Rick Frishman - Author 101 Bestselling Book Proposals: The Insiders Guide to Selling Your Work

BESTSELLING
BOOK PROPOSALS

The Insider's Guide to Selling Your Work

Rick Frishman and Robyn Freedman Spizman
with Mark Steisel

Adams Media
Avon, Massachusetts

Copyright 2005, FME, Inc.,
and Robyn Freedman Spizman Literary Works, LLC.
All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced
in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions
are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.

AUTHOR 101 is a trademark of FME, Inc.,
and Robyn Freedman Spizman Literary Works, LLC.

Published by
Adams Media, an F+W Publications Company
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322
www.adamsmedia.com

ISBN: 1-59337-412-7

Printed in the United States of America.

J I H G F E D C B A

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Frishman, Rick
Author 101bestselling book proposals : the insider's guide to selling your work /
by Rick Frishman and Robyn Freedman Spizman with Mark Steisel.
p. cm.(The author 101 series)
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 1-59337-412-7 (alk. paper)
1. Book proposals. 2. AuthorshipMarketing. I. Spizman, Robyn Freedman.
II. Steisel, Mark. III.Title. IV. Series.
PN161.F747 2005
070.5'2dc22
2005019807

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and Adams Media was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with initial capital letters.

This hook is available at quantity discounts for bulk purchases.
For information, please call 1-800-872-5627.

All it takes to get a book published is getting one person to say yes. We dedicate this book to the editors, publishers, and individuals along the way who said yes to us and hopefully will say yes to you too.

To my wife, Robbi, with love and thanks.
Rick Frishman

To my husband, Willy and our children, Justin and Ali.
You make life a bestseller!
Robyn Freedman Spizman

Contents

by Mark Victor Hansen

Foreword

THIS BOOK WAS one of the exciting by products of my MEGA Book Marketing University. I couldn't be happier or prouder about it, or more delighted to write the foreword. Since 1993, my good friend Rick Frishman has designed and managed the publicity campaigns for all my books, and in recent years, he's become the star public relations instructor at MEGA. Rick's coauthor, Robyn Spizman, is a talented author, seasoned media personality and cofounder of the Spizman Agency, a well-known public relations agency in Atlanta that oversees one of the nation's top author and leading-edge thinker's programs at which I have been featured; she has also sat on panels and participated in educational programs at MEGA. Right off the bat, you have two superstars from this business.

In 2004, Rick invited Scott Watrous, Chief Operating Officer of Adams Media, and Gary Krebs, Publishing Director of Adams, to be his guests at MEGA. The experience opened their eyes, and subsequently, Rick's, Robyn's, and mine as well. Scott and Gary saw that though the would-be authors who attended MEGA had tremendous passion, enthusiasm, and ability, what many of them lacked was an intricate knowledge of how to write book proposals, get a literary agent, and promote their books.

Scott and Gary sat down with Rick and Robyn, who had been working on a concept that they had titled Author 101, and brain-stormed. When four people that smart put their heads together, you know something good's going to come aboutand it did. That weekend, those four people developed the vision for the program that you are about to begin.

The goal of Author 101 is very simple and direct: to take novice authors and give them a grounding in the business of writing that matches their talent and commitment. For instance, in Bestselling Book Proposals, Rick and Robyn have produced a wealth of material on writing a book proposal from an insider's perspectivethat is, from the point of view of people who have not only written book proposals, but have evaluated those written by others. Their wisdom is invaluable to anyone who aspires to be a published author, because as we all know, in any business, talent is not enough. You've got to be smart. And with the Author 101 program, you'll get smart. You'll learn the inside tips and tricks that make a proposal stand out from the thousands of others like it, make a book more attractive to a publisher, generate millions in free publicity and a lot more.

I love this book and the entire Author 101 concept because I see the same need that Scott, Gary, Rick, and Robyn saw at MEGA: a lot of eager people with great ideas but without that practical foundation in the business of publishing that helps successful authors become successful. By the end of the weekend, I could sense the confusion, and it was really a call for help. Well, Rick and Robyn have answered that call. As the Author 101 series continues, they'll be debuting a second book, Bestselling Secrets from Top Agents. They'll also be starting a series of educational seminarsas well as teleconferences, if you're unable to drop everything and get on a planefeaturing some of the top agents, publishers, editors, and writers in the industry. The goal is always the same: to help you become a better, smarter writer and a more salable, prosperous author.

Can you benefit from Author 101: Bestselling Book Proposals if you've already been published? Sure. After all, there's no such thing as too much knowledge. Even if you've already sold and marketed your first book, or if you've self-published, you can always learn more about writing great proposals and marketing plans, doing better competitive research, or creating chapter outlines that get agents making excited 2 A.M. phone calls.

However, Author 101 is really all about the first-time writer. If you've always felt like there was a book inside you just fighting to get out, if you want to write a book to jumpstart your current career or vector off into a new one, and if you have a brilliant idea but don't know how to sell or market it, Author 101 is your complete, soup-to-nuts resource. When it comes to learning how to write, sell, and promote your book from start to finish, you can't do better than Rick and Robyn. I know. That's why I've chosen to work with them for many years.

So take a deep breath and dive into Bestselling Book Proposals. I think you'll learn more than you ever thought possible about what it takes to get your book noticed by the publishing industry. More important than that, you'll pick up ideas and develop skills that will make you a better, more marketable, more business-savvy author. And as someone who loves helping writers turn their dreams into wonderful books, I can't think of a better result.