The Most Challenging Part of Writing a Book Proposal

Crafting a standout book proposal starts with understanding what publishers really want. You need a fresh idea, a clear audience–and what book editors love to call strong “scaffolding.” 

If that sounds overwhelming, you’re not alone. We’ve heard from many of you—and even some of our own authors—that the toughest parts of the process tend to be  the same: 

• Summarizing your entire book into a one-page overview
• Structuring a strong, detailed table of contents
• Knowing when your proposal is really ready to go

The good news? There are strategies to make all three easier. One of our favorites: approach your overview as if you’re writing a personal letter to the editor. Be direct, vivid, and most of all—yourself.

Here are a few other tips to guide you: 

• For your overview: Use your book outline to sketch the arc of your story in a way that’s vivid, concise, and immediately engaging. Don’t get wordy. Think of it as a conversation—what do you want the editor to see, feel, and remember?
• For your table of contents: Try summarizing each chapter in a single line. This helps you ensure each chapter has a purpose and contributes to the larger narrative. Tools like Scrivener can help visualize your structure.
• For gauging readiness: Don’t aim for perfect—aim for clear. A proposal is a starting point, and a good agent will help you refine it. What matters most is that your core idea, your hook, and your audience come through loud and clear.

The most successful proposals are the ones that balance creativity with clarity. If you focus on articulating your idea, audience, and structure clearly, you’ll already be ahead of the curve.