Files
magnus919_agent-skills/writers-helper/templates/book-proposal.md
Magnus HedemarkGitHubfactory-droid[bot] <138933559+factory-droid[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>
6fe5aed86e feat(skill): rename writing skill to writers-helper (#302)
Rename the skill directory to writers-helper and update the name field,
eval manifest skill_name, skill README title and example paths, root
README catalog entry, and the skill-triggers index. Regenerate llms.txt,
.claude-plugin/marketplace.json, .codex-plugin/plugin.json, and
.agents/plugins/marketplace.json from their generators. Content is
unchanged.

Co-authored-by: factory-droid[bot] <138933559+factory-droid[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>
2026-08-08 13:06:46 -04:00

2.5 KiB
Raw Permalink Blame History

Book Proposal (Nonfiction)

The nonfiction proposal is the product — it sells before the book is written. Assemble in this order, roughly 3040 pages excluding sample chapters. Read references/publishing-and-career.md first.

1. Title page

  • Working title and subtitle:
  • Author name and contact:
  • Date:

2. Proposal table of contents

  • (List the proposal's own sections)

3. Author bio (one page)

  • Why you are the right writer:
  • Credentials and authority (specific, concrete — the details are the trust engine):
  • Where you're headed (next projects / platform direction):

4. Overview (~10 pages)

  • The hook / selling handle (one to two sentences — the book in a nutshell):
  • The book's summary (what it covers, how it's organized):
  • Why it must be published now:
  • Who will read it and why (primary + secondary audiences):
  • Why this author, why this book:
  • Length and completion schedule:
  • What's new or different (the gap it fills):

5. Target market

  • Primary audience (specific, numerically supportable):
  • Their buying motivation:
  • Secondary audiences:
  • How you know they exist (evidence: sales of comparable titles, communities, demand signals):

6. Competition

Comparable title Author Publisher Year Price Pages ISBN
  • How this book differs (out of print? aimed elsewhere? weaker?):
  • Why this book wins:

7. Platform and promotion

  • Platform (audience you can already reach: site/blog traffic, newsletter, teaching, memberships, clips):
  • Promotional plan (concrete activities at release: media, bylined articles, speaking, events, blurbs, giveaways):
  • Author assets (existing interviews, social reach, professional networks):

8. Chapter-by-chapter outline

  • One to three narrative paragraphs per chapter, in the book's own tone:
    • Chapter 1 — title: purpose:
    • Chapter 2 — title: purpose:
    • ... (continue for all chapters)

9. Sample chapters

  • Two non-consecutive chapters (three if chapters run under ~10 pages), chosen to show different facets of the book:
    • Sample 1 (chapter #):
    • Sample 2 (chapter #):

10. What's attached when you send it

  • Proposal PDF, named clearly
  • Query/pitch letter (see templates/query-letter.md)
  • Addressed to a named, correctly spelled person at the right publisher/agent
  • Submission log updated (see templates/submission-log.md)