Last call for the Book Proposal Sprint

If you need to make meaningful progress before September, this is your chance

Hi Manuscript Workers,

Pardon me for interrupting your weekend — I just wanted to send one last reminder for those who still want to join the Book Proposal Sprint happening this week. We start tomorrow (Monday, August 21) and registration is still open.

As an extra bonus, the first ten people to register today will get a complimentary ebook copy of The Book Proposal Book (which can be accessed via the Princeton University Press app). This offer is good for today only, from now until midnight Pacific time or until the ten copies run out, whichever comes first. I will send out download codes tomorrow (assuming my power and internet service withstand the storm that is set to hit Los Angeles).

I've worked with hundreds of scholars who want to publish books about their research. A crucial step in getting your book published is reaching out to presses with a proposal.

But I’ve seen four big reasons why people don't make it to this step (or put it off for way too long):

• Reason 1: You don't know how to write an effective proposal. You might have examples, or mentors who can give you feedback, but you just don't know where to start. You might focus on other things, telling yourself you need to finish the book manuscript first (you probably don't).

• Reason 2: You've actually already drafted your proposal but you have no idea if you've done it correctly. You don't feel confident that it will land well with editors, so you keep it to yourself.

• Reason 3: You have a proposal that you feel pretty good about but you're not sure when is the appropriate time to show it to publishers. You might be wondering whether you need to finish a complete draft of your manuscript before even approaching editors. Or you have some other nagging question that is keeping you from reaching out.

• Reason 4: You simply haven't been able to set aside the time needed to work on your book proposal and make decisions about talking to publishers. This might actually be the number-one reason I see, but this list wasn't meant to be in any particular order 😆

If any of the above resonated with you, the Book Proposal Sprint was designed explicitly with you in mind. It solves the above problems in four ways:

• First, the online curriculum walks you step by step through the nuts and bolts of an effective book proposal. No guessing, no more procrastinating because you don’t know how to get started.

• Second, the program offers tips to take your proposal to the next level. Even if you already have a full draft, you’ll learn how to give it that extra shine which will boost your confidence that publishers will be impressed when you show it to them.

• Third, the program covers issues like timing and submission strategy, so you can make informed choices about when you will connect with publishers. I also guide you on how to make those connections, and you can ask questions about your specific situation to get targeted advice from someone who’s seen this process up close hundreds of times.

• Fourth and finally, the five days of dedicated coworking time and live Q&A next week will give you the excuse you need to finally bang out your draft and you’ll have the camaraderie and support of a bunch of scholars who are doing the same thing. You can even sign up with a friend for extra motivation.

If you still have questions about whether the Book Proposal Sprint is a fit for your needs at this time, please reply to this email and let me know what’s on your mind! I’ll be happy to give you my honest opinion of whether the Sprint is a good idea for you (and let you know about other resources I offer that might help if not).

One more reminder before I go — the Book Proposal Sprint comes with a discount for those without institutional funding, and 20% of all enrollment fees will be going to the strike mutual aid fund for Unite Here Local 11 (the union of hotel workers in Los Angeles who have asked the American Political Science Association to cancel their disciplinary conference later this month). So far I have been able to donate over $1500 and I will be happy to make it more if more people join the Sprint.

Thank you as always for reading and sharing this newsletter. See you next week!