The Art of the Book Proposal: From Focused Idea to Finished Proposal by Eric Maisel, Ph.D.

   

This is the second in a series of book reviews about writing and publishing.  For the first review go here.

   Eric Maisle has written an excellent book for those of us entering into the world of writing and publishing.  Of course, a lot of us, myself included, believed that writing had simply to do with writing.  As I have become more involved in the business I have since discovered that there are many other aspects to the whole process.  Unless you’re going to self-publish, there is the business of getting an agent to represent you. 

     Getting an agent is more complicated than simply submitting your manuscript or finished book to someone you’d like to represent you to a publishing company.  One must first send a query letter and then a book proposal.  Of course there’s the whole problem of doing your homework and getting the right agent for you but that’s another topic.

      If you’re like me you had no idea what a query letter or a book proposal is or what one should look like.  While Maisel’s book touches a little upon the query letter he mainly deals with what is involved in writing a book proposal.  His book is about writing a book proposal for non fiction but there are many helpful strategies and methods for the fiction writer as well.

      I found this book to be helpful in that Mr. Maisel breaks down and methodically lists each step one takes to write a successful proposal.  In twelve chapters he defines what a nonfiction book proposal is, how to flesh out your book idea, how to title, create a credentials section, market and promote  your book (very important!) and how to create an overview, chapter summaries, sample chapter, and how to submit your proposal.  In his appendix he shares several of his own book proposals as examples of good proposals.

     I learned a lot about not only the art of writing a proposal but also how the industry works. For instance, I had no idea a publishing company would pay a year’s salary to someone for a book not even written yet!  Not that publishing companies are throwing the dollars around, but I found it interesting that apparently it's acceptable to write a proposal before you've even written the book.  Maisel explains how to do this and the consequences it has for your writing.  Also, the chapter on listing all the different ways the writer can promote their own book was especially informative. 

       Overall, this book is well-written, gives clear and creative instructions and would be a good resource for those who would like to learn how to write an effective book proposal- primarily for a non fiction book- but also for those of us writing fiction as well.

or on Kindle for $12.99

For more information:

http://ericmaisel.com/the-art-of-the-book-proposal/

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/492483.The_Art_of_the_Book_Proposal

Two books by Sol Stein

Some of you know that I am finishing up writing my own book.  In the meantime I am researching everything I can on the writing and publishing process.  The following is the first of several reviews about the books I've been reading on this topic.

I bought this book because of another blog’s review of it. Here are my own thoughts on the quality and ultimate benefit this book would provide aspiring writers.

Sol Stein has been in the writing and publishing business for several years. He has personally edited many books that have gone on to be successfully published, including his own. What Stein attempts to provide in this book are lessons on how to effectively write a book, fiction or non fiction, and make it publish-ready.

In the first several chapters Stein explains how to create interest for the reader. How do you get a reader to continue reading your book? You make characters that are so interesting that the reader wants to keep finding out about them. You make a story that is broken down in sentences that make the reader want to read the next sentence and paragraphs that propels the reader to the next paragraph, next chapter, perhaps to the next book. Stein lists, according to him, effective strategies that accomplish all this. If you doubt him, he will remind you-throughout the book- that he is a hugely successful editor and novelist in his own right and name drop all over the place to verify his credentials.

I suppose that sounds a little sarcastic. I’ll admit that, while I found reading these chapters instructive and I plan to practically apply the general lessons to be had from them, I didn’t care for the examples he provided which seemed pretty much centered around sex and violence. That is not the type of literature I ever intend to write. Surely there’s a way to maintain reader interest without using those hackneyed formulas.

The other problem I had was that he used excerpts of his own books as models of the right way to grab a reader’s attention. Frankly, I wasn’t impressed with his writing. It seemed a little too self- conscious with its choice of vocabulary and in how it described action.

I will say that I found the remaining chapters, which deal with editing, how to keep sentences fast paced, cutting out all the unnecessary details (Liposuctioning Flab, chapter 21) and how to revise to be invaluable. At the back of his book he provides several websites on where to receive instruction and lessons. Some of these are his own classes but he offers them free if you mention that you bought this book.

So while I have a certain amount of criticism for Sol Stein on Writing, I still recommend it as one of-what should be- SEVERAL resources an aspiring writer should read and apply to his writing skills.

Sol Stein also has a reference book called: Sol Stein’s Reference book For Writers. Part 1: Writing; Part 2: Publishing. In each sections he lists in an A-Z format terms that writers need to know to inform themselves of the ends and outs of writing and publishing. Here are a few examples:

Action: an action in fiction is a forward movement of the story that doesn’t necessarily involve physical activity. In fiction a surprising or strongly worded or decisive thought can be an action….

Immediate Scene: In fiction, the action in a scene can be viewed by the reader. If the writer follows the injunction “Show, don’t’ tell” he will have created an immediate scene. On test: If you could film the scene, it is immediate…..

Editing: New writers sometimes confuse edition with copyediting (see Copyediting). To edit is to check, correct, improve, amend, polish, modify, revise, reword, rewrite, redraft, condense, cut, and abridge… an editor is not a writer…but a reader of other people’s writings, a reviser with specific aims ranging from questioning and correcting inaccuracies to improving the vocabulary or the rhythm of the drafted words…

Related links:
Sol Stein's website

Writing Classes

Daily Writings