A step-by-step guide to crafting a compelling scholarly book proposal-and seeing your book through to successful publication

The scholarly book proposal may be academia's most mysterious genre. You have to write one to get published, but most scholars receive no training on how to do so-and you may have never even seen a proposal before you're expected to produce your own. The Book Proposal Book cuts through the mystery and guides prospective authors step by step through the process of crafting a compelling proposal and pitching it to university presses and other academic publishers.

Laura Portwood-Stacer, an experienced developmental editor and publishing consultant for academic authors, shows how to select the right presses to target, identify audiences and competing titles, and write a project description that will grab the attention of editors-breaking the entire process into discrete, manageable tasks. The book features over fifty time-tested tips to make your proposal stand out; sample prospectuses, a letter of inquiry, and a response to reader reports from real authors; optional worksheets and checklists; answers to dozens of the most common questions about the scholarly publishing process; and much, much more.

Whether you're hoping to publish your first book or you're a seasoned author with an unfinished proposal languishing on your hard drive, The Book Proposal Book provides honest, empathetic, and invaluable advice on how to overcome common sticking points and get your book published. It also shows why, far from being merely a hurdle to clear, a well-conceived proposal can help lead to an outstanding book.

"The Book Proposal Book: A Guide for Scholarly Authors is not just a compendium of abstract advice; it's a structured program-complete with worksheets and concrete tasks-that takes readers through each step of researching and writing a proposal that will sell their book to an editor at a scholarly press. The handbook is premised on the fact that an effective proposal doesn't merely describe a book project-it makes an active case that the manuscript should exist in published form because it has the potential to reach and appeal to actual readers. The Book Proposal Book works though the implications of this premise, showing authors how a focus on audience and usability must inform every element of their pitch. Readers of this handbook will learn how to both write a complete book proposal and confidently navigate the scholarly publishing process from pitch to contract to publication. Moreover, they will gain invaluable insight into their own research and the message they want to share with the world"--

"By bringing clarity to topics that are seldom explicitly taught, The Book Proposal Book offers a vital resource, especially for scholars who lack the resources to work with a freelance editor or attend a publishing workshop. . . . The Book Proposal Book can help authors to feel less alone through the daunting process of proposal writing. . . . I recommend this book not only for authors who are currently working on book proposals, but for all readers who share Portwood-Stacer's commitment to helping scholarly writers feel hopeful, powerful, and supported."---Sara Saylor, Journal of Interactive Technology and Pedagogy