Tuesday, September 15, 2015

A Step in the Write Direction--September 14, 2015--Book Proposal for Novels

A Step in the Write Direction
September 14, 2015

Update: This has been a good week. I’ve had a lot of fun going through 17 trays of slides (down from 57 at one time!) and sorting even more. Threw away a lot from birthday parties of children I babysat (before 1969) and scenery. Even gave away two trays of Scotland slides. My best friend who went with me on that trip passed away in November and no one else seemed to want to see them so I just kept one tray with my friend and me in them. Have made an index for each tray and typed two copies—one to put in the box with the tray and one I put in a notebook. I was down to viewing the last two trays when my projector broke. Don’t know why. It was only 47 years old! (Like my friend said, they just don’t make things to last like they used to.) Called a local camera store and they said they couldn’t get parts for this model any more. However, when I went down there to get a rental, they had a used one for sale—and I bought it!...My weekly critique group is coming here today for our meeting. I spent all day yesterday cleaning house—that’s why this blog is a day late!

Thought for Today: Either we Christian writers mean business about winning souls for God, or we should go out of business.… If you have been ordained to write, woe to you if you put
everything else first. Woe to you if you do not give to God the best part of the day when
you are most alert, when…the juices are flowing and the mind is creative.…We have the greatest subject in all history, the Man from Nazareth…the greatest commodity, the gospel; the greatest book, the Bible; the greatest gift to offer, eternal salvation. If that doesn’t motivate us…we’re in trouble (Sherwood Wirt, You Can Tell the World, 1975).

 Prayer Request from Reader:
Small girl with glioblastoma multiforma with recurring tumors. She underwent surgery in February (Valentine's Day), then went through radiation and has had four sessions of chemotherapy. Last week they doctors found a new tumor at the top of her brain. It is butterfly shaped and it is in a place where it won't respond to radiation or chemo and is inoperable. Her name is Jillian.

Laugh for Today: A farmer was driving down the road with a load of fertilizer. A girl playing in her backyard saw him and asked, "Whatcha got in your trailer?" "Manure," the farmer replied. "Whacha gonna do with it?" she asked him."Put it on my strawberries," he said. The girl looked at him and said, "You should come and eat with us! We put ice cream on ours." (The Gospel Greats Weekly Newsletter, 9/8/15).

Writer’s Tips:                        Book Proposal for Novel[i]                

A good fiction proposal should include:
1. The novel’s title: Research the kinds of titles that attract readers.
2. Synopsis: This is a short (1-2 pages) summary of the novel. If you cannot describe your major plot points in this amount of space, then you do not yet have a clear enough vision of your story. … If you cannot describe it in order to sell it, then you will not be able to describe it in order to promote it.
3. Details: length, delivery date.
4. Chapter-by-chapter outline—two or three sentences telling what happens in that chapter. Keep them interesting—think of this as telling your story in fast-forward….
5. Marketing: Who is the audience? How will you reach them? How do you plan to publicize it? Can you get radio or TV spots? Obtain speaking engagements? Publicize it on your and other websites? Considering today’s economy, publishers expect more from editors in helping to sell books. The more assistance you can give, the better chance you have of selling your book.
6. Endorsements: Who can you ask to read and review your book? Contact other authors who have written similar books and ask them for endorsements. It is more and more essential that you obtain endorsements early on in the process.
7. Competition: What similar novels are currently in print? List them, and note how they are doing. Is there room for another?
8. Author information: This is no time for modesty. What else have you published? What awards have you won?
9. Sample chapters: Include the first three chapters


[i] www.customline.com/wordware/individual/getting/proposalsF.html. Used by permission.

 Have a good week spreading the
gospel through the printed page.

Donna Clark Goodrich


 

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