# 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.

<!--
Guidance: How to use this template
- A proposal is a business plan for a book. It must convince an editor
  that the book is worth publishing, that you are the right author, and
  that readers will buy it.
- Write the chapter outline and sample chapter before polishing the
  overview; they show whether the idea sustains a whole book.
- Be specific and honest about platform and numbers. Editors check them.
- Typical length is 25 to 60 pages including the sample chapter. Remove
  document control and revision history from the copy you send if the
  agent prefers a clean submission.
-->

## Document control

<!-- Guidance: Track which version went to which agent or publisher. Submitting an outdated proposal is a common and avoidable mistake. -->

| 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

<!-- Guidance: Record changes driven by feedback, so you can tell agents what improved since they last saw it. -->

| 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-overview)
2. [About the author and platform](#2-about-the-author-and-platform)
3. [Target audience and market](#3-target-audience-and-market)
4. [Comparable titles](#4-comparable-titles)
5. [Marketing and promotion plan](#5-marketing-and-promotion-plan)
6. [Chapter outline](#6-chapter-outline)
7. [Sample chapter](#7-sample-chapter)
8. [Manuscript specifications](#8-manuscript-specifications)
9. [Appendices](#9-appendices)

## 1. Overview

<!-- Guidance: Two to four pages that sell the book. Open with a hook (a story, a striking fact, a question), state the big idea, explain why it matters now and why this book is different. Write in the voice of the book itself; the overview is also a writing sample. -->

### 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

<!-- Guidance: Why you are the right person to write this book, and how you can reach readers. Credentials and lived experience establish authority; platform (audience you can reach directly) proves you can help sell it. Give numbers with dates. Write in the third person. -->

### 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

<!-- Guidance: Define the primary and secondary readers precisely: who they are, what they want, where they buy books. Size the market with evidence (memberships, survey data, sales of related books). "Everyone" is not an audience. -->

### 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

<!-- Guidance: Four to eight books published in the last three to five years that share your audience or subject and sold well. For each, say how your book is similar and how it differs. Avoid mega-bestsellers as the only comparison and never say "there is nothing like this book"; that suggests there is no market. -->

| 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

<!-- Guidance: What you, the author, will do to sell the book, with specific, committed actions and numbers. Publishers value realistic commitments over long wish lists. Separate what is confirmed from what is planned. -->

| 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

<!-- Guidance: A paragraph or two for each chapter (150 to 300 words), showing what it covers, its key stories or evidence, and what the reader gains. The outline should show a clear arc from start to finish. Note which chapter is the sample. -->

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

<!-- Guidance: Include one complete, polished chapter, usually the introduction or chapter 1, or the chapter that best shows your voice and argument. Some publishers ask for two chapters or the first 50 pages; follow their rules. Do not send a rough draft. -->

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

<!-- Guidance: The practical facts an editor needs to cost and schedule the book. Be realistic about delivery dates; late manuscripts damage relationships. -->

| 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

<!-- Guidance: Supporting material that strengthens the case: press clippings, endorsement letters, letters of intent for bulk sales, a full CV for academic proposals. Keep it short and relevant. -->

### 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.