Book proposals are a cornerstone topic on the Christian Publishing Show, and for good reason. Your book proposal is often your first, and sometimes only, opportunity to interact with editors and agents. A stellar book proposal can make the publishing process smoother, while a poor one can stop your career before it begins.
In this interview, we’re diving into how to craft a better book proposal with Chad Allen, a writer, speaker, editor, and writing coach with 20 years of experience. He’s worked with bestselling authors like Michael Hyatt and Mark Batterson and created the Book Proposal Academy, an online course and mentoring community for writers.
What exactly is a book proposal?
A book proposal is a 20- to 30-page document that authors use to pitch their book to agents and publishers. Think of it as a business plan for your book. Publishers view books as micro-businesses, and your proposal must pitch the business case for your project.
Why does a religious book need a business plan?
Thomas: Some authors question why a religious book needs a business plan. “It’s for the kingdom!” they say.
Chad: Having worked in Christian publishing for 20 years, I’ve seen this tension firsthand. Publishers strive to create faithful products while also turning a profit to stay in business. Fortunately, these goals aren’t mutually exclusive.
Thomas: It’s about stewardship. A Christian publisher operates with finite resources. If you and the publisher want to continue publishing, your book must generate revenue to offset the costs incurred during publication. If a publisher releases books that don’t recoup costs or make a profit, it risks going out of business.
Money isn’t evil. Scripture, particularly Proverbs, emphasizes the importance of managing money wisely. A book proposal focuses on the financial impact of a book. Publishing a book is a significant investment that often costs publishers $30,000 or more, so publishers don’t make these decisions lightly.
Chad: By the same token, if a Christian publisher releases a book that causes spiritual harm or misguides readers, that can also hurt profits. The spiritual element matters, but it’s considered within the broader context of whether the book will sell. At the publishing board, we knew our sales projections were never exact, but the book proposal helped us make informed projections.
What is a publishing board?
Chad: The publishing board, sometimes called the publishing committee or “pub board,” is the group that decides whether to publish a book. It typically includes representatives from editorial, marketing, publicity, and sales departments.
Thomas: The book proposal is critical for securing an agent and editor, but it also plays a key role before the pub board, where authors don’t get to present in person. It’s a mysterious group making the go-or-no-go decision on your book.
To learn more about what a pub board does, listen to the following episodes:
- How to Get A Publishing Board To Buy Your Book
- 030 – Selling An Editor So She Can Sell to Pub Board With Allen Arnold
- How to Get Published with a Traditional Publishing House
What are the key elements of a book proposal?
Chad: A book proposal casts a vision for your book. The main elements include:
- Cover page: Includes the title and, for nonfiction, a subtitle. This page creates the first impression.
- Brief description: A three-to-five-paragraph summary of the book, serving as both a vision statement and your first writing sample.
- Chapter-by-chapter synopsis: Include a table of contents and a synopsis for each chapter.
- Author bio: A concise 250-word bio establishing why you’re a credible authority on your topic.
Thomas: The author’s bio is critical. Many authors include irrelevant details, such as their number of children or where they live, but the purpose of a bio isn’t to demonstrate personal charm; it’s to establish your credibility on the book’s topic. If your book is about parenting, then mentioning your children and their ages is relevant. Tailor your bio specifically for each proposal to reflect the book’s subject. Don’t use a one-size-fits-all version that you use everywhere. Chad’s introduction today focused on his book proposal expertise because that’s what our listeners need to know.
Listen to my episode on How to Write a Crazy Cool Author Bio.
Chad: When I was an acquisitions editor, I’d check the cover page first, then jump to the bio to see who I was dealing with. It’s a litmus test for whether the editor keeps reading.
Thomas: This is especially true for Christian nonfiction. Readers care about the author’s credibility, doctrinal alignment, and spiritual authority. They’re cautious about heresy and want to know if you’re from their theological stream or a trustworthy organization.
In secular fiction, the bio is less critical. Readers mainly care about whether you’ve written successful books before. But for Christian nonfiction, the bio is make-or-break.
Chad: Other key elements of the proposal include your platform and marketing plan, followed by a writing sample. For nonfiction, the writing sample typically consists of an introduction and one or two chapters, depending on the length. Nonfiction proposals rarely require a complete manuscript.
For fiction, include the opening of your manuscript, but have the full manuscript ready in case it’s requested.
How does the platform and marketing plan differ?
