example taken from one extraordinarily effective cover-letter makeover that I saw. The candidate had originally written, “I offer exceptional attention to detail, highly developed communication skills, and a talent for managing complex projects with a demonstrated ability to prioritize and multitask.” That’s pretty boring and not especially convincing, right? (This is also exactly how most people’s cover letters read.)

In her revised version, she wrote this instead:

“In addition to being flexible and responsive, I’m also a fanatic for details — particularly when it comes to presentation. One of my recent projects involved coordinating a 200-page grant proposal: I proofed and edited the narratives provided by the division head, formatted spreadsheets, and generally made sure that every line was letter-perfect and that the entire finished product conformed to the specific guidelines of the RFP. (The result? A five-year, $1.5 million grant award.) I believe in applying this same level of attention to detail to tasks as visible as prepping the materials for a top-level meeting and as mundane as making sure the copier never runs out of paper.”

That second version is so much more compelling and interesting — and makes me believe that she really is great with details.

If there’s anything unusual or confusing about your candidacy, address it in the letter.

Your cover letter is your chance to provide context for things that otherwise might seem confusing or less than ideal to a hiring manager. For example, if you’re overqualified for the position but are excited about it anyway, or if you’re a bit underqualified but have reason to think you could excel at the job, address that up front. Or if your background is in a different field but you’re actively working to move into this one, say so, talk about why, and explain how your experience will translate. Or if you’re applying for a job across the country from where you live because you’re hoping to relocate to be closer to your family, let them know that.

If you don’t provide that kind of context, it’s too easy for a hiring manager to decide you’re the wrong fit or applying to everything you see or don’t understand the job description and put you in the “no” pile. A cover letter gives you a chance to say, “No, wait — here’s why this could be a good match.”

Keep the tone warm and conversational.

While there are some industries that prize formal-sounding cover letters — like law — in most fields, yours will stand out if it’s warm and conversational. Aim for the tone you’d use if you were writing to a co-worker whom you liked a lot but didn’t know especially well. It’s okay to show some personality or even use humor; as long as you don’t go overboard, your letter will be stronger for it.

Don’t use a form letter.

You don’t need to write every cover letter completely from scratch, but if you’re not customizing it to each job, you’re doing it wrong. Form letters tend to read like form letters, and they waste the chance to speak to the specifics of what this employer is looking for and what it will take to thrive in this particular job.

If you’re applying for a lot of similar jobs, of course you’ll end up reusing language from one letter to the next. But you shouldn’t have a single cover letter that you wrote once and then use every time you apply; whatever you send should sound like you wrote it with the nuances of this one job in mind.

A good litmus test is this: Could you imagine other applicants for this job sending in the same letter? If so, that’s a sign that you haven’t made it individualized enough to you and are probably leaning too heavily on reciting your work history.

No, you don’t need to hunt down the hiring manager’s name.

If you read much job-search advice, at some point you’ll come across the idea that you need to do Woodward and Bernstein–level research to hunt down the hiring manager’s name in order to open your letter with “Dear Matilda Jones.” You don’t need to do this; no reasonable hiring manager will care. If the name is easily available, by all means, feel free to use it, but otherwise “Dear Hiring Manager” is absolutely fine. Take the hour you just freed up and do something more enjoyable with it.

Keep it under one page.

If your cover letters are longer than a page, you’re writing too much, and you risk annoying hiring managers who are likely sifting through hundreds of applications and don’t have time to read lengthy tomes. On the other hand, if you only write one paragraph, it’s unlikely that you’re making a compelling case for yourself as a candidate — not impossible, but unlikely. For most people, something close to a page is about right.

Don’t agonize over the small details.

What matters most about your cover letter is its content. You should of course ensure that it’s well-written and thoroughly proofread, but many job seekers agonize over elements of the letter that really don’t matter. I get tons of  questions from job seekers  about whether they should attach their cover letter or put it in the body of the email (answer: No one cares, but attaching it makes it easier to share and will preserve your formatting), or what to name the file (again, no one really cares as long as it’s reasonably professional, but when people are dealing with hundreds of files named “resume,” it’s courteous to name it with your full name).

Approaching your cover letter like this can make a huge difference in your job search. It can be the thing that moves your application from the “maybe” pile (or even the “no” pile) to the “yes” pile. Of course, writing cover letters like this will take more time than sending out the same templated letter summarizing your résumé — but 10 personalized, compelling cover letters are likely to get you more  interview invitations  than 50 generic ones will.

• ‘I Had a Great Job Interview — Why Haven’t I Heard Back?’
• How to Answer ‘Tell Me About Yourself’ in a Job Interview

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The Professor Is In

Guidance for all things PhD: Graduate School, Job Market and Careers

As the School Year Ends, Update Your CV!

