How to Write a Book Proposal

$111

How to Write a Book Proposal: Independent Study

Course
4 Lessons

If you want to publish a nonfiction book, odds are exceptionally high that you are going to sell it to a publisher on proposal. This 4-video, 4-hour independent study will guide you through each part of the book proposal, helping you generate new outlines and fresh new material. I'll help you understand how to bring art and commerce together in a way that works for you.

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Hi! I'm Jeanna, and I'll be your teacher & guide.

I love figuring out how to sell a book.

The business side of the publishing industry is one of my favorite parts of being an author. Maybe it's because I've owned several businesses (including retail) myself; maybe it's because I used to work in content & marketing for tech startups. But the blurred line where art and commerce is one of the things that most excites me.

Doesn't mean it isn't hard. It took two separate proposals over two years to sell my first book, Heretic: A Memoir (HarperCollins) — but when I finally did sell it, it was at auction for six figures.

Over the course of that time (and in the years and projects since), I learned a lot about book proposals. At this point, I've helped dozens of friends and students

figure out how to articulate what the heck the argument is at the core of their memoir
uncover the stakes of their spiritual, meditative prescriptive nonfiction
learn the difference between marketing and publicity — and understand their role in that process
research and deep-dive into who, exactly, their audience for the book is
and so much more

what you get

This independent study, a slightly modified version of the wildly popular live class How to Write a Book Proposal, will have two video modules (3-4 hours in length total), hosted on my website, in which I walk you through the process of the book proposal.

Within the class itself, you get:

The generation of a new, invigorated outline and fresh material for your book proposal
In-class generative prompts and exercises that are designed to help you fill out and/or revise your book proposal — and address the uncertainties and fears beneath it
An improved understanding of the business aspects of the book proposal's function and process.

Who This is For

Writers working on memoir, narrative nonfiction, and/or prescriptive nonfiction.
Writers who are either just starting their proposals or who are stuck on their proposals and need to focus on the generation of new material rather than the polishing of what they have
Folks who are not looking for a workshop setup — you will not be submitting work or receiving any kind of feedback from me

Introduction

Intro.mp4

Session 1.mp4

Part I: You, the Businessperson

Session 2.mp4

Part II: You, the Artist

Session 3.mp4

Testimonials

Feeling intimidated and clueless about proposals is the main thing that kept me from trying to publish a book. With Jeanna's deeply informative lessons by my side, I wrote my book proposal in three months and had multiple offers of representation from major agencies within two weeks of submission. Every agent I spoke to said my proposal was one of the most polished they'd ever seen. Jeanna's class gave me all the knowledge I needed to write a killer proposal — but what I'm still carrying with me, every day, long after the proposal did its job, is Jeanna's unyielding faith in me and my writing.

Heather Hogan

For years, I have been struggling with motivation and inspiration to finish my book proposal. I didn't know where to look for advice and a Tweet from Jeanna changed everything. I took Jeanna's class on how to write a book proposal and I was able to not only connect with like-minded writers but learn the true in's and out's of the book proposal process. Jeanna's teaching style is approachable and honest. She approaches straightforward feedback with a kindness that inspires and motivates. I would highly recommend Jeanna's class to any aspiring writers looking to tackle the book proposal process.

Alysse Dalessandro

It’s one thing to learn the components of a proposal, but it’s another to understand why each component exists and how they all fit together to form a cohesive whole. Jeanna Kadlec’s class taught all of this while also creating a warm, generative space for me to think deeply and in new directions about my own work. She helped me re-conceptualize an intimidating business document into an energizing creative challenge.

Kayla Whaley

I took Jeanna's class on writing book proposals at a turning point in my literary career where I felt really insecure and was considering giving up on some dreams because I just didn't know how to proceed or if I could. This class made me feel confident and even excited to continue - Jeanna is so generous with information and teaches us vitally important information in an academically accessible way. I strongly recommend this class to anyone pursuing publishing, but especially those of us who haven't had access to the information we need to do it well.

Cassandra Snow

author of Queering the Tarot and Queering Your Craft

Learning how to write a book proposal is weirdly emotionally fraught for how boring it ultimately is. But Jeanna manages to make it really interesting, while holding space for everyone's angst and aspiration at the same time. I left her class with fresh ideas and a sense of hopefulness that this necessary exercise could be enlivening rather than soul-killing. That it might actually, if approached in the way that Jeanna teaches, make my book as a whole better.

Asha Sanaker

I recently made the switch from academic writing to non-fiction and memoir writing, and had just joined Jeanna Kadlec’s substack. When I saw the workshop announcement, I didn’t hesitate! Here’s a writer who just published a book in a similar area to what I want to publish on, providing concrete advice about proposal writing for trade publications? I’m in! The three-session course was amazeballs, and I ended up with 18 pages of notes, including getting a jump start on several sections of the proposal because of her well-planned curriculum and embedded exercises. I highly recommend this workshop for anyone who needs to know how proposals for memoir and other non-fiction typically works, or who might already know but wants to jumpstart their next writing project through specific, actionable, top-level writing prompts. Jeanna’s teaching is kind, well-timed, and incredibly helpful.

Cheryl Ball

I’ve been working on a manuscript for the past year, and when I saw this book proposal class, it immediately seemed like the right thing at the right time: fair price, easy amount of time commitment, and a clear preview of what was to come.

However, Jeanna’s teaching style and many insights gave me much more than some notes to fill into a preconceived notion. I have an enriched concept of how to approach book proposals, and I understand my own writing better and how to talk about it within the industry. This class has given me invaluable tools that I didn't even know I'd be happy to use.