Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
Location: Books & Such main office, Santa Rosa, Calif.
In my continuing saga of times my clients have assumed the roles of good clients/bad clients, today I’m going to showcase “bad” client behavior when it comes to preparing a proposal.
Now, I’m sympathetic regarding what a pain it is to create a proposal. When I was writing books, I felt grumpy when I had to do a proposal. It seemed as if I was trying to convince a publisher to like me. “Either you like me or you don’t; either my idea makes sense to you when I describe it in a few sentences or it doesn’t. Why do I have to agonize over all these details: title, subtitle, hook, description, audience, word count, comparative titles, bio, sales history, chapter summaries–even sample chapters, for Pete’s sake. If I wanted to be a salesperson, I’d apply for the job!”
Yeah, I get it.
But recently one of my clients, who has more than 20 books published, sent me a proposal full of magical thinking. What do I mean by that? My client thought that her long-term involvement in the industry, her recognizable name, and the power of her idea were enough to garner a contract. None of these reasons is strong enough to get a contract, especially in today’s hyper-competitive publishing world. If an author doesn’t want to do the work to create a compelling proposal, the person standing right behind her is willing–and will get the contract.
What did my client do wrong?
- Failed to follow the template I provided. Several years ago our agency instituted a template that all of our proposals must fit into. We did it because we wanted uniformity in proposals, which would communicate to an editor that the proposal came with the Books & Such imprimatur. All of the Books & Such agents are taskmasters when it comes to proposals because we know that no project will be bought before it’s ready. We have only one chance to get a contract offer from a publisher on this project; we want to give the publisher every reason to say yes and no reason to say no. But this client was in a rush to get the proposal to me. So much so that “magically” she didn’t need to follow protocol.
- Hadn’t adequately defined the project and therefore couldn’t communicate just what she planned her book to be. Her magical thinking lead her to believe that the vague idea would be powerful enough not to need specifics.
- Didn’t bother to find comparative titles. This part of writing a proposal is such hard work because you have to search around among published books for whatever is similar to your idea. You might well find that your golden idea has occurred to a number of other people, who already have published books very much like yours. Many a project has bit the dust or been transformed into a unique offering during the process of finding comparative titles. But my client didn’t even cast her eye around to see what already existed. Magically, her idea was bound to be unique.
- Didn’t manage to match her sample chapters to the promises made in the proposal. As my client presented her project in the proposal, she committed herself to write a nonfiction book using several fiction techniques, which was a major factor to distinguish her work from any one else’s, she claimed. But the chapters were short, undeveloped, and only vaguely novelesque in technique.
I sent the proposal back to the client for more work. Was I being a prima donna? No, I was being a good agent who knew that magical thinking doesn’t sell a project. Hard work, diligence, creativity, and knock-’em-dead gorgeous writing does.
Do you ever engage in magical thinking when it comes to your writing?
What do you hate most about writing proposals?
Do you have someone who holds you accountable to do the best proposal you can? Who is that person?
“Hard work, diligence, creativity, and knock-’em-dead gorgeous writing does.” AMEN! AMEN! We need more of that as a whole in the CBA market.
I have started talking about an additional benefit of writing a book proposal. Most people get so focused on it being the necessary evil to get the book contract. That’s limited thinking.
I think more importantly, it’s a business plan. It’s starts at square one with the idea of the book and goes through the after-writing life … marketing and promoting. I see too many writers who after their book is publish go brain-dead on this part. If they’d just dust off their proposal and read it again, there should be an entire section(s) on how and to whom they are going to get the word out about this new book.
I’m really enjoying this series – thank you, Janet.
I believe in magic when I’m doing the art. I believe in sales when I’m doing the business.
I’m part of a great critique group, and we alternate meetings on the art and the business side of writing. In the business meetings, no punches are pulled. Nothing less than a great query, proposal, synopsis, etc. – to spec – is going to leave that group of tough critics.
I thought chocolate and fairy dust would make everything work out in the end! I’ve only done the one proposal (out with two agents at the moment!). Hopefully it’s either wonderful or fixable.
