BY KATHI KAMEN GOLDMARK AND SAM BARRY

The Author Enablers are here to answer your questions about writing and publishing. Together, Kathi and Sam have more than 25 years of experience in book publishing. Kathi is an author, radio producer and former publicist; Sam is a marketing manager at a major publishing company and a freelance editor. They are also proud members of the Rock Bottom Remainders, the all-author rock band founded by Kathi in 1992.

Ready for the next step

Dear Author Enablers,

I have a great idea (if I do say so myself) for a nonfiction book. How do I get an agent and/or publisher interested?

—Jerry M.

The good news is there happens to be a generally agreed-upon formula for nonfiction book proposals. The bad news is you'll have to do some serious work to pull the components together. A good proposal is essential to selling your great idea to a publisher, and that is what you are doing—selling the idea. Don't be shy, don't be modest and don't just toss something off. Rewrite until you get it right, and then have someone else look over your proposal with a critical eye.

Your nonfiction book proposal should include:

Cover letter: On your best letterhead, identify the contents of your book proposal. Include the title and a list of all the other parts—synopsis, comparison titles, author bio, etc. Provide a projected completion date. If the book is finished, say so.
Overview: A broad-strokes description of your book—think in terms of the way it might be described on the front flap of a finished book.
Table of contents: This listing, just the like kind you'd find in a finished book, lets agents and publishers know that you have a plan for where the book is going and how it's going to get there. This will help you to organize your material in the same way an outline would.
Synopsis: A short description of each chapter.
Potential audience: A paragraph or two about who will buy this book, and why they can't live without it. Is your book for history buffs? New parents? Elvis Presley fans? How many of them are out there, and why do they need your book?
Comparison titles: This is a nice way of saying "competition." Most publishers want to publish books that are unique, but not too unique, if you catch our drift. Yours will have the best chance if you can offer a new twist to an identifiable market. If you can find a book similar—but not too similar—to yours, that sold 10 million copies worldwide, so much the better.
Sample chapter: It doesn't have to be your first chapter, but it should be your best one. If you haven't done any actual writing yet, you are not ready to submit this proposal.
Author bio: Why you? Let 'em know what makes you uniquely qualified to write this book, and why the world will care. List all of your relevant accomplishments.
Special marketing and publicity opportunities: Do you lecture all over the world on this subject? Do you appear regularly on a radio show, or have well-connected relatives? This is all important news to a publisher's marketing department.
Endorsements: If you know any famous authors or well-known experts in your field, it's not too soon to ask them for endorsements (also known as "blurbs"). Endorsements can help sell a book; they mean less work for your editor later on.

Make sure your materials are well-organized, double-spaced, legible and that each page is numbered and contains a header with your book title and contact information.

Dear Author Enablers,

I've rewritten the first chapter of my novel, until I finally think it's perfect. I also have a synopsis and outline of the story, so I know how the book will end. I've even filled out "character biographies" so I know each one's background in order to understand their motivation. How can I get a publisher interested?

—Monica P.

The simple answer is you probably can't, at this stage of the game, if you've never been published before. Most acquiring editors need to see a completed manuscript before considering a work of fiction, especially from a first-time author. It's a good thing to understand each character's preferences and motivation, but filling out long "character biographies" strikes us as possible overkill. How about putting the background materials away and writing Chapter 2 instead? You might find your plot changing despite your plans. Characters, even fictional ones, have a way of developing minds of their own and asserting unanticipated preferences. If you are open-minded about this possibility, you may be surprised and delighted by the results. Then, when your manuscript is completed, you can get that file out and revise your synopsis if necessary.

Thanks for writing,
THE AUTHOR ENABLERS