In July of 2021, I published some book proposal advice over at The Chronicle of Higher Education: “6 Types of Book Proposals That Don’t Get Contracts.” I’ve turned that column into a one-page PDF handout that I’m making free to download for blog readers (i.e. you).

Download the PDF
Download an accessible Word file

If you read the article or check out the handout, I hope you’ll notice that I provide some constructive advice to go along with the “don’t do this” warnings. While it’s totally normal for people to want to know about “mistakes” or “what not to do”—and I play into that desire sometimes because there’s no denying that readers respond to it—I really do try to stay positive in my proposal advice when I can. For one thing, there are exceptions to every rule (and the “rules” aren’t formally codified anywhere), so what might generally be thought of as a “mistake” could actually work in some situations.

For another thing, I know how unpleasant it can be to approach your writing from a defensive, fear-based place, and that includes writing your book proposal. While it’s good to be aware of some of the common pitfalls so you can clear them up if you happen to see them in your own draft, I’d much rather help you focus on the ways you can proactively shape your work to achieve the results and impact you’re seeking.

This is the approach I take in my courses and workshops, which you can find out more about here.