Your book. Your proposal.
Ready for publishers.
A remarkable life or a lifetime of expertise doesn't get a book published.
Agents and publishers make that decision based on a proposal.
As your proposal writer and ghostwriter, I'll write that proposal with you, in your voice, using industry best practice, capturing their attention from the first page they read.
Who it is for
Senior professionals at or near the end of distinguished careers, with a story or hard-won knowledge worth sharing.
Families commissioning a book on behalf of a parent or relative.
Companies marking a founder's story or a significant anniversary.
What you receive
The complete, submission-ready proposal will include:
Overview and hook: the single story that makes your book worth publishing.
Chapter-by-chapter outline showing the shape of the whole book.
Author section: who you are, and why you're the person to write it.
Market section: the readership, comparable titles, and a length that fits what publishers expect.
Sample chapter in your voice, so readers hear the finished book.
Query letter ready to send.
Target list of literary agents and publishers suited to your book.
Your voice, not mine
We work through recorded conversations, chapter by chapter. Each is transcribed and then listened to again, so the writing keeps your language and your rhythm.
Stories you return to are drawn together, and the arc that runs through your life or work becomes the spine of the book.
This is the craft of an actor and screenwriter listening for how a real person speaks, and knowing what makes a story hold its reader.
Packages
Proposal Core
Up to six hours of interviews
The full proposal with one sample chapter
One round of revisions
Query letter and target list
$7,500
Proposal Plus
Everything in Proposal Core
Plus:
Two further sample chapters
(making a total of three chapters)
A second round of revisions
$10,000
Submission support
Your proposal sent to an agreed list of agents and/or publishers
Responses are tracked and reported back to you
A flat fee, I do not act as your agent and I take no commission
(optional extra)
Prices quoted in US dollars.
Invoices can be issued in GBP, Euro or South African Rand at equivalent value.
$1,500
Deciding to write the whole book
If, within 12 months of the end of the proposal process, you commission ANP to write the full book, the whole proposal fee will be credited against the price of the commissioned work.
How it works
Introductory call: 30 minutes, at no charge, with an honest first view of your book's prospects.
Written proposal for the work within three working days.
Agreement: contract, confidentiality agreement and a 50% deposit.
Chapter map: you list the chapters you believe belong in the book.
Interviews: recorded online conversations, scheduled around you.
Draft and revisions.
Delivery of your finished proposal.
A proposal typically takes six to eight weeks from the first interview.
FAQ
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A book proposal is the document literary agents and publishers use to decide whether to take on a nonfiction book. It sets out the book's story, its readers, its chapters and a sample of the writing. For most nonfiction, you need a proposal before you need a manuscript. For a memoir by a first-time author, some publishers prefer a complete manuscript; I'll tell you on our first call which route suits your book.
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The book is yours and appears under your name. By default, my role stays confidential. Some authors prefer to acknowledge their writer, in the acknowledgements or on the cover, and that's entirely your choice.
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Typically six to eight weeks from the first interview, depending on how quickly we can schedule interviews and how many rounds of revisions you choose.
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I use software to help with transcription, research and checking. I write, review and take responsibility for every word.
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Proposal Core is $7,500 and Proposal Plus, with a second sample chapter and a second round of revisions, is $10,000. Optional submission support, in which I send your proposal to agents and publishers on your behalf, is $1,500.
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In the UK, most large publishers accept submissions only through literary agents, while some independent publishers, and many in South Africa, accept them directly. Your proposal includes a target list covering both.
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No, no one can honestly promise that except a publisher. What I promise is the strongest possible case for one.
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You do. On final payment, the proposal and all rights in it are yours.
Start with a conversation
A short call, at no charge, to discuss what you need for your presentation or your book.