Writing a book proposal: using a question approach

Most of the work of writing a book comes in the preparation of the book proposal. The process helps you carefully think through answers to several tough questions. Resources like Larsen's (1997) book, How to Write a Book Proposal, can also be a helpful guideline as you write your proposal. By the time you finish the proposal, you will be very excited about the content and prospects for the book. This is good, because when you get that acceptance, you will have to maintain your enthusiasm for the year or so you spend writing the manuscript. During the year you are writing, you will probably let some activities of daily living (ADLs) slide. After you submit the manuscript, it could take months to get your life back in order. You will start to wonder how you ever found time to write a book. You may even swear you will never write another one. Then one day, the muses will give you an idea for another book proposal.