I do, however, write grants in my day job and much of this applies. It can be really tempting to just slap a grant together using the same old language you’ve used 100 times. I’m working on one this week that seemed flat and I realized I wasn’t giving a powerful rationale–like your client who didn’t adequately define the project. Vague won’t cut it! Specifics and hard facts that follow the grant guidelines, stand out from other projects and offer concrete results are required. Hey, maybe I have more proposal experience than I was giving myself credit for!
Perhaps this client assumed that, after a certain amount of success, she could coast and take shortcuts? Years ago, I sold my first couple of magazine articles and figured that writing for publication was a cinch. But then came a reality check when the next several manuscripts bounced back to me. Lesson learned: If the writer doesn’t provide polished work worth reading, then it won’t get past the editor.
Karen, what a great idea to pull out the proposal you worked so hard on to remind yourself how you intended to market your book.
Bethany Joy, I appreciate your distinction between the art (where the magic lies) and the business of writing. You’re lucky to be in such a great critique group!
Sarah, you sound quite prepared to put together a top-knotch proposal.
I hope that magical thinking never works its way into my writing. I’ve never written a full proposal, only a query. I found the query alone agonizing: what to say, what not to say, how to say it, and how to keep it to one page.
My critique groups see everything I write, even queries. I am a poor self-editor, so I depend on them to help me see everything with fresh, unbiased eyes.
BTW, Karen, I like the way you think. Everyone needs a business plan.
Thanks for another wonderful article, Janet.
Sometimes I get confused on proposals: Is it better to write the proposal before or after the book is written?
I think writing the proposal before would help maintain focus, but be limiting if inspiration hits during the creative process. Writing the proposal after could present its own difficulties if the required research shows you’ve missed the mark and thus wasted a lot of time and energy.
What is your preference?
Barbara, I think the best way to approach a proposal is to think of it as the device that forces you to make certain decisions about your project–basic structure, what will be in each chapter, how to create a manuscript that will be unique from the competition, what is your book’s hook, etc. If a genius idea occurs to you while you’re writing the manuscript, go with the flow. But hopefully you’ll have a contract by then (based on your proposal), and your editor will want to know about any significant changes from what he agreed to purchase.
Maybe it’s because I’m still new at this, but I was always excited when it came time to put together a proposal for my agent, Rachelle. I haven’t done it in a while since I’m currently contracted for two novels. The reason I liked it is because it was proof that I’d finished another book and had another opportunity to get my stuff out there! Rachelle’s always been great at making sure my stuff was as good as it could be before sending it out.
As far as what I found most challenging….
Definitely the comparative titles! I always struggle with that. And oddly, the hook! I always am so lame at coming up with an engaging hook!
A couple years ago when I started transitioning a conference workshop to a book, I was overwhelmed and intimidated by switching gears and working on “the proposal.”
When I revisited it last fall and especially after my first writers conference in February, it actually got the adrenaline pumping.
I realized that in my first attempt, I was answering 2nd and 3rd level questions that no one had even asked. Instead of sharing the NEED for the book, I was repeatedly defending it.
In recent months, thinking through the proposal sections – including marketing and promotion – got me excited about the time after the book is written when I can really get out there and DO more with it. Finding outlets, using the book to connect to more readers and groups and speaking opportunities.
I don’t want to write for the sake of writing and say, “I’ve arrived because I have written.” It all started with a concept/idea, that became a workshop, and due to a big kick in the backside by Paul C. began working towards a book, but it is all about taking that same concept and sharing it with as many as people as possible, to see lives changed and people get excited about their faith and seeing their lives having impact – either again or for the first time.
Weirdly, I actually enjoy writing proposals. It makes me feel prepared. In college, I had to summarize every science experiment with a written report. We had a set format to follow. Proposals feel very familiar to me because of that!
Loving the series this week, Janet!
When I was younger, I might have indulged in magical thinking. I had no direction. Now…I am working hard to do things the right way, to grow as a writer, and to market sincerely. My Word Weavers and ACFW group help me stay in tune to making my chapters focused. I can’t say enough the value of critique groups–small ones with a mix of experience of traditionally published authors and people like me.
I was asked for a proposal but offered no template. Now I am trembling in my boots. What is a newbie like me to do? What should I be looking for in the future?