Thomas: I appreciate how you separate the platform and marketing. The platform is what you’ve built in the past, such as your followers, radio show audience, or other audiences you influence. The marketing plan is your future plan for promoting the book. Authors with no platform commonly make the mistake of promising grand marketing plans without presenting evidence that they can deliver on them. Strengthen your marketing plan by highlighting past successes and existing audiences. For some, that’s a Pinterest following; for others, it’s something else. It varies by author.
Chad: That’s a great distinction. Your platform shows your reach, while your marketing plan demonstrates how you’ll leverage it and grow it to sell your book.
How can authors strengthen a weak platform section in their book proposal?
Chad: If your platform lacks impressive numbers, one strategy is to highlight its growth over time. Instead of focusing on current stats, show the progress you’ve made over the past three to six months. Demonstrate the results of your efforts by saying, “Here’s what happened when I invested in building my platform.” Then, outline what you’ll do to promote your book before and after its launch. This growth trajectory can sometimes convince a publisher to take a chance on you.
Why are previous book sales important in a proposal?
Thomas: Another key section of a book proposal is your previous book sales. How much weight did you place on past book sales when reviewing proposals?
Chad: Sometimes, it was easier to sign a first-time author than one whose previous book didn’t perform well. An author with a poorly performing book might have a larger platform or more credibility, but their track record becomes critical. Once you have a book in the marketplace, its performance heavily influences whether publishing opportunities continue or dry up.
Why is a book’s track record so critical?
Chad: Publishers have a limited number of accounts with bookstores or online retailers where they can sell books. Once an author has a sales history with these accounts, it significantly affects the number of copies those accounts will order for future books by that author.
Thomas: By accounts, you mean retailers like Barnes & Noble, Amazon, or, back in the day, Lifeway?
Chad: Exactly. Publishers know these accounts track an author’s sales history and order accordingly. If you get a book contract, you must do everything possible to make that book successful, especially if you want to publish again. Otherwise, future opportunities become very difficult.
Thomas: I’ve seen this issue acutely with Amazon. I’ve worked with authors whose first book wasn’t successful. Others had a hit a decade ago, but recent books underperformed. When we launch a new book with a strong plan, Amazon might show it as “out of stock” on the first day because they expected low sales based on the author’s previous performance. It’s exciting to surpass expectations but frustrating when readers see “out of stock” and a two-to-four-week wait time. That notice may cause some readers to abandon their purchase.
It’s even worse in physical bookstores. If there is only one copy on the shelf and it sells right away, the bookstore might not restock it for a month. This underscores the importance of working with a good publisher to make your first book successful.
How are independently published books evaluated differently?
Thomas: How did you view sales numbers for independently published books? Did you treat them the same as traditionally published books?
Chad: I treated them differently. Self-published books often don’t reach the same accounts as traditionally published ones. You might have a record on Amazon, but many self-published books are used as lead magnets to collect email addresses rather than for sales. We evaluated them on a case-by-case basis with more nuance.
Thomas: I’ve worked with an author who had multiple books, but their most recent books weren’t hits. Publishers focused only on recent performance, which made it hard to generate interest. Publishers are more willing to take a risk on an unknown author who could be a grand slam than on someone with a track record they don’t expect to surpass.
Chad: I’ve seen that pattern repeatedly.
What tips make a book proposal stand out?
Thomas: What tips do you have to make proposals sizzle and stand out?
Cover Page
Chad: For nonfiction, it begins with the cover page, which includes the title and subtitle. Have a clear audience in mind and a specific need your book addresses. Make that need crystal clear in your title and subtitle. Publishers love books that meet a definitive need, not something vague or unclear. Identify the pain your book relieves or the itch it scratches.
Thomas: One way to frame this is to think of books as either painkillers or vitamins. Painkiller books are easier to sell than vitamin books. Everyone knows that vitamins improve health in the long term, but it’s a harder sell than a book that addresses immediate pain. Identifying that pain helps sell the book and reach more people. It’s fine to include “vitamins” in your book, but there needs to be a painkiller element to make it an easier sell.
Chad: I love that metaphor. I started taking a multivitamin because someone framed it as a painkiller, warning of negative effects if I didn’t. For a “vitamin” book, find the painkiller angle within it.
Brief Description
Chad: The brief description section must cast a compelling vision for your book and grab the reviewer’s attention. I encourage writers to start with a narrative hook, such as a story, because humans connect through stories. Drop the reader into a story, then broaden it to your target audience. This approach excites agents and editors about the book’s potential impact. The brief description is also your first writing sample. It showcases your voice, so be authentic.
