[(Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write)] [Author: Elizabeth Lyon] published on

by Elizabeth Lyon

I we all want to write a Great Novel. But in the meantime, don't you have a few terrific ideas for a nonfiction book, too? The subtitle of this book is "How to Get a Contract and an Advance Before Writing Your Book." Doesn't THAT sound better than competing with John Grisham and Tom Clancy? Eighty-five percent of all new titles are nonfiction. So dust off those memoirs, dig up those recipes of Aunt Edna's. Lyon takes you step by step through the process of how to discover and pitch your nonfiction book idea to the best market.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Business

Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Bonnie Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let's face it, not a lot of people know the ins and outs of getting a book published, especially a nonfiction book.

As I was laboring over a nonfiction crafts book proposal I thought I could use a few pointers and this book helped me more than I ever thought possible.

The author spells out every little detail in putting together a successful proposal from the intro to the market analysis. If you're feeling overwhelmed in your book proposal writing process, do yourself a favor and pick up this book. You'll save time, work and heartache.

[Connie Veer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will become your bible if you're writing a non-fiction book! It is clearly organized, easy to read, and practical. I'm often overwhelmed by all the advice out there for writers. Elizabeth Lyon cuts right to the most essential information in an accessible, engaging style.

[Prashant Gupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Useful

This book had plenty of solid advise for drafting proposals. And it generated results for me as i got a couple of responses on my proposal.

[Jennifer C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource for a novice, aspiring nonfiction author. Will update if and when I have results!

Update (11/2024): book proposal accepted!

[Michele Cacano · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Writer's Book. This is extremely well laid out and written, taking an intimidating process for the unpublished author (or the published!) and making it easily conquerable. I extracted ideas from my head that I didn't even know I had about approaching my subject matter... Highly recommended!

[Tom Marcinko · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this really useful, but I wonder if there's a more recent edition. The basic advice seems sound and logical to me, but the most recent edition I could find was 2002. That's forever in today's publishing world.

[Jennifer James · Rating 4 out of 5]

While a bit of a snoozer, this book was packed with information on how to write a professional book proposal that will get noticed, as well as how to write a query letter, and information about dealing with the publishing world. It was an excellent start toward the knowledge that I need to get my book published.

[Titus Hjelm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old now--the book speaks of the internet as something that may become an important part of our lives--but mostly useful. Even for a veteran of book proposals (mostly academic, though) there are useful reminders about what to include and how to sell you book idea.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lyon's approach to writing book proposals is a little overly long and complicated, but by following her process you WILL end up with an excellent book proposal AND a complete plan for your book. I do think that agents and editors prefer proposals that are more succinct than she recommends, but it's best to get the whole plan down and then tighten it, I think.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found myself glossing over the sections about how it's a great time for the publishing industry because seriously, that stuff needs to be brought up-to-date. But it was nice to have an outline to build my Research Apps project around.

[Jana Light · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very comprehensive, detailed explanation of what editors and agents want to see in a nonfiction book proposal. A great guide and writing prompt for anyone hoping to get published, Lyons provides many examples of successful proposal sections as well as sidebar lists for quick reference.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty bare-bones guide to writing non-fiction proposals. I say "pretty" as, at times, Lyons launches into unnecessary side-notes. (I.e. "you're probably envisioning yourself on Oprah. Don't.") It was helpful to know what is expected in a proposal, though.

[David Gleeson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best I've read on the subject.

[Lorraine Haataia]

I own the paperback version of this book, but it only has 292 pages.

[Barbc · Rating 5 out of 5]

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