What are editors looking for in book proposals?
Thomas: Today, we are joined by a special guest, Mike Nappa, a best-selling, award-winning Christian author and the Senior Acquisitions Editor at Discovery House Publishers.
We’re going to talk about what editors are looking for in book proposals. I wanted to highlight some of your key points on what people should and shouldn’t do. You had a great list of what you are not looking for in book proposals. Let’s start there. These are themes that come across your desk too often. Give me the big picture before we go through the list.
What kinds of proposals do editors reject most often?
Mike: Most people who want to write Christian books tend to be uncreative. They don’t understand that what makes a book saleable is its uniqueness. Many look at what’s already popular, like Jesus Calling, and think, “Wow, I should do that. Maybe Jesus Emailing or Jesus Texting.” They don’t realize that what made the original book successful was its uniqueness, not something they can copy.
I see themes that repeat in cycles. After reading the fortieth book proposal about how you’re beautiful to God, I think, yes, that’s important, but can we not do every single book on that topic? That’s where my list came from. These are themes I get constantly, and I’m not publishing any of them. So don’t send them to me:
What do editors not want to see in book proposals?
- “You’re God’s Pretty Pink Princess”
- “You’re God’s Pretty Pink Warrior-Girl”
- “Everybody Else is Wrong”
- “My Book Is Really Just an Excuse to Tell Dull, Narcissistic Stories about Myself”
- “I Don’t Really Have Anything of Depth to Say, But If I Publish a Book, It Will Validate Me”
- “I’m a Professional Speaker, So Obviously I Know How to Write a Book, Right?”
- “I Read a Lot of Books but Have Never Studied the Craft of Writing…No Biggie, Right?”
- “God Told Me to Write This Book!”
- “This My Latest Pet Peeve, So I’m Going to Over-Spiritualize It into a Book”
- “Yep, I’ve Got the Same Old Axe to Grind as Everybody Else”
- “I’m Super-Spiritual, So Why Aren’t You?”
- “Your Low Self-Esteem Needs My Book”
- “How to Make God Do What You Want Him to Do”
- “Twice the Results with Half the Prayer”
- “Simple Secrets to Success in Prayer” or “…in Faith” or “…in Life” or, well, you get the idea.
Why don’t “everyone else is wrong” books sell?
Thomas: This could be a real time saver for authors who don’t realize how often certain ideas have already been pitched. A common theme that is completely unlikely to be acquired in Christian books is the idea that “everyone else is wrong.” From a marketing standpoint, that kind of book doesn’t sell. Democrats don’t buy books by Republicans explaining why Democrats are wrong, and vice versa.
So what does this look like in Christian publishing?
Mike: A lot of it is political. Some Christians assume Republicans are the real Christians; others say Democrats are. I get proposals saying everyone who’s for immigration is wrong, or everyone against immigration is wrong, or everyone for Trump, or against Trump, is wrong.
My response is to say, “Let’s bring people together in Jesus and forget about the political battles. If your book’s purpose is to be caustic or to demand that everyone believe exactly as you do, there’s probably a publisher for that, but it’s not me. Don’t send me a book that says, “Here’s what you ought to know because I’m right and you’re wrong.” It’s condescending and insulting, and no reader wants to be treated that way.
How should authors approach persuasion in Christian books?
Thomas: The goal should be to help readers, not to scold them. A book should show how applying its message will benefit their lives. You want readers to change, but not by force.
Do you see a sweet spot for that balance?
Mike: Of course you want readers to be influenced by your book. But if your goal is to create clones of yourself who all think everyone else is wrong, I’m not interested.
A related issue is when people turn their latest pet peeve into a book. For example, someone decides, “We’re too dependent on screens; we need to unplug.” Then they publish an e-book about getting off your phone. See the irony? If you’ve just got an axe to grind, start a blog. Don’t send me your complaint disguised as a book proposal.
Why must authors study the craft of writing?
