Putting together proposals
Lately, I've been building a proposal for Cell Story, my work in progress.
Proposals are a surprising amount of work, mostly because there's so much that I need to address that I don't necessarily know about yet. Mine tend to be really detailed and have a lot of things others might not need, but my agent and I are on the more-is-better side of the fence when it comes to these things.
Here's what we always include:
1. A sample of the writing.
Contracts for option projects generally say they require three chapters and a synopsis, but three chapters just isn't enough for me. Again, I'm in the more-is-better camp, so for this project, I have about 30,000 words written and revised. That's a third of the book. (I think. I hope only a third.) I figure, the more of the actual story I can offer them (editors and acquisitions people), the better idea they will have of the story I'm trying to tell.
And it's not just for them. I want to make sure I'm enjoying the story enough to keep going. It's a huge commitment, agreeing to write an entire book! I don't want to get a few chapters in and discover it's not a project I want to spend at least the next two years with. So I write as much as I can, because I want to be sure of it for myself, too.
2. Elevator pitch.
It's important to be able to tell someone quickly what the book is about. When you're doing a signing in a store and someone walks up to your table and asks what the book is about, they want a sentence, not a speech. Hook them with a short description to make them want to hear the longer version.
I try to hammer these out from the very beginning, because it's useful to know how I'll describe the book--and also because it's something I can always refer back to if I lose focus.
3. Query/flap-copy description.
I usually write a query-style description of the book even before I start—it helps me get a better idea of the story I'm wanting to tell—so all I have to do for a proposal is get it polished up. (And make sure it still lines up with the story I'm going to tell. This time, it didn't. I had to rewrite the description from scratch.)
Again, this is something I often refer back to any time I start to lose focus in the story.
4. Synopsis/es.
Synopses are one of the things most proposals will always include. Again, it's to give the publisher people a sense that you know where you're going with the story.
I try to have a good, detailed one for the first book. Sequels usually have something shorter and broader, closer to a query description but with an ending point, because I don't always know how I'm going to get somewhere, but I need to know where I am going, at least.
5. Character list.
These are useful for giving a sense of the size of the cast, and simply as a reference for later. In my character lists, main characters get detailed descriptions, while minor characters get a line or two about their role in the story.
6. Location list.
Since I write fantasy, this is really useful as a reference—and for getting a quick idea of the scope of the world. Again, more important locations get longer descriptions, while minor locations get briefer descriptions. And in worlds that have a lot of moving parts and characters traveling places, this can be extremely useful for showing that there is a difference between the locations and they're not all Generic Medieval Fantasyland.
7. Comp titles.
Comp titles are always a challenge for me, but they're really useful for publishers when determining how to position the book and how to market it. "If you like X, then you'll like Y!"
[hr]
So there I was, buried under all these things I needed to put together when I realized how completely weird putting together proposals is. I dashed out a quick email to my agent, who responded that this needed to be a blog post. It's a bit short for an entire post, so you get the above as a bonus. But here's where this post began:
Proposals are kind of like announcing I'm going to decorate for Christmas.
Here's a tree that's decorated on one side, and I'm going to do the whole house like this! No, better than a partially decorated tree! I'll finish decorating the tree, too, once I know what everything looks like and how the tree needs to fit in. I might have to move the tree over there. Or do you think it looks good here? I can't tell anymore.
Scattered around are more decorations, some for the tree, but the rest for the house. It's kind of a mess and it doesn't look like much, but don't worry, I have another order coming in any minute now. And a plan! This house is going to look ah-mazing. I swear. It'll blind passersby and put all the other houses to shame. Now if only I could find the lights for the reindeer I want to put in my yard. Wait, did I order lights for that? I'll just order some more.
Watch your step.