How do I pitch a book idea?

September 25, 2006 1:10 PM

I have an awesome idea for a non-fiction adventure-type book that would require a small, but not insignificant amount of capital. Is it even worth my time to pitch this to a company, what sort should I approach and how would I go about doing it?
posted by borkingchikapa to Work & Money (7 answers total)

Writer's Market is your friend.
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:14 PM on September 25, 2006

Are you the one that would write it as well? In that case you may consider to fund it yourself and present a more final version of your idea to a publisher.
posted by toreo at 2:37 PM on September 25, 2006

I think we need more information.

Why would you pitch it to a company? Or do you mean a publisher? Because you don't go to them, you get an agent, etc etc.

Why would you need capital? Are you suggesting you take an exotic trip and write about it (as an example)?

Not to shut you down, but there are very few book ideas that haven't been thought of already.
posted by GaelFC at 2:52 PM on September 25, 2006

Actually, GaelFC - there are publishers cropping up now that deal directly with authors. Merge Press is one such animal. They just came out with their first two books and are looking for more submissions. They must be doing something right because there is even interest in turning A Life Less Convenient into a movie.
posted by FlamingBore at 5:08 PM on September 25, 2006

As somebody preparing to write a nonfiction book, I'm under the impression that the first step is a book proposal. (I've been given this information by a couple of published non-fiction authors, as well as by a couple of other people in the know.) Don't know how to write a book proposal? Neither do I. But I've borrowed "Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write" by Elizabeth Lyon from the library. That might be a good place for you to start, too.
posted by jdroth at 6:54 PM on September 25, 2006

Here's the best sources for being a realistic prospective author to understand the other side of publishing with print houses...


Transcripts. Double spaced. Inch around. Farm it out to agents and avoid the slush pile if you can.

Read these info entries by TOR editor:
Genre and overall publishing
The mechanics of making $ (or not) with books
Pitching and Catching
Submissions
Submissions #2


Basically she's got a ton of other advice:
Demystifying Publishing
posted by eatdonuts at 8:53 PM on September 25, 2006

I wouldn't personally recommend just creating a book proposal to start your pitch. To me, this is an automatic "Thank you for your submission but..." letter. This might work for already published authors with a proven track record (read: Anne Rice, Jeffery Deaver, Stephen King, David McCullough, or say a public figure like Bill Clinton and Paris Hilton), but as a new author with probably no clippings, you're better off having a finished product ready for a professional editor to delve into. Follow the basic format outline linked above (double spaced, paginated, etc) and when ready to farm it around, have a two to three paragraph welcome page with an outline of the story by paragraph.

Your best bet is to then send it around to publishing agents - not publishing houses. If a work is marketworthy, they will be your best entrance into book publishing and will get you the best return on your efforts.

Should you be rejected, I wouldn't give up, but try to solicit honest opinions about where your work might be failing and work on from there.

Good luck!
posted by eatdonuts at 9:06 PM on September 25, 2006