The Great First Impression Book Proposal: Everything You Need to Know About Selling Your Book in Twenty Minutes or Less

Must admit that I was a bit skeptical when I read the title The Great First Impression Book Proposal: Everything You Need to Know About Selling Your Book in Twenty Minutes or Less. When one sees such a title, offering the reader the suggestion that one might find all they need to know about anything, can contribute to the raising of an initially dubious eyebrow. The imagination can shift to the early morning infomercials that one finds on television during a night when sleep is elusive.

"Billy Mays here for (insert product name)..."

But Carolyn Howard-Johnson comes highly recommended, and from a number of sources. And she shares her knowledge with readers and writers alike, in an upbeat and friendly manner that makes you realize that here is a person who truly cares about those with whom she comes in contact.

To say that she is approachable doesn't do her justice. I corresponded with her briefly on the night that she was packing to go on vacation, then felt guilty because she was taking the time to reply to my comments. Have never met her, yet already feel that she's a mentor that I've known for quite awhile.

So I went ahead and made the 49¢ investment in this little book with the big title. All I'm telling you is that it's a fine little resource for any aspiring writer. It's chock-full of great ideas, and well worth the twenty minutes or so to read every word. It's the best under $10.00 purchase that I've made here this year, and it has hundreds, (maybe even thousands) of dollars worth of excellent advice.

And truth be known, reading this was enough inspiration to take the next step and purchase her book The Frugal Editor: Put your best book forward to avoid humiliation and ensure success (How to Do It Frugally), which is on its way right now.

Thanks, Carolyn... you inspire!

I'm VERY surprised that there were 12 reviews raving about this text. I find it hard to believe that they were all objective reviews by people unknown to the author (although I recognize that's certainly possible). I normally would not even take the time to write a review if I did not think that, in this case, it's warranted.

First of all, the supplementary pages should not have been counted in giving the text length. I thought I was getting 18 pages on how to write a book proposal, so I find that misleading. Secondly, the fact that there are typos does not reflect well on a text that is supposed to be giving me professional advice on writing. The word "concise" is used to describe it, but I felt that it had been "dashed off." Thirdly, I felt that, more than anything, it is intended as a self-promotion tool for the author. (There's nothing wrong with that per se; I just don't like paying for it -- even at $0.49!)

I did not learn anything that I had not already learned for free from other sources on the Internet. This text was very disappointing, and I think the hype surrounding it really needs a reality check.

I've always thought that fiction writers don't need to write book proposals, but according to Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of The Frugal Book Promoter and The Frugal Editor - some publishers now ask their novelists to write them especially if they're under contract for more than one novel, genre novels and novels that are part of a series. Remind me not to write a sequel then, for the prospect of writing a book proposal fills me with dread. But, Carolyn has just written her very helpful first Amazon short called The Great First Impression Book Proposal : Everything You Need to Know About Selling Your Book In Twenty minutes or Less - you can't go wrong for 0.49 cents - click on Amazon Book Short for details.

In her useful 18 page book proposal, Carolyn gives a detailed proposal for a non-fiction book, handy if I ever decide to write my autobiography! I always thought all one had to do when writing a proposal for a non-fiction book was to write an overall précis and list your chapters with a synopsis under each one. I've obviously been stuck in the Dark Ages, for these days a book proposal is a different kind of proposition.

Carolyn says the book proposal should be regarded as a marketing tool. She advises to think of a proposal as a cross between an outline, a resumé and a media kit. According to her, she says a book proposal should reflect your voice and the character of whatever kind of book you are proposing. Carolyn has divided her concise book proposal with sub headings such as "First Great Impression Proposal - Here's How to Make a Gatekeeper Open the door For You." Carolyn advises the reader to include an About the Author section which has to be a more extensive bio than in your query letter. She also advises the reader to add their profession and website with details of their E-zine or Newsletter. Not only that, but you should also include a link for one of your blogs which 'exposes' your website. And, she is very keen on Media Kits, and even gives templates on her How To Do It Frugally website (she advises the reader to click on the Media tab).

According to Carolyn, you also have to give a Personal and Professional Contact list and under your Table of Contents, you may choose to tell what is in each chapter. If all this isn't enough, Carolyn says you should give your 'gatekeeper' detailed promotional plans of your own as well.

You should also enclose two sample chapters (including the first one) + a brief synopsis of each chapter. Carolyn advises to throw in sample illustrations if you have any plus a quotation from your book that 'highlights the originality of your concept.'

As a reminder, she says you should include your query letter, your overview, your extended proposal including sample chapters and your parting shot or clincher. At the end of her proposal, she even suggests you look at other book proposal books which are out there on the market. I'm sure they are good, but you can't go wrong in faithfully following Carolyn Howard-Johnson's advice in her INVALUABLE eighteen page book proposal which took me less than twenty minutes to devour.

Carolyn Howard-Johnson has made a career of taking complex topics, boiling them down to their essence,and providing the core information to recalcitrant writers like me. In this short, she tackles the topic of book proposals.

Yawn!

Book proposals?

Okay. Carolyn's smart. Carolyn's experienced. Carolyn's well-known in the industry. Carolyn knows stuff.

Like a teenaged boy charged with carrying out the garbage, I read Carolyn's short because I knew I should.

Half way through, I just had to whine a bit.

I still hate writing book proposals, I groaned. Let's face it. They aren't sexy. They don't move me. They are necessary long after I've gotten my emotional charge out of the book or novel in question. They are like those foul-tasting fish oil capsules -- it's good for what ails you, but sometimes you just have to close your eyes and choke them down -- and deal with the fishy aftertaste.

Oh, Carolyn's merry style is perfect for this piece. She condenses the bitter medicine into a series of easily digested bites. In fact, it's an easy read -- enjoyable in the way that diet books, especially the ones you know you'll never actually use, are enjoyable.

Then, toward the end, she tackles the topic of "author dread" for this most onerous of chores with a simple question. What about the poor gatekeeper who has to read all those boring book proposals?

What an awful job that must be, I thought.

Then lights flashed and a red exclamation point appeared in a eureka balloon over my head. Aha! Perhaps the challenge is to make the project I am framing interesting? Entertaining? Compelling? Funny? Worth publishing?

Hmm.

Imagine that.

Thanks, Carolyn. Got any more hard lessons for me?


Joyce Faulkner
www.JoyceFaulkner.com

Writing a good book proposal is crucial. You can sit down and write the most well written, thought provoking book ever conceived. Your novel might be so noteworthy that it is going to eliminate global warming, bring universal peace, and heal the ozone layer all in one fell swoop. But, unfortunately, if your proposal isn't up to standard, your work will remain forever unpublished.

The Great First Impression Book Proposal is a short article that provides some guidance on writing book proposals. The author uses a method she calls The Great First Impression Proposal which uses an overview system to highlight the pertinent parts of your book. Essentially, this format is meant to catch the publisher's attention while giving them all the basic information that they will need to make a decision about publishing your work.

The Great First Impression Book Proposal is a great little resource for any aspiring writer. There are plenty of valuable ideas here. The author has even included a sample query letter.