Nonfiction Book Proposal Template
Nonfiction book proposal: hook, author platform, audience, comparable titles, marketing plan, chapter outline, sample chapter, specs
使い方: Use when pitching a nonfiction book to agents or publishers. Write the chapter outline and sample chapter first, then the overview. The main pitfall is vague platform numbers and claiming the book has no competition.
プレビュー
Book Proposal: [Working Title]: [Subtitle]
Nonfiction book proposal template for literary agents and publishers: overview and hook, author platform, audience and market, comparable titles, marketing plan, chapter outline, sample chapter and manuscript specifications. Based on common trade and academic publishing practice. Replace every
[bracketed]value and every line marked Example. Always check the agent's or publisher's submission guidelines first and follow them where they differ from this outline.
Document control
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Document ID | [BP-2026-01] |
| Working title | [Title: Subtitle] |
| Version | [0.1] |
| Status | [Draft / Ready for agent / Submitted / Under offer / Contracted] |
| Author(s) | [Full name(s)] |
| Agent | [Agent name, Agency] or [Unagented] |
| Genre and category | [Popular science / Business / Memoir / Self-help / Academic monograph] |
| Submitted to | [Publisher or agent, date] |
| Last updated | YYYY-MM-DD |
Approvals
| Role | Name | Decision | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | [Name] | [Final for submission] | YYYY-MM-DD |
| Co-author or contributor | [Name] | [Approved] | YYYY-MM-DD |
| Agent | [Name] | [Approved for submission] | YYYY-MM-DD |
Revision history
| Version | Date | Author | Change summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | YYYY-MM-DD | [Name] | First complete draft |
| 0.2 | YYYY-MM-DD | [Name] | Example: Rewrote comparable titles after agent feedback; added podcast numbers |
| 1.0 | YYYY-MM-DD | [Name] | Example: Submission version sent to five publishers |
Contents
1. Overview
1.1 Hook
[One or two paragraphs that grab attention: an anecdote, a surprising statistic or a provocative question that leads straight into the book's subject.]
Example: In 2019 a hospital in Ohio cut its sepsis deaths by a third. It did not buy a new drug or machine. It changed a checklist and the way nurses talked to doctors at 3 a.m.
1.2 Pitch line
[One sentence, under 35 words, that states what the book is and who it is for.]
Example: The Quiet Fix shows managers how small changes to the way teams communicate prevent large failures, drawing on stories from hospitals, airlines and software companies.
1.3 The big idea
[Two or three paragraphs on the central argument or promise of the book: what readers will understand, believe or be able to do after reading it.]
Example: Large failures in hospitals, cockpits and data centres rarely start with a single mistake. They start when someone notices a problem and does not say it, or says it in a way that is not heard. This book argues that the manager's most important safety tool is not a policy but the daily habits of conversation on the team, and it shows exactly which habits to build.
1.4 Why now
[Trends, events, research or cultural moments that make the book timely. Cite sources.]
Example: Remote and shift-based work has removed many informal moments where problems used to surface. At the same time, regulators in health care and aviation now ask organisations to show how staff can raise concerns. Managers are being asked to build speaking-up cultures without practical guidance on how.
1.5 What makes this book different
[How it differs from existing books: angle, access, research, voice, format. Refer to the comparable titles in section 4.]
Example: Existing books explain why psychological safety matters. This one is written for the manager on shift: each chapter ends with scripts, a five-minute team exercise and a way to measure progress. It draws on 60 original interviews across three industries that no other book has access to.
1.6 Book at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Genre and category | [Category] |
| Estimated length | [70,000 words] |
| Format | [Narrative nonfiction with practical chapter summaries] |
| Illustrations | [10 line diagrams, 4 tables] |
| Manuscript delivery | [N months after contract] |
| Series potential | [Yes / No, with notes] |
2. About the author and platform
2.1 Author biography
[Third-person biography of 250 to 400 words: expertise, experience, previous publications, awards, media appearances, and personal connection to the subject.]
Example: Dr Maya Okafor is an organisational psychologist who has studied team communication in high-risk industries for 15 years. Her research has been published in [Journal] and covered by [outlet]. She advises [type of organisations] and teaches at [institution].
