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Terry Whalin
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Book Proposals That Sell: 21 Secrets to Speed Your Success Kindle Edition

by W. Terry Whalin (Author), Marilyn Allen (Foreword) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 186 ratings
An insider reveals the secrets to pitching your nonfiction book: “Traditional publishing is shrouded with mystery. Terry Whalin peels back the curtain.” —Michael Hyatt, New York Times–bestselling author of Your Best Year Ever

In the beginning stages of writing a book, most people start with a blank page and write their entire manuscript. According to acquisitions editor, former literary agent, and author of dozens of traditionally published books W. Terry Whalin, this approach is backwards. He knows that about 80% to 90% of nonfiction books are sold from a book proposal.

This mysterious document called a proposal contains many elements that will never appear in a manuscript—yet these details are critical to publishing executives who make the decision about publishing or rejecting an author’s project. Book Proposals That Sell reveals twenty-one secrets to creating the kind of effective, impressive book proposal that can help an author make the sale.
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  1. Print length
    192 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Morgan James Publishing
  4. Publication date
    July 6, 2021
  5. File size
    6.4 MB
  6. Page Flip
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  7. Word Wise
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  8. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

W. Terry Whalin has worked both sides of the editorial desk―as an editor and a writer. He worked as a magazine editor, and his magazine work has appeared in more than 50 publications. A former literary agent, Terry is an Acquisitions Editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 books through traditional publishers in a wide range of topics from children’s books to biographies to co-authored books. Several of Terry’s books have sold over 100,000 copies. He has an innovative online training course to help authors effectively connect with literary agents and editors called “Write A Book Proposal”. He is a popular speaker and teacher at numerous writers’ conferences and an active member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors. Terry lives near Denver, Colorado and has an active following on twitter (@terrywhalin).

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B097KW7MJ3
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Morgan James Publishing (July 6, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 6, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 6.4 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 186 ratings

About the author

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Terry Whalin

Terry Whalin

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W. Terry Whalin knows and understands both sides of the editorial desk--as an editor and a writer and a literary agent. A former literary agent, now Terry's an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. His magazine articles have appeared in more than 50 Christian and general market publications plus he's written more than 60 books for traditional publishers.

A journalism graduate from Indiana University, Terry writes a wide spectrum of subjects and topics for the magazine and book marketplace. His latest books include Billy Graham, A Biography of America's Greatest Evangelist (Morgan James) and Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams (Morgan James), Book Proposals That Sell, The Revised Edition (Morgan James) and 10 Publishing Myths (Morgan James). He is an active member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors. Also Terry is the creator of a popular site for writers Right-Writing. Terry and his wife, Christine, live in California.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
186 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book an excellent resource that offers insight into the world of publishing, with a very concise and easy-to-read style where every step is laid out clearly. However, the book proposal aspect receives mixed feedback - while some customers say it helps them write proposals, others find it out of date.

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31 customers mention "Knowledge"31 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be an excellent resource that offers valuable insights into the world of publishing.

"...It will help you write a better book...." Read more

"This book opened my eyes to information I didn't know, but it also gave insight to a broader perception for the writer to consider...." Read more

"...is every step laid out clearly, Terry Whalin uses real life stories to illustrate each point...." Read more

"...share 21 secrets for a great book proposal, he connects you with many other valuable resources related to publishing your book...." Read more

31 customers mention "Writing quality"26 positive5 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, noting its concise and easy-to-read style, with every step laid out clearly.

"...It was written in a simple, easy-to-read style that make getting through it a breeze, and short chapters that eliminate the biggest headaches when..." Read more

"...It is an interesting read all the way through, and one I will refer back to, often. I also bought a copy for a writer friend." Read more

"...This book does exactly that. Not only is every step laid out clearly, Terry Whalin uses real life stories to illustrate each point...." Read more

"...I loved it. It was practical step by step instruction and motivational to boot!" Read more

13 customers mention "Book proposal"9 positive4 negative

Customers have mixed experiences with the book proposal guide, with some finding it helpful for writing proposals, while others report it contains scant information and offers no new insights.

"...There are also examples of book proposals that sold...." Read more

"...Now granted, this book is tailored for nonfiction proposals, but I'm a fiction writer and my copy is marked and dog-eared...." Read more

"...catering towards a very limited niche market, there are absolutely no insights and no knowledge to be gained from his book...." Read more

"...Your book proposal has to be desirable, hot, something an editor and pub board will get excited about...." Read more

4 customers mention "Stale content"0 positive4 negative

Customers find the content of the book very out of date.

