| You want to close out the "sales" portion of your | | | | Engagements" you've had. These help reinforce |
| Proposal with a section titled "About Supportive | | | | the fact that you are an articulate, experienced |
| Material." The idea is to include in your Proposal | | | | speaker, with expertise. Do not forget |
| photocopies of additional documentation supporting | | | | "Endorsements." If you have letters from other |
| your expertise and celebrity. From articles about | | | | experts in your subject that help attest to the |
| you to endorsements for your ideas or program. | | | | effectiveness of your ideas, or from those who |
| List each major category you have material for | | | | have tried them and discovered how well they |
| (see below) in the Proposal, and include the | | | | work, include all you can. |
| documents themselves when you mail it in to an | | | | Ditto letters from any radio or television shows |
| agent or publisher. The rule here is: If you've got | | | | you have appeared on that are reflective of the |
| it, flaunt it. | | | | same theme. Include a photo of yourself. The |
| This is another area where holding back due to | | | | publisher will want to know how you will look on |
| modesty will only hurt your book's chances of | | | | the back of your book's jacket and on television. |
| selling to a publisher. This is "show and tell" time | | | | Do not stint on your "Writing Sample." After all, it |
| and the more visual aids showing that you have | | | | is what shows you have an exciting, informative |
| the credentials to write your book, the better. | | | | book, plus the ability and knowhow to write it. |
| Leave them out, and you may be leaving the | | | | This section should include your outline for the |
| clincher out of your sales pitch. Start with any | | | | book as well as one or more sample chapters. |
| "Articles about Author." Use photocopies of any | | | | Your "Chapter Outline" should not just list the |
| publications mentioning you, from a one-sentence | | | | titles of your chapters. Instead, detail in a word to |
| entry to an entire article. | | | | a short phrase the key ideas to be covered |
| Follow this with any "Articles by Author." If there | | | | within each chapter. Most experienced authors |
| are a large number, include several complete | | | | usually include the Preface to their book and one |
| articles and the first s of half a dozen more. If | | | | to three "Sample Chapters," depending on their |
| they exist, include up to a dozen or more | | | | length. Aim for a total of around 50 s, or slightly |
| "Announcements of Classes and Speaking | | | | more, of material. |