Before I can talk about the parts of a non-fiction proposal, I have to give you an outline. ‘Cause that’s what non-fiction writers do. We outline.

For my book ideas, I still use the same steps I learned in university. It can take about… oh… forever… to prepare the material, but hopefully, once the idea is accepted, all the research and writing can be plopped into the manuscript. (And I’m not the only one who writes thorough proposals. I seem to remember Deborah Hodge once saying she submitted a 32-page proposal for a 64-page children’s book.)

The Parts of a Proposal:

1. Summary
2. Format
3. Tone
4. Readership
5. Outline
6. Competition
7. Schedule
8. Sample Chapter

Coming next: the step-by-step guide.