Writing a Good Book Proposal - Frequently Asked Questions
- Establish a Need
- State a Contribution
- Target Your Audience
- Explain Use by Audience
- Related and Competing Works
- What is the Length?
- Outline of Contents and Chapter-by-Chapter Descriptions
- Provide Sample Chapters
- How should this information be delivered?
- Potential Text Adoption
- Timetable
- Other Publishers
- Background Information
- Contact Us
Establish a Need
Why are you developing this project?
Why do physicians or researchers need this information now?
How is the topic of increasing importance?
How are physicians and/or researchers getting this information now? Online or print competitors?
State a Contribution
What new information is offered?
In what ways would the work add to current knowledge and practice?
Target Your Audience
Be specific and describe the primary, secondary, and other audiences with respect to discipline, affiliation, and position or title.
Please provide a list of professional societies interested in this content
Please include a list of therapeutics or medical devices mentioned in your book. If these are mentioned, please provide contacts at corporations or pharmaceutical companies that would be interested in your book. Please include names, phone numbers and emails.
What level of research or clinical experience is needed to understand or use the content being proposed?
Explain Use by Audience
How would the work help the physicians to do, understand, improve, and carry out their jobs or improve patient outcomes?
Distinguish between the uses and benefits for the practitioner, academic, and general audiences - or whatever distinction is most meaningful.
Related and Competing Works
Please list the author, title, and publisher of the main related and competing works.
Describe why they are not adequate to meet the need you have identified.
How is your work different or superior?
What is the Length?
How many double-spaced typed pages do you anticipate the manuscript to be?
Outline of Contents and Chapter-by-Chapter Descriptions
Provide a few sentences about the purpose and contents of each chapter, giving specific details and examples as well as general statements. Also explain the logic of the work's organization.
Provide a list of potential or contracted contributors.
Provide Sample Chapters
Please submit the plan with two or three sample chapters.
If you would like some feedback before you prepare the sample chapters, send the plan without them, and we will offer an initial reaction.
We prefer to learn of projects in their early stages to point out potential problems and offer editorial suggestions.
If you would like us to return any of the materials you submit, please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
How should this information be delivered?
How do you envision your final product?
Will your project be a book, online, DVD, ebook, PDA?
Are you proposing a single product or a group of products?
Potential Text Adoption
In addition to sales to practitioners and academics, some Informa works are used as texts in college and university courses and corporate and government training courses. If your work would have such text use, please describe the level, titles, and average enrolment of courses for which it would be appropriate; the kinds and approximate number of institutions with such courses; and the competing texts.
Timetable
What schedule is envisioned for preparing sample chapters (if not already included), the complete draft manuscript, and revisions of the manuscript?
Other Publishers
Has the manuscript been sent to other publishers for consideration? If so, which ones? Note that we have no objection to your informing other publishers that we are considering the proposal.
Background Information
Please attach your cv, resume, or biography detailing your professional and educational background, including prior publications.
Contact Us
Send your proposal to:
editorial@informa.com
