Book Series Proposals

by Mindy Obenhaus

Each time I write a post here at Seekerville, I ask myself where I’m at in my writing. What am I working on? Since I just completed a proposal for a new series, I thought I’d share my process for doing that because if you’re like I was, you hear of people proposing a book series, yet have no idea what that actually looked like. So I’m going to pull back the veil on my proposal process which, as you’ve probably figured out, can be different for everyone. Yet while the process may be different, the elements of the proposal remain the same.

Back when I first started writing, my goal was to get published. Of course, that didn’t happen overnight. I had a lot of learning to do first. About the craft and the business—which seems to be ever-changing. Nine years later, I realized my dream of becoming a published author. And a year or so after that, it was time for me to propose a book series.

“No problem,” I thought, clueless as to what a multi-book proposal might entail.

Off I went to work on the first story. Synopsis and first three chapters, just like the other books. I’ve got this.

But wait, how are these books going to be connected? Friends? Family? Location?

Once that was settled, it dawned on me that I should also consider things such as what time of year each story would take place and how weather might play a role. If I have drenching rains in one story and a wildfire due to dry conditions in a later story, a reasonable amount of time would have to pass between those two stories to make that fire believable.

After I wrapped my brain around those things, I was ready to write. Since I tend to be a linear writer, I write the first three chapters and synopsis on the first story before moving on to the short synopses of the other books in the series, though you might prefer to write the other outlines simultaneously. Whatever works best for you.

Thanks to my annoying detail-oriented tendencies, I soon found myself wondering how long those subsequent synopses should be. Are we talking back-cover copy type blurbs or something  longer?

You might want to check with your agent or editor, but I say whatever it takes to give the editor a succinct idea of each story, while still giving them enough information to know if the story is going to work. A brief synopsis that includes these key elements—

• Main character names, occupations and ages.
• Goal, motivation and conflict for the main characters.
• What’s at stake? (AKA what happens if the characters don’t achieve their goals?)
• In a romance, what brings the hero and heroine together?
• And what keeps them apart?

Yes, this can take a little time because you kinda need to get a feel for the characters, get to know them a little bit. At least I do. Blame it on the detail-oriented thing.

Once all of the synopses are complete, it’s time to assemble the proposal. Again, it’s always good to check with your agent or editor to see if there’s a particular format they prefer. I usually start with a cover page that has the working title of the first story, the working title for the series, my name and contact information and my agent’s name and contact info. 

The next page has my series working title at the top, followed by each of the proposed books and their brief synopsis. For the first book, I just state that the synopsis and first three chapters are attached.

Lastly, I add the synopsis and first three chapters of the first story in the series.

Developing a series is process that shouldn’t be rushed. The more you know, the clearer your vision will be to your editor and the more likely they will be to buy your proposal. And that’s what we want, right?

Speaking of series, the third installment of my Bliss, Texas series, A Future to Fight For, is set to release later this month. But if you leave a comment on this post, you’ll be entered to win a copy. (US mailing addresses only, please)

But that's not all! The first book in the Bliss, Texas series, A Father's Promise, is now part of a two-in-one with Margaret Daley's A Baby for the Rancher, so let's giveaway a copy of that, too. 

Award-winning author Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, two sassy pups, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com

One Thing That Works For Me with guest Cynthia Ruchti: When Considering an Author's Proposal

Good Monday morning, Seeker villagers! How is it already the middle of June? Goodness! Anyway, I (Carrie) am here to introduce today's guest for this month's 'One Thing That Works For Me' series. Please join me in welcoming one of my very favorite people, Cynthia Ruchti, as she shares one thing that works for her when she wears her agent hat :)  

ONE THING THAT WORKS FOR ME…when considering an author’s proposal

Having written my own proposals for a bunch of books (many of the more than 36 now in print) and after reviewing a number inching close to a thousand proposals from clients and prospective clients in four-plus years as an agent so far, I can pinpoint the moment when I know “this might work.”

Can you guess which of these almost equally important strengths in a book proposal rises above the rest in making me want to dig deeper as an agent?

a. Title
b. Hook
c. Synopsis (fiction) or Chapter Summaries (nonfiction
d. Author Bio
e. Target Audience
f. Reader Takeaway
g. Comparables
h. Marketing Strategies

Extra whipped cream for your pavlova for those who answered “h.” As valuable as are all the other options, if the marketing strategies section of the proposal catches my eye, in a good way, I’m more likely to consider the project worth further consideration.