2.2 Platform
| Channel | Size or reach | Engagement | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Newsletter] | [subscribers] | [open rate] | YYYY-MM-DD |
| [Podcast] | [downloads per episode] | [reviews, rating] | YYYY-MM-DD |
| [Social channel] | [followers] | [average engagement] | YYYY-MM-DD |
| [Speaking] | [events per year, audience size] | [Notable events] | YYYY-MM-DD |
| [Media] | [Outlets that have featured you] | [Links] | YYYY-MM-DD |
| Example: Newsletter | 18,400 subscribers | 52% open rate | 2026-09-30 |
| Example: Keynotes | 14 per year, 200 to 2,000 attendees | 3 industry conferences booked for next year | 2026-09-30 |
2.3 Previous publications
| Title | Publisher | Year | Sales or reception |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Title] | [Publisher] | [YYYY] | [Copies sold, reviews, awards] |
3. Target audience and market
3.1 Primary audience
[Describe the core reader: role, situation, motivation, what problem the book solves for them.]
Example: First-time and mid-level managers in healthcare, aviation, technology and manufacturing who lead teams where errors are costly.
3.2 Secondary audiences
- [Audience]: [why they would buy it].
- Example: Business school instructors teaching organisational behaviour, for course adoption.
- Example: Patient-safety and quality professionals.
3.3 Market size and evidence
| Indicator | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| [Indicator] | [Number] | [Source, year] |
| Example: Managers in target industries (country) | [Number] | [Labour statistics source, year] |
| Example: Members of [professional association] | 45,000 | Association annual report, 2025 |
| Example: Sales of comparable titles in the last 3 years | [Copies] | [Sales data source] |
3.4 Special and bulk sales
[Corporate training, associations, conferences, course adoption, international or translation interest.]
Example: Two hospital networks have expressed interest in buying copies for new-manager training; the author's keynote clients regularly buy books for attendees; the topic has strong interest in Germany and Japan, where the author has spoken.
4. Comparable titles
| Title | Author | Publisher, year | Format, pages | Similarity | How this book differs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Title] | [Author] | [Publisher, YYYY] | [Hardcover, 288] | [Shared audience or topic] | [Your distinct angle] |
| Example: [Recent book on psychological safety] | [Author] | [Publisher, 2023] | Hardcover, 272 | Same audience; team communication | Focuses on night shifts and handovers, with practical scripts |
| Example: [Recent book on checklists] | [Author] | [Publisher, 2022] | Paperback, 240 | Error prevention in hospitals | Covers three industries and the manager's role, not only tools |
| [Title] | [Author] | [Publisher, YYYY] | [Format] | [Similarity] | [Difference] |
| [Title] | [Author] | [Publisher, YYYY] | [Format] | [Similarity] | [Difference] |
Summary: [One paragraph positioning the book among these titles: what gap it fills and why readers of these books will also buy it.]
5. Marketing and promotion plan
| Activity | Description | Reach | Timing | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Activity] | [Details] | [Audience size] | [Pre-launch / Launch / Post-launch] | [Confirmed / Planned] |
| Example: Newsletter series | 8-issue series on the book's themes, with pre-order link | 18,400 subscribers | 3 months before launch | Confirmed |
| Example: Conference keynotes | Talks based on chapters 3 and 7, books sold at events | 4,000 attendees | Launch year | 2 confirmed |
| Example: Podcast tour | Guest appearances on 15 leadership and healthcare podcasts | 300,000 combined listeners | Launch month | Planned |
| Example: Bulk sales | Pre-orders from two hospital networks for manager training | 1,200 copies | Pre-launch | Letter of intent |
| Example: Op-ed articles | Pieces for trade and national press | [Outlets] | Launch week | Planned |
Endorsements: [People who have agreed or are likely to provide blurbs or a foreword.]
Launch budget the author will contribute (optional): [Amount and use].
6. Chapter outline
The book has [N] chapters in [N] parts, totalling about [N] words.
Introduction: [Title] ([N] words)
[Summary: the opening story, the central question and the promise of the book.]
