The Manuscript Works Newsletter

Essential knowledge on scholarly book publishing that every author should have

A template for your book proposal's annotated table of contents

Hello reader,

I've been talking about my Book Proposal Accelerator program for the past few weeks because another cohort is starting soon, on May 28th. This will be the last time the Book Proposal Accelerator will be offered in 2024, so if you have been looking for some structured guidance and expert feedback on your academic book proposal, this is your chance to get it. If you keep up with the seven-week program, you'll have a book proposal ready to send to your target publishers by July 12 (or earlier).

The Book Proposal Accelerator walks you step by step through the process of crafting an outstanding book proposal. It also shows you how to determine the best publishers for your project and create a tailored submission strategy that works for your goals and timeline.

The program lessons offer concise explanations of every component of an academic book proposal along with real examples from real academic authors. I provide templates and worksheets to help you come up with a great letter of inquiry, comps list, audience discussion, project description, annotated table of contents, specs rundown, and author bio.

The book proposal is a new and different genre of writing for most people, which is why it can feel daunting and time-consuming even though it's really not a very long document. How long has your book proposal draft been sitting on your computer or lingering in mind, waiting for you to figure it out? (If you're like many people I work with, it's been years.)

I'm a practical, nuts-and-bolts-oriented learner (and also maybe a little bit impatient), so I love a template that takes the guesswork out of a new genre of writing. I also like templates that clarify your thinking about your project, because they allow you to focus on the ideas without worrying about the actual writing. Once you've filled in the blanks of a template, then you can massage the writing so it sounds like you. The template is a tool that helps you focus in on the substance so you can get the heavy lifting (i.e. thinking) done first.

Today I want to share a template that I came up with last time I ran the Book Proposal Accelerator. This template is not part of the official curriculum, but I wrote it up to help a participant who needed a little extra help with her annotated table of contents. She knew what she wanted to write about in her book, but she couldn't quite figure out how to explain the book's structure in a way that would connect with publishers. (Participants in the Book Proposal Accelerator are encouraged to share each component of their proposals as they complete them. I give personalized feedback to each person, and if you're struggling with a particular aspect of the proposal, I'm there to help.)

I thought I'd share that chapter summary template I came up with here, as a free resource for newsletter readers. If you find it helpful, I think you'll probably really like the other templates and lessons provided inside the Book Proposal Accelerator.

How to summarize each chapter of your book for your book proposal

Paragraph 1

The topic of this chapter is __________.
My main argument in this chapter is __________ / the key point I want readers to understand after reading this chapter is __________.
That main argument / key point supports the larger thesis I am advancing in this book because __________.
I am starting with this chapter because __________ [or] this chapter builds on the previous chapter by __________

Paragraph 2

The key types of evidence / primary sources I draw on for this chapter are __________.
That evidence supports this chapter's argument because it shows __________.
The chapter starts with __________ in order to show __________ [point that supports the chapter's main argument]
(Repeat the last line until the chapter's structure is fully laid out)

Once you've filled in all the blanks with the substance of your summary, you can polish the language so it doesn't sound like a Mad-Lib in your final version. Write up these two paragraphs for each chapter of your book, and you'll have a full annotated table of contents in no time.

Even though this template is quite formulaic, it will become your own when you bring the unique details of your project into it. It's also important to recognize that book proposals are essentially formulaic documents. The purpose of a book proposal is to communicate key information about your book efficiently and consistently with what publishers need to know when evaluating new projects. You don't need to reinvent the wheel in your proposal for a publisher to see your book as original and exciting. Again, the details that are specific to your intellectual project are what will do that.

If you know someone who needs to summarize their book chapters, please feel free to forward this email to them. And let them know the Book Proposal Accelerator starts in less than two weeks and is still open for enrollment!

For more resources on writing and publishing academic books, keep scrolling this newsletter.

Coming up at Manuscript Works

Free resources

Worksheets for The Book Proposal Book ​Get worksheets and a checklist to support you as you use The Book Proposal Book →​

How to Publish a Book from Your Dissertation ​Get a webinar recording and revision checklist for your book manuscript in progress →​

How to Work with a Developmental Editor ​Get a webinar recording and custom referrals to editors in my network →​

More support

Manuscript Works Author Support is a private hub for ongoing support in your scholarly book publishing journey. Inside this community you'll get honest advice about publishers, peer review, offers and contracts, as well as join live Q&A sessions with Laura Portwood-Stacer and your fellow Manuscript Works authors. This community is open to alums of the Manuscript Works Book Proposal Accelerator and Book Proposal Shortcut for Busy Scholars. Find out more →

If you have a friend, colleague, or mentee who would benefit from reading the Manuscript Works Newsletter, could you forward it to them and let them know that they can subscribe at newsletter.manuscriptworks.com? Thank you for reading and sharing!

See you next week,

Laura Portwood-Stacer ​Manuscript Works​

113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205
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