Thomas: Another problem is authors who’ve never studied the craft of writing. Why is that a problem? You’re the editor. Can’t you just turn anything into gold?
Mike: Ha! Of course not. This ties into another common phrase I hear, which is, “God told me to write this book.” As Christians, we have a higher standard than just producing something that might sell. When I meet people at writers’ conferences who say, “God told me to write a book,” I ask, “What have you done to study the craft of writing?” Often, they just stare at me.
If God called you to be the first chair cellist in the New York Symphony, you wouldn’t just pick up a cello and start playing. You’d study and practice for years. Why approach writing differently?
When God told Noah to build a boat, it took decades. Moses didn’t start his ministry until he was 80. Paul spent years studying before preaching. Why assume God wants you to skip the preparation? If God truly called you to write, you have a responsibility to learn your craft. Otherwise, you’re insulting God, your reader, and your editor.
How do faith and hard work fit together?
Thomas: Many Christians mistakenly think faith replaces work. They suppose that if God called us, He’ll do everything for us. But Scripture doesn’t support that. When God led Israel into Canaan, He didn’t wipe out the giants for them. They had to fight, strategize, and obey. Faith and works go hand in hand. If you doubt that, read the book of James; it’s right there in Scripture.
Mike: When we create books that transform lives, we rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance, but that guidance often comes through training and preparation. Writers and editors have simple tools: 26 letters and a handful of punctuation marks. If we don’t know how to use them well, we’ll wound our readers instead of healing them.
Thomas: Even truth, if not expressed in love, can do harm.
Mike: You have to know how to communicate clearly so you don’t accidentally send the wrong message.
What is the editor’s goal in Christian publishing?
Mike: Most people assume the purpose of writing is to share their own message or story. But publishing, especially Christian publishing, isn’t about the writer; it’s about serving the reader.
Your job is not to preach or show off your own experiences. It’s to understand your reader’s hopes, fears, and needs, and speak to those. I’m looking for mentors, not preachers. Don’t give me “three points and a poem.” Show me that you’re walking the same road as your reader, maybe a few steps ahead, and that you’re inviting them to learn alongside you. That’s the kind of author I want to publish.
How do you “make God do what you want him to do?“
Mike: I cannot tell you how many times I get proposals that teach, “Here is how to manipulate God. If you want to see miracles, here is how to get God to do what you want.”
I even saw an article titled “Twice the Results with Half the Prayer.” That misses the point of prayer. The point is intimate communication with God.
I do not care if you think you found a formula, or that fasting on Thursdays and witnessing on Tuesdays makes God answer your prayers. I want to know whether you know Jesus. Can you talk about Jesus and the Bible in a natural way? Can you sit in a coffee shop, listen to someone’s questions, and explore answers together?
I am not trying to make God my personal servant. I want to understand how we encounter and engage with him. Which takes more faith: believing God for a miracle or believing God when the miracle does not come? God is the same in both situations. When he responds the way we want, he is God. When he responds differently than we hoped, he is still God. Can you walk readers through both realities, or are you only offering seven steps to make God answer prayer? I am not interested in that. It is not real truth or real life.
Thomas: It is true, although I imagine a book titled Seven Steps to Make God Answer Your Prayers would sell well.
Mike: I am not saying people do not publish those books. At writers conferences, people tell me, “I saw this bestseller, and it is terrible!” I see that too. My book 77 Reasons Why Your Book Was Rejected (affiliate link). The primary purpose of publishing is not quality; it is profitability. We Christians try to add an extra filter, but the decision often comes down to whether a book will make money.
You might think, “That is selling out.” But if you want someone to pay for your words, you are part of that system too. It takes ego to say, “I will charge $17.99 for my words,” when we could talk for free over coffee. If you claim God gave you a special truth, why charge $17.99 and expect royalties? If you want to be paid for your writing, you are also part of the market.
