Proposals vs. Manuscripts

by Clare Langley-Hawthorne

A friend of mine asked me the other day about how and when published authors use proposals to sell their work as opposed to having to write another complete manuscript. I said that authors under contract typically do a proposal for their next book and that often their publisher has an option (or first right of refusal) on any other project they may be working on, so authors will probably submit a proposal for this too. I have to admit though I have only my own, limited experience, to go on, so I thought I would throw the question out to my fellow killzoners and find out what they have to say.

Although I do know a fellow mystery writer who managed to sell a new cozy series based only on a two page concept, I have heard of others who supply a synopsis plus the first few chapters as their form of proposal. An editor I spoke to in the romance genre said it was typical for a published author to do this rather than having to provide a completed manuscript (the reasoning being that they have proven their ability to complete a book already) but my own agent seemed to suggest that when venturing outside one's genre a writer might have to finish the book first before it could be 'sold' to a publisher.

So fellow killzoners, what has your experience been?

• Since your first publication (which almost always is sold on the basis of a completed manuscript) have you typically submitted proposals or completed works for future projects?
• If you use proposals, are these only to your own publisher or to other publishers too?
• What format do these proposals take? A short synopsis plus chapters, or a more detailed chapter outline, or something else?
• A friend of mine has a great proposal template that includes subtitles such as 'backdrop', 'hook', 'set up' and 'character snapshots' - do you use similar elements or just a short summary?
• If you were advising a newly published author in this regard, what would you tell them to bear in mind regarding proposals?
• How many books did you have published before you could typically get away with using a proposal rather than writing the entire thing?

And for our blog readers, do you have any questions regarding the use of proposals to sell novels? If there are any agents or editors out there, how do you view proposals and in what circumstances are they (or aren't they) the way to go.




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