Does that sound like backward thinking? (Not the pavlova. What could be wrong with that?) It’s actually forward thinking—a hope-giver for an agent or editor reviewing the proposal. In many ways, it is a reflection of the strength of all the other elements listed.

Many marketing strategies are like obligatory and clumpy powdered sugar when you were expecting whipped cream. Statements like these reveal that the author may be working with an old, tired recipe or is unaware of the power of a true “strategy” for marketing their book. 

• I’m willing to participate in a world-wide book tour. (Who wouldn’t be? But world-wide—okay, even state-wide book tours—are a thing of the past, for the most part. For all the parts.) 

• I’m willing to do whatever the publisher asks. (Again, a given. If you’re NOT willing to do what the publisher and its marketing team asks, you may not be ready for traditional publishing.)

• I’m willing to speak to stadiums full of people to talk about my book. (Yeah, so which is actually less realistic—booking space at a stadium or over-filling it with potential readers?)

The “I’m willing” parts of those supposed strategies gave away a hard truth. The author isn’t well-informed about the role of the publisher’s marketing team versus the role of the author. It also reveals a misunderstanding about whose books even qualify for a world tour these days. They’re reserved for…well, for… Nope. Can’t think of an author whose publisher jots “world tour” into their marketing budget. 

Another list of tell-tale statements from a not-so-swell book proposal:

• I plan to get a website. 
• I hope to start a newsletter. 
• I’m fixin’ to work on building a platform this summer as soon as I finish writing the book.

A marketing strategy isn’t a place for wishin’, and hopin’, and dreamin’. It’s for did and done. Authors are sometimes wise to hold off submitting their proposal until they have already created an active and engaging website, have a solid base of newsletter subscribers, and have built a platform that can bear the weight of the work it’s required to do.

What qualifies, then, as a meaningful marketing strategy? As an agent, I appreciate one thing that works when I see it—CREATIVITY. We can’t shut off our creativity and move solely into business mode when putting together a stand-out marketing strategy. Creativity should be the driving force behind what we include in that section of our proposals. 

The best marketing strategies are ideas that will make the marketing team at the publishing house lean forward and say, “I wish we’d thought of that!”

They reveal that the author knows his or her audience well, inventing marketing ideas that tap into reader needs and preferences. They show that the author understands how to connect the book’s themes with specific strategies, like a premade list of potential guest blog post topics related to the story or potential online articles that connect the story to current culture. They engage potential readers/purchasers, not just rabid fans…and I use the word rabid loosely.

Those creative ideas have “legs” that reach an untapped audience.

They tie into the reader takeaway of the book (a companion devotional guide about grief, for instance, or a downloadable map of the imaginary island, or a Top Ten list of ways to be kind to a curmudgeon). 

They capitalize on the book’s hook. What giveaways or promotional concepts can emerge from that stunning hook it took a month to create? 

They aim for discoverability and actual book sales. Discoverability alone—informing the public that your book is releasing—is only half the battle. Persuading them to purchase is the end game. (Extra points for those who recognized that as a mixed metaphor disguised as a legit metaphor because a game might well be a battle! I give you Twister and the SuperBowl.)

In a nutshell (see image), a marketing strategy deserves and needs the same level of creativity it took to write your book. Not kidding. It’s definitely one thing that works for me. 

(Photos provided by the author via Pixabay)

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Cynthia Ruchti tells stories hemmed-in-Hope through novels, nonfiction, devotionals, and speaking events for women or writers (or both). Her books have garnered a number of industry awards including reader, retailer, and reviewer honors. She is the professional relations liaison for American Christian Fiction Writers, and serves as a literary agent with Books & Such Literary Management. Her latest release is the novel Facing the Dawn (Revell--a division of Baker Book Group). Watch for this fall's release of the nonfiction Spouse in the House: Rearranging Our Attitudes to Make Room for Each Other (Kregel Publications). You can reach her at https://www.cynthiaruchti.com or hemmedinhope.com

 Thank you, Cynthia, for such a great post & valuable insight! 

 

What questions do you have for Cynthia about including marketing strategies in your proposal?