Why Nonfiction Book Proposals Often Fail

If your nonfiction project has been rejected, you might think publishing trends are working against you or that your platform simply isn't big enough to attract an agent or publisher. That may indeed be the case. But other problems are often hiding in plain sight that lead to rejection: (1) your proposal is focused on yourself (or the book's content), and not the reader, (2) you haven't demonstrated your knowledge of the readership, (3) you've explained your book rather than pitched it, and (4) you haven't answered the questions "why now?" or "why me?" Using examples submitted by attendees, Jane discusses how proposals can be strengthened and revised for a chance at greater success. Other resources mentioned during class: How to Write a Book Proposal + free template: https://janefriedman.com/start-here-h... Book proposal examples: https://businessofwriting.org/supplem...