Let’s keep this simple, if you write a crappy book proposal you will not get published – end of story.
Big publishers need books they think will be bestsellers, but don’t have the time and resources to scan thousands of unsolicited manuscripts. They therefore, rely on agents to read the unsolicited manuscripts, reject the ones that don’t fit, and submit those to publishers with the best chance of publication.
Agents only get paid when a publisher accepts a book and this means agents are looking for the books that have the best chance of being accepted by publishers. Typically, these books will be well written, with a great narrative. However, they will also be of the correct genre for the publisher in question, and have a clear indication of the readership. After all, a publisher needs to be confident that they have the in-house expertise to edit and market a book before they take it on.
So how does an agent (and publisher) decide which books are well written, have a good narrative, fit into the correct genre and have a large enough readership?
The answer?
The book proposal.
This single document is the writer’s only chance to convince an agent that they have written a book worthy of publication. A book that ticks all the boxes.
So, as a writer, are you prepared to let your book be rejected just because you have a book proposal that fails to demonstrate that your book is well written, has a great narrative, fits into a recognised genre and has an established readership?