Example: Introduction: Nobody Said Anything. Opens with the night a data centre outage could have been stopped by a junior engineer who noticed the warning but assumed someone senior had seen it. Sets out the book's question (why do capable teams stay silent when it matters most?) and promises readers a practical system they can start using in one team meeting.
Chapter 1: [Title] ([N] words)
[Summary: main argument, key stories, research and takeaway.]
Example: Chapter 1: The 3 a.m. Call. Opens with the Ohio sepsis case and introduces the book's central idea: most failures are communication failures between people who each did their job. Draws on interviews with 12 night-shift nurses and research on hierarchy and speaking up. Readers learn to recognise the four signs that their team is staying silent.
Chapter 2: [Title] ([N] words)
[Summary.]
Example: Chapter 2: Why Good People Stay Silent. Explains the research on status, fear and fatigue behind silence, using a near-miss in an airline cockpit as the central story. Readers learn to map where power gaps on their own team make silence likely.
Chapter 3: [Title] ([N] words) (sample chapter)
[Summary.]
Example: Chapter 3: The Handover. Follows one patient through four shift changes to show how information is lost at each one, then presents three handover formats tested in hospitals and software on-call teams. Readers leave with a checklist they can use the next day.
Chapter 4: [Title] ([N] words)
[Summary.]
Chapter 5: [Title] ([N] words)
[Summary. Add further chapters as needed.]
Conclusion: [Title] ([N] words)
[Summary: how the book closes and what readers do next.]
Example: Conclusion: The Next Shift. Returns to the Ohio hospital two years later to show which habits lasted and why. Closes with a 90-day plan for the reader's own team and a short guide to measuring whether people are speaking up more.
7. Sample chapter
Paste the full sample chapter below, or attach it as a separate file if the guidelines request one. Before inserting it, check the following:
- It is complete and polished, with the same voice as the overview.
- It demonstrates the book's structure: for example, the opening story, the research, and the practical takeaway at the end.
- Length is representative of the final chapters ([4,000 to 7,000 words]).
- Notes and sources follow the style you plan for the book, for example endnotes in Chicago style.
- Any images, quotes or interview material have permission or are marked as placeholders pending permission.
Chapter [N]: [Title]
[Sample chapter text.]
8. Manuscript specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Estimated length | [70,000 words] |
| Current status | [Sample chapter and outline complete; 25% drafted] |
| Delivery date | [N months after contract, or YYYY-MM-DD] |
| Illustrations and tables | [Number and type; who provides them] |
| Permissions needed | [Quoted material, images, interviews] |
| Notes and references | [Endnotes, about 250, Chicago style] |
| Back matter | [Index, bibliography, discussion guide] |
| Special features | [Chapter summaries, worksheets, QR links] |
| Rights available | [World English / North America / translation / audio] |
9. Appendices
9.1 Supporting materials
- [Press coverage with links]
- [Endorsement or foreword commitments]
- [Letters of intent for bulk purchase]
9.2 Cover note for submission
[A short cover email or query letter to accompany the proposal, of around 250 to 350 words, in three paragraphs: the hook and pitch line, why you are the right author with your strongest platform number, and what is attached, including a thank-you and contact details.]
Example: Dear [Agent name], I am seeking representation for The Quiet Fix, a 70,000-word work of narrative nonfiction for managers, which shows how small changes in team communication prevent large failures. You represented [comparable author], and I believe the book will appeal to the same readers. I am an organisational psychologist with 15 years of research in high-risk industries and a newsletter of 18,400 subscribers. The full proposal and sample chapter are attached. Thank you for your time.
9.3 Submission checklist
- Agent or publisher guidelines read and followed (format, length, file type, whether to include a sample chapter).
- Query letter or cover email personalised to the recipient.
- Platform numbers dated and verifiable.
- Comparable titles published within the last five years.
- Sample chapter proofread by someone other than the author.
- Contact details on the title page and in the file name.
Standard and licence note
Based on common trade and academic publishing practice for nonfiction book proposals. Agents and publishers set their own requirements, which take precedence over this outline. Original text written for this collection; example names, titles and figures are fictional. Template licence: MIT.