Profit is the number one reason a book is or is not published. Bad books get published because they will make money. If you want to make a difference, write a book that will be profitable and that also rises above the profit motive.
What are you looking for in a proposal?
Thomas: You have done a good job with red flags, but let’s move to the hopeful side. Walk us through your acrostic EARS. What is the E?
Mike: I filter every project through my acrostic EARS:
- E: Eternal
- A: Authentic
- R: Relevant
- S: Shareable
Eternal
I want a book centered on Scripture, enhanced by prayer, and dependent on Christ’s Holy Spirit for guidance and truth. I want something that can impact eternity, not just today. That is harder to find than you might think in Christian publishing.
Authentic
I want an author whose life aligns with the topic and who writes openly and honestly about real questions and struggles. I want a human connection. Readers should feel they are hearing from a person, not a persona.
Relevant
I want a book that speaks to the 21st century. The “good old days” may have had good books, but those do not necessarily address today’s readers and concerns. Your book must be relevant to modern culture, to our actual readers, and to the multitude of influences and concerns that define our current society.
Thomas: People still go back to classics from the 1980s and 1990s when they face the same issues. Some were not great, but some were excellent. New books are for new challenges and cultural contexts. Christian truth does not change. Mere Christianity makes a strong case that the core of Christianity is unchanged by time or place. What does change is culture.
In the 1980s and 1990s, atheism was the main challenge. Today, it may be a New Age acceptance of all spiritualities. Presenting the gospel in that context is different. With culture changing quickly, we constantly need authors who can speak wisely to the current climate. Being relevant means staying connected to the world, engaging readers, and understanding the challenges they face.
Mike: The Christian who will not touch her culture cannot change her culture. Christ incarnated into culture to bring truth. We are in this century on purpose. God has us in this place and time to incarnate his truth here. I am looking for a writer who is timeless in truth and present in culture. That is what I mean by eternal, authentic, and relevant.
The Christian who will not touch her culture cannot change her culture.
Mike Nappa
Shareable
The best way to share Jesus is in community. Share Jesus friend to friend, family to family, and neighbor to neighbor. You want readers to say, “This book helped me, so I want to share it with you.” If your content is shareable, you are more likely to succeed. That is how impact spreads.
Thomas: To make something shareable, you need a clear, concise message. If you cannot explain in one or two sentences why someone should read the book, your readers will not be able to explain it either. If it takes a paragraph for you, it will take a page for them, and the message gets lost.
I often help clients find the core message—the one-sentence “why” of the book—which makes it more shareable. I cannot guarantee people will rush to tell all their friends, but it helps.
If you cannot explain it in a sentence, no one else can.
Check out the following episodes to learn more:
- How to Pitch Your Book at a Writers’ Conference with Bob Hostetler
- How to Win Friends and Pitch Your Book
- How to Craft a Compelling Elevator Pitch for Your Book
- The Powerful Nonfiction Pitching Recipe That Works for Both Fiction and Nonfiction
Mike: Here is a secret to impress me. Somewhere in your proposal, tell me the promise your book makes and the emotion you want to evoke. If you can name the promise and the emotion, you show me you understand the reader.
- Promise says, “If you read this book, this will happen.”
- Emotion could be hope or joy, or a negative emotion you help overcome.
For example, we have a book releasing soon called Praying to Change Lives (affiliate link), by Jody Brolsma. It is the best book I edited last year. The promise became the title: When you pray, you can change lives. The emotion is hope for significance and change. Her theme verse is Psalm 116:2 (NLT): “Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath.” When she turned in the manuscript, I planned a quick review. Instead, I stopped everything and read the whole book. It was not just for someone else; it was for me. That is the kind of book I am looking for.
If you can state your promise clearly and the emotion you will evoke or help overcome, your proposal will go far beyond the slush pile. Promise and emotion.
Thomas: That is a great place to end. Make a clear promise and deliver on it.
Connect With Mike Nappa
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