Happy 2024, Manuscript Workers!
This is a quick newsletter to let you know that my six-week Book Proposal Accelerator is now accepting enrollments!
We start next Monday (January 8th) with a week of daily co-working and Q&As to help you build momentum on your scholarly book proposal while the year is young. Then we’ll keep meeting every Friday, and you’ll be able to post your drafts for direct feedback from me. (The meetings are recorded so no worries if you can’t make it to all of them.)
This is the most hands-on program I currently offer, so if you’d like expert eyes on your proposal before you send it to publishers, this is your chance.
You’ll leave with an outstanding book proposal, a list of best-fit presses, and a submission strategy personalized to your goals and timeline.
The Book Proposal Accelerator is time-tested since 2019 and nearly 500 scholarly writers have used it to map out their books and connect with publishers. Lots of different kinds of scholars have found the program valuable, but I wanted to share a quick 4-question quiz here to help you figure if the Book Proposal Accelerator is right for you (in case you’re not sure):
Question 1: Where are you in your scholarly career?
A. I’m writing my first book, possibly based on a doctoral dissertation that I’ve recently completed
B. I’m working on a second book or finally writing the passion-project book I’ve always wanted to publish
C. I’m not in an academic position, but I’m still invested in publishing my book as an independent scholar
D. I’m still finishing my PhD but thinking ahead to the book
If you said A, you’re in good company, and most of the people who join the Accelerator are in this position. The program unpacks the hidden curriculum of scholarly book publishing that you probably didn’t learn in your graduate program (or any time after that either).
If you said B, you’ll also find the structure of the Accelerator helpful for clarifying your publishing goals, presenting your project in a way that will connect with publishers, and taking more control of the process than you might have felt earlier in your career. Many second-time authors who have been through the Accelerator say they realized how much they didn’t know about publishing a book the first time around and feel much better positioned to get the results they want after taking the course.
If you said C, you’re very welcome in the Accelerator as well. The course does address how to position your author platform to appeal to scholarly publishers, whether or not you’re employed in the academy (or ever hope to be). The focus is on writing a book proposal for scholarly publishers in particular. Independent scholars may want to read this post (Can You Publish with an Academic Press if You’ve Left Academia?) before deciding to sign up.
If you said D, I’m so glad you’re already thinking ahead to your book, but the Book Proposal Accelerator is probably not the right fit for you yet. The program is very practical and walks you through exactly how to pitch your book effectively to publishers, including several written exercises to help you draft your proposal in the next six weeks. I encourage graduate students to take a peek at The Book Proposal Book if you want to get a preview of the publishing process, but I think trying to complete the Accelerator right now is probably more pressure than you need.
Question 2: How far along are you with writing your book manuscript?
A. I have a full draft (though it might need some polishing)
B. I don’t have a full draft yet but I have a chapter or two that are almost ready to show people
C. I’ve hardly written any of my book yet but I could tell you what the main point is and I have an idea of what the chapters will be. I want to figure out if publishers might be interested in the book before I do much more writing.
If you said A, B, or C, you would be welcome in the Book Proposal Accelerator. I’ve worked with authors at all three of these stages. The main thing to keep in mind is that you may get different things out of the program depending on where you are in your writing process.
Those who are closest to a complete manuscript will likely be able to jump directly into the publishing process with a fully fleshed-out proposal soon after finishing the program.
Those who are still conceptualizing their books will benefit from an experienced developmental editor’s perspective (mine) at an early stage, allowing you to save time on writing and revision. You’ll be able to use your book proposal as a plan/outline and then update your draft as needed as your manuscript evolves.
Those who are somewhere between a general idea and a fully drafted manuscript will get the tools they need to start talking to publishers about the project and gauge interest. If you have a strong proposal and a sample chapter or two, some scholarly publishers will even consider an advance contract at this stage.
Question 3: What area are you writing in?
A. The humanities
B. The social sciences
C. The sciences
D. Multiple fields — my book is interdisciplinary
The Book Proposal Accelerator is designed for scholars from any field. While most participants come from humanities and social science fields where writing books is common, the principles shared in the program will apply to any book you are pitching to a university press or other scholarly publisher. I have had scientists and scholars in professional fields (e.g. law, education, social work, psychology) come through the program successfully in the past.
The program directly addresses the concerns of interdisciplinary authors and how to position an interdisciplinary book effectively. You can also read this post (How to Land a Publisher for Your Interdisciplinary Book) to get a sense of my approach.
Question 4: What kind of book are you trying to write?
A. A typical research monograph to be published with a university press or other academic publisher
B. A crossover book based on my research but published for a broader readership, either with a university press or other independent publisher
C. A textbook or how-to manual aimed for scholars or students, based on my research and/or professional expertise
D. A trade book that I hope to publish for a non-scholarly readership
If you answered A, B, or C, the Book Proposal Accelerator will be valuable for you in honing your pitch and making sure it’s appropriate for the kind of book you want to write and the kinds of publishers you intend to reach out to.
If you answered D, you may find the structure and insights of the Accelerator useful, but you should know that we won’t spend much time talking about what goes into getting a literary agent or building a large public platform (which trade publishers will expect). If you think you might be writing a trade book, I encourage you to read this post (Are Sure You Know What a "Trade Publisher" Is?). If you still think the Accelerator could be a good fit for you, you’re welcome to reach out to me directly and double-check. I’ll happily point you to other resources/programs if I think they would better serve you.
Even if you’ve decided not to join the Accelerator this time around, I hope you found this quiz clarifying in terms of your own publishing goals. I’d love to have you in a future cohort if your situation changes. (The next cohort will likely begin in late May 2024.)
If you’re still on the fence, I encourage you to come to my free webinar on Wednesday on how to publish a book from your dissertation. You’ll get plenty of tips from the presentation, have an opportunity to ask questions, and get a sense of my overall approach to scholarly book publishing. I will be giving away a few extra freebies too. Hope to see you there!