how to find a book proposal consultant

June 12, 2020 7:30 AM

I'm writing a book. I need some guidance.

I have a book on how to write a non-fiction book proposal (my genre) and I am currently taking a class through the Gotham Writers Workshop on how to write an effective proposal.

However, I have friends who have gone through this process while turning their PhD dissertations into books and they have all worked with book proposal consultants to ensure that their proposal is as strong as possible before reaching out to agents and publishers.

My book is not based off of a dissertation - it's more of a memoir piece (think Cheryl Strayed meets David Sedaris), and so taking recommendations from my academic friends seems like not the greatest move as they wouldn't be the best fit for my genre of writing. Is there a way to find a reputable consultant? Googling brings up many options but I don't know how to vet them. Any advice Mefite writers have would be appreciated.

(Also, I know that it's very hard to sell a book, so I'd appreciate it if answers are only pertaining to my specific question and not a bunch of discouraging comments telling me not to bother because selling a book is hard; I'm aware, but I have published several essays in the last four years in various publications and I want to pursue this. Thanks.)

posted by nayantara to Writing & Language (2 answers total)

I have been using Wordsmith Academy to help me stay motivated to write my novel, but they also offer help with query letters and book proposals. Here is a link. I have found them to be excellent to work with so far.
posted by bove at 8:08 AM on June 12, 2020

A friend did the research, wrote the best possible proposal on her own; her memoir of her father was published. If I were looking for such a consultant, I'd check ads in Publishers Weekly and Writer's Digest. And I'd get and check references. Ask among your friends to see if anyone has a publishing connection - sales rep, intern, published author - to see if you can get them to read your proposal and book. The major hurdle is that there are so many books written, and a lot of them are pretty good. Getting noticed is key, which you probably recognize, so use whatever network you have.
posted by theora55 at 8:26 AM on June 12, 2020 [1 favorite]