Author Bio
Your author bio should highlight your credibility, which falls into four categories:
- Formal credibility: A PhD or some certification
- Social credibility: Such as a popular TED Talk or a large following
- Experiential credibility: Your personal experience establishes expertise
- Craft credibility: Demonstrate how your writing skill shines (especially important for novelists)
Your bio should build trust by spotlighting the type of credibility most relevant to your project.
Thomas: I love how you break down credibility.
Mike Duncan, who created the History of Rome podcast, was a fishmonger without a history degree. Yet, he wrote a bestselling book on Rome and appeared as a key historian in a Netflix documentary. His social credibility, which he established through his popular podcast, outshone that of academics with formal credentials.
In today’s world of influencers and bloggers, especially in Christian nonfiction, social proof can be powerful, even without a theology degree or pastoral role.
Chad: People often assume formal credibility trumps other forms, but that’s not true. Any of the four types of credibility can be equally valid.
Thomas: For some readers, a PhD can be a turn-off and signal dense or boring writing. Many authors believe that a PhD resolves all credibility issues, but academic writing often differs from the conversational tone required for popular books. Even C.S. Lewis, a PhD, had to refine his prose over time to make it more accessible. Each form of credibility has pros and cons. PhDs envy the popularity of bloggers, while bloggers covet the academic esteem of PhDs.
Ultimately, every author must use the gifts God has given them, steward them well, and grow their strengths.
Chad: For academic books targeting other academics, formal credibility matters more. But for popular books, any credibility type can work if leveraged effectively.
How does the target audience affect the proposal?
Thomas: Another key consideration for the proposal is the audience. Academic books are often published under a separate imprint and face different expectations. An academic publisher might be thrilled with 1,500 copies sold, while a popular publisher would see that as a failure. Academic books and textbooks are priced and evaluated differently, so tailor your proposal to the specific audience and publisher.
How important is the writing sample in a proposal?
Chad: It’s astonishing how often a proposal looks great until the writing sample. This is the only part publishers plan to send into the world, so don’t phone it in, assuming they’ll fix it. Aim to make them think, “This is so engaging and well-written, it’ll need minimal editing.” A strong writing sample creates a “wow!” experience and shows it’s ready for the marketplace.
Thomas: A weak writing sample means more editing time and money, which could reduce your advance or jeopardize the contract. Strong writing signals an easier process and could potentially increase your advance. Craft is critical. The writing sample is the core product that reaches readers. While parts of the proposal may appear on the cover, the writing is the book itself.
Chad: Publishers evaluate proposals on three things:
- Concept: Does it meet a real need?
- Platform and Marketing: Can you move 2,000–5,000 copies?
- Writing Quality: Does the writing sing?
Highlight your strengths in these areas.
What are common mistakes to avoid in a book proposal?
Thomas: We’ve covered what to do and how to make a proposal sizzle. What are common mistakes authors make?
Chad: There are several mistakes I see frequently:
Rambling Bio
Writing a bio that rambles without establishing credibility for the project.
Lazy Title
Neglecting the title and subtitle. There’s no excuse for not doing the work to create a snappy, need-focused title and subtitle. A strong title shows you’ve researched the market and honed in on the need for the book.
Dry Description
Having a dry, technical brief description: You need to cast a vision and inspire imagination. This is your sales pitch. Publishers are pragmatic about profits but want books that “make a dent in the universe” to use Steve Jobs’ phrase. Make the description enticing to keep them reading and eager to publish.
Thomas: The proposal itself needs to be well-written with heart, not robotic. Pub board members are human, with humor and passion. I can confirm there were jokes and laughter at pub board meetings.
Chad: Absolutely. There was humor, and sometimes tempers flared when people got passionate about a project. We never came to blows, but it felt close at times.
Thomas: You want to write the book that sparks passion in the pub board. A “meh” response is death. If someone’s willing to fight for your book in the pub board, they’ll advocate for it in sales and marketing meetings.
Not all books get equal attention; some get huge budgets and CEO focus, while others get minimal support. A strong proposal emotionally engages the pub board and increases the chances of significant promotion. When they see the book as a shared project solving a real problem, you’ve won! They’ll invest the resources to make it successful.
Chad: Even if you don’t get a six-figure advance or CEO calls, a book contract is a huge achievement. You’re in an elite group. Take what you get and maximize it. Don’t be afraid to request marketing or publicity calls, but don’t become a nuisance. Work tirelessly to make your book spread far and wide, and you’ll be set for a second book contract.
Thomas: Preach! “Work your tail off to make your book spread far and wide” should be the tagline for writing, proposing, and promoting. Success takes hard work.
Connect with Chad Allen
Sponsor: Christian Writers Institute
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