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Nonfiction book proposal template, section by section
The sections agents and publishers usually expect, in a common order, with guidance on what to write in each. Free to copy.
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Nonfiction book proposal template
Each section lists what to include. Replace the guidance with your own words. If an agent's guidelines set an order or a format, follow them.
Title page
- [Working title]: [a subtitle that says who the book is for or what it promises]
- Your name, email, phone number and website
- The expected length of the finished book, and when you expect to finish it
Overview
- The hook: one or two sentences on what the book is and why it matters now
- The problem the book solves or the question it answers, and for whom
- What makes your approach different from the books already on the shelf
- The format: length, structure and any features such as exercises, recipes or images
Target readers
- Who the ideal reader is, as specifically as you can describe them
- How many of them there are, with numbers you can source
- Where they already gather: organizations, communities, publications, events
Comparable titles
- Four to six recent books that the same readers buy
- For each one: title, author, publisher and year
- One or two sentences on how your book is similar, and how it is different
About the author
- Why you are the person to write this book: expertise, credentials, lived experience
- Your platform: the readers you can reach yourself, such as a newsletter, a following, talks or media
- Previous publications, if any
Marketing and promotion plan
- What you will do yourself to sell the book, with numbers where you can
- Partners, events, outlets and endorsers you can realistically reach
- Anything you plan to spend, such as a publicist or an advertising budget
Chapter outline
- A table of contents with working chapter titles
- A paragraph or two per chapter: what it covers and what the reader takes away
Sample chapters
- One or two finished chapters, usually including the first
- Your best writing: this is where the agent decides whether you can deliver the book
What a book proposal is, and when you need one
Most nonfiction is sold before it is finished. Instead of a full manuscript, you send agents and publishers a book proposal: the business case for the book, plus a sample of the writing.
Fiction is different. A first novel is almost always sold as a finished manuscript with a query letter. Memoir sits in between: some agents ask for a proposal and sample chapters, others want the whole manuscript, often with a proposal too, so check each agent's guidelines.
Writing a novel? Use the query letter templateThe sections of a nonfiction book proposal
Agents and editors read a proposal for three answers: what the book is, who will buy it and why you are the one to write it. These eight sections cover all three.
- Title page: the working title, a subtitle and your contact details.
- Overview: the hook, the problem the book solves and why now.
- Target readers: who will buy the book, and how many of them there are.
- Comparable titles: recent books for the same readers, and how yours differs.
- About the author: why you are the right person to write it.
- Marketing and promotion plan: what you will do to reach readers.
- Chapter outline: a summary of every chapter.
- Sample chapters: finished pages that prove you can write the book.
How to write the overview
Many agents read the overview first and most closely. Open with the hook: what the book is, in one or two sentences, and why it matters to readers now.
Then say who it is for, what they get from it and how it differs from what they can already buy. Write it in the voice of the book. An agent is judging your writing here too.
How to choose comparable titles
Pick four to six recent books that the same readers buy. Each should be close enough to prove there is a market, and different enough that yours has a reason to exist.
For each one, give the title, author, publisher and year, and a sentence or two on how yours compares. Avoid saying your book has no competition. To a publisher, that usually means no audience.
Platform and the marketing plan
Platform is your ability to reach readers yourself: a newsletter, a following, talks, a column, a professional network. In many nonfiction categories it weighs as much as the writing.
In the marketing plan, list what you will actually do, with numbers you can stand behind. A short, concrete plan is more convincing than a long list of hopes.
The chapter outline and the sample chapters
The chapter outline shows the book is fully thought through. Give each chapter a working title and a short summary of what it covers and what the reader takes away.
The sample chapters show you can deliver. Most proposals include the first chapter, and some agents ask for more. Make them the most polished writing in the package.
Draft a proposal from your manuscript
On Pro and higher plans, StoryWith AI can draft a proposal from the chapters of a book set up as non-fiction: an overview, a market analysis, a chapter outline, sample chapters and an author platform section.
Treat it as a first draft. Rewrite it in your own voice, and check every market claim before you send it.
See the non-fiction toolsRun it on the whole manuscript
These tools read a sample. StoryWith AI reads the whole book: structure, pacing, continuity, and a readiness score with every issue linked to its passage. Start free, then upgrade when you're ready to analyze the whole book.
More free tools
- Manuscript Readiness ScorePaste your opening chapters for a score out of 100 and the issues most likely to stop an agent.
- Story RaterRate a chapter or short story on hook, pacing, clarity, dialogue and character, with your top three fixes.
- Query Letter GraderInstant checks on length, word count, genre, comps and greeting, plus an AI review with line-level fixes.
- Query Letter GeneratorAnswer six questions about your novel and get a first-draft query letter in agent format.
- Editing Cost CalculatorEstimate developmental, line, copyediting and proofreading costs from published EFA rates.
- Novel Word Count CheckerCheck your word count against what agents expect for your genre, from fantasy and romance to YA and memoir.
- Beat Sheet CalculatorSee where each beat of Save the Cat! or three-act structure falls in your novel, by word and by chapter.
- Query Letter TemplateA fill-in-the-blanks query letter in the format agents expect, with an annotated example and word counts for each paragraph.
- Book Synopsis TemplateA one-page synopsis in five parts, with a word budget for each and a full example that gives away the ending.
- Character Profile TemplateA character profile with the questions that matter: want, need, wound, voice, relationships and arc.
- Story Bible TemplateOne document for every character, place, rule and date in your book, with notes for a series.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is a nonfiction book proposal?
A document that sells a nonfiction book before it is written: an overview, the market, comparable titles, your platform, a marketing plan, a chapter outline and sample chapters.
How long should a book proposal be?
It varies. With the sample chapters included, many proposals run to a few dozen pages. Clarity counts for more than length, and each agent's guidelines come first.
Do I need to finish the book before I write a proposal?
No. That is the point of a proposal: most nonfiction is sold on the overview, the outline and a sample of the writing. Memoir is the exception that often needs more.
Does fiction need a book proposal?
No. Novels are almost always sold on a finished manuscript and a query letter. Use the query letter template instead.
What should the marketing plan include?
Concrete things you will do: the newsletter you will send, the events where you will speak, the outlets you can pitch and the partners who will share the book. Numbers help.
How many sample chapters should I include?
Usually one or two, often starting with the first. Some agents ask for more, so check their guidelines.
Is the template free?
Yes. Copy it and adapt it as you like. No signup.