Book proposal

Rewriting. Not my manuscript, my proposal.

October 22, 2009

One of my projects while at The Hambidge Center was to rewrite my proposal. I wrote my proposal once already, at the beginning of this year, before I began writing the book. Back then it served as an outline and guide as I began to draft chapters. But as I prepare to seek out an […]

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The all-important query

May 6, 2009

A query is a pitch to a literary agent, asking him or her to look at your book proposal and hopefully represent your work. There are lots of resources on the Web that explain how to write the perfect query letter. The one-page letter should give a summary of the book’s plot and theme, as […]

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That magical title

May 1, 2009

To pitch my book to agents and publishers, I need a title. I know what you’re thinking: How can I possibly come up with a title when I haven’t written the book? It ain’t easy. But since I’ve already outlined the book for my book proposal and developed a theme, it’s feasible to build upon […]

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Learning to "handle" comparison

April 29, 2009

As part of my book proposal, I need a catchy two-line selling handle that summarizes the theme and plot of my book. The handle is a bit like the book-jacket blurb, the paragraph readers skim while browsing in the bookstore, one that convinces them to purchase a book. I’ve already shared with you the first […]

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How's the book coming?

April 14, 2009

More than three months have passed since I returned home from Africa, determined to write a travel memoir. As I hole myself up in my home office and coffee-shop hop with my laptop, friends and family ask, “How’s the book coming?” I know what they’re really thinking: What has she been doing all this time? […]

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