By Karen Kelsky | May 23, 2024

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• Dr. Karen’s Rules of the Academic CV
• How Do You Make a “Short” CV?
• What is Evidence of Teaching Excellence?
• Editing Your C.V. and Letter for Teaching/Writing Positions
• Teaching: Not When and Where but What and How

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https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2024/05/16/new-rshe-guidance-what-it-means-for-sex-education-lessons-in-schools/

New RSHE guidance: What it means for sex education lessons in schools

R elationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) is a subject taught at both primary and secondary school.  

In 2020, Relationships and Sex Education was made compulsory for all secondary school pupils in England and Health Education compulsory for all pupils in state-funded schools.  

Last year, the Prime Minister and Education Secretary brought forward the first review of the curriculum following reports of pupils being taught inappropriate content in RSHE in some schools.  

The review was informed by the advice of an independent panel of experts. The results of the review and updated guidance for consultation has now been published.   

We are now asking for views from parents, schools and others before the guidance is finalised. You can find the consultation here .   

What is new in the updated curriculum?  

Following the panel’s advice, w e’re introducing age limits, to ensure children aren’t being taught about sensitive and complex subjects before they are ready to fully understand them.    

We are also making clear that the concept of gender identity – the sense a person may have of their own gender, whether male, female or a number of other categories   – is highly contested and should not be taught. This is in line with the cautious approach taken in our gu idance on gender questioning children.  

Along with other factors, teaching this theory in the classroom could prompt some children to start to question their gender when they may not have done so otherwise, and is a complex theory for children to understand.   

The facts about biological sex and gender reassignment will still be taught.  

The guidance for schools also contains a new section on transparency with parents, making it absolutely clear that parents have a legal right to know what their children are being taught in RSHE and can request to see teaching materials.   

In addition, we’re seeking views on adding several new subjects to the curriculum, and more detail on others. These include:   

• Suicide prevention  
• Sexual harassment and sexual violence  
• L oneliness  
• The prevalence of 'deepfakes’  
• Healthy behaviours during pregnancy, as well as miscarriage  
• Illegal online behaviours including drug and knife supply  
• The dangers of vaping   
• Menstrual and gynaecological health including endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and heavy menstrual bleeding.  

What are the age limits?   

In primary school, we’ve set out that subjects such as the risks about online gaming, social media and scams should not be taught before year 3.   

Puberty shouldn’t be taught before year 4, whilst sex education shouldn’t be taught before year 5, in line with what pupils learn about conception and birth as part of the national curriculum for science.  

In secondary school, issues regarding sexual harassment shouldn’t be taught before year 7, direct references to suicide before year 8 and any explicit discussion of sexual activity before year 9.  

Do schools have to follow the guidance?  

Following the consultation, the guidance will be statutory, which means schools must follow it unless there are exceptional circumstances.   

There is some flexibility w ithin the age ratings, as schools will sometimes need to respond to questions from pupils about age-restricted content, if they come up earlier within their school community.   

In these circumstances, schools are instructed to make sure that teaching is limited to the essential facts without going into unnecessary details, and parents should be informed.  

When will schools start teaching this?  

School s will be able to use the guidance as soon as we publish the final version later this year.   

However, schools will need time to make changes to their curriculum, so we will allow an implementation period before the guidance comes into force.     

What can parents do with these resources once they have been shared?

This guidance has openness with parents at its heart. Parents are not able to veto curriculum content, but they should be able to see what their children are being taught, which gives them the opportunity to raise issues or concerns through the school’s own processes, if they want to.

Parents can also share copyrighted materials they have received from their school more widely under certain circumstances.

If they are not able to understand materials without assistance, parents can share the materials with translators to help them understand the content, on the basis that the material is not shared further.

Copyrighted material can also be shared under the law for so-called ‘fair dealing’ - for the purposes of quotation, criticism or review, which could include sharing for the purpose of making a complaint about the material.

This could consist of sharing with friends, families, faith leaders, lawyers, school organisations, governing bodies and trustees, local authorities, Ofsted and the media.  In each case, the sharing of the material must be proportionate and accompanied by an acknowledgment of the author and its ownership.

Under the same principle, parents can also share relevant extracts of materials with the general public, but except in cases where the material is very small, it is unlikely that it would be lawful to share the entirety of the material.

These principles would apply to any material which is being made available for teaching in schools, even if that material was provided subject to confidentiality restrictions.

Do all children have to learn RSHE?  

Parents still have the right to withdraw their child from sex education, but not from the essential content covered in relationships educatio n.  

You may also be interested in:

• Education Secretary's letter to parents: You have the right to see RSHE lesson material
• Sex education: What is RSHE and can parents access curriculum materials?
• What do children and young people learn in relationship, sex and health education

Tags: age ratings , Gender , Relationships and Sex Education , RSHE , sex ed , Sex education

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