How to Submit Your Book Proposal

Most publishing houses want to receive a book proposal rather than an entire manuscript. Some publishers prefer a query letter. To determine the submission format for each publishing house, check the latest edition of Sally Stuart's Christian Writers' Market Guide, available from our office.

A BOOK PROPOSAL is comprised of four parts:

1. A cover letter
2. A detailed chapter outline or synopsis
3. A comparative analysis
4. Three sample chapters

THE COVER LETTER should answer four questions:

• Why are you qualified to write this book?
• What is it about (told in one paragraph)?
• Who is your audience?
• Why will this book be marketable?

This letter should be only one typewritten page. Make sure the publisher realizes you are familiar with the house and that your book will fit into one of the book lines of that publishing house.

THE CHAPTER OUTLINE should be brief. Write a short paragraph summarizing each chapter to give the editor an overview of your book. This can be a vital tool for understanding the entire manuscript if the book proposal reaches the stage where it is considered by a publishing house committee.

For fiction books, most publishing houses prefer a running synopsis of the book rather than a chapter outline. This should be three to six pages and should be in the present tense.

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS should be researched. Check with your local Christian bookstore and see what other books on the market are similar to yours. Write an analysis, showing how your book compares to these other books and why you think your book will sell.

THREE SAMPLE CHAPTERS are normally included in a book proposal. Usually the first three chapters are sent to give the sense of continuity. Some authors prefer to send the first, middle, and last chapter; others include a chapter with specific significance.