"...The fact that this book is outdated aside along with the fact that Whalin has limited insight..." Read more

"...The publishing world has changed a LOT in that time, and it's very dated, as well as basic (as other reviewers have mentioned)...." Read more

"Save your money. This book contains out dated websites and scant information that is readily available on the internet, and in far more informative..." Read more

"This book is very out of date. Terry States that proposals should always be mailed by hard copy but most publishers now want proposals by email." Read more

Essential Insights for Traditional Publication
5 out of 5 stars
Essential Insights for Traditional Publication
W. Terry Whalin’s BOOK PROPOSALS THAT SELL will help you find the most appropriate publisher for your manuscript and then provide you with the insights for composing as effective a book proposal as you can. If you desire to have your manuscript published by a traditional publisher, you will find it hard enough to succeed even after applying the information inside this book, but the odds are totally against you without it. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is truly serious about being published traditionally.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Alex
    5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT BOOK FOR ASPIRITING NON-FICTION AUTHORS
    Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Who would buy a house that wasn't built according to a carefully drafted plan -- a set of blueprints? Yet MOST aspiring non-fiction authors rush to write a full manuscript without first doing the hard work of drawing up "a set of blueprints": a proposal. But here's the truth: 90% of non-fiction books are sold from a book proposal (not from a manuscript!). Writing a proposal won't just dramatically increase your chances of getting a book contract. It will help you write a better book. (That was certainly my own experience in writing Thriving at College. My proposal literally become my daily guide in writing the book.)

    In Book Proposals That $ell, experienced author and editor Terry Whalin walks you through the proposal process step-by-step, even giving you a sample proposal at the end of the book. It also includes an excellent 20-page appendix from Michael Hyatt called "Writing a Winning Book Proposal."

    Beyond the mechanics of the proposal process, Whalin gives readers an inside look into the publishing world--explaining how editors think, and how publishing houses make decisions. Trust me, fellow writers, you want to know how the decision-makers go about choosing which books to publish. Book Proposals That $ell will give folks like you and me a "leg up" on the difficult process of taking an idea and turning it into a published book.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Carrie Daws
    5.0 out of 5 stars Sounds advice for common mistakes
    Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    When an Agency that I follow recommended this book, I picked it up, and I'm so glad I did. It was written in a simple, easy-to-read style that make getting through it a breeze, and short chapters that eliminate the biggest headaches when going back to find something later. To answer some of the criticisms:

    Yes, much of this advice is posted on the internet and you can find it for free, but I like the convenience and not having to search for what those things, print them out and keep them somehow or save the link and hope I remember to go back later and look for it. It's up to each person to weigh the cost of the book versus the time, research, and storage methods for the same information.

    Yes, some of the advice is simple. However, if you've picked up very many books by self publishers, apparently the advice isn't common sense. (Please note, I am not bashing self published authors here. I have read several that I enjoyed quite a lot. I am simply agreeing with Mr. Whalin that not everyone understands the basics like spell-checkers are not going to find every spelling error in a manuscript.)

    As some reviewers have pointed out, the book uses examples from publishers and authors that are Christian. While I don't understand the difference that makes in the mechanics of building a book proposal, I can understand that some won't like this. Ultimately, I understood that Mr. Whalin was pulling from his experience, which seems to be in the Christian publishing world.

    Perhaps the book is not as grammatically correct as some would like, but I prefer it. It felt more like a conversation than a lecture, which encouraged me to keep reading. Other books I've tried on this subject came across very different, and while I forced my way through them, it was a chore. This book was easy, which to me, makes it more valuable.

    It is not clear from the description of the book that it is primarily for non-fiction proposals. That is not to say that fiction writers will not find any value in the book, but you need to be prepared to find another resource that is specific to fiction genres.

    Overall, I found great value in this book and it was well worth the money I paid for it. I can see it as a resource that I refer to multiple times as I build my next few proposals.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Jen Jeffrey Billington
    5.0 out of 5 stars Confidence Booster
    Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This book opened my eyes to information I didn't know, but it also gave insight to a broader perception for the writer to consider. As a first-time author, I did not understand specific things from the editor's point of view, nor agents and publishers. Terry Whalin helps the writer to understand what goes on behind the scenes and what does not. There are 21 secrets he shares and I agreed with his reasoning (and already practiced a few of them). I feel confident that following this information will help writers tremendously in book writing and making proposals. It is an interesting read all the way through, and one I will refer back to, often. I also bought a copy for a writer friend.
    One person found this helpful
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  • fredheat
    5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to understand--breaks it down step by step
    Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    When setting out to write a book proposal, I was looking for a resource that would crack the code, so to speak...break it down for me step by step like I was a five year old.

    This book does exactly that. Not only is every step laid out clearly, Terry Whalin uses real life stories to illustrate each point. There are also examples of book proposals that sold.

    I came across this book through a reference by Michael Hyatt, a former CEO of Thomas Nelson publishers. I figured if a CEO of a publishing company, who used to work as a literary agent (whose job it was to get book proposals sold) recommended this book, it must be good. And it is!

    If you want a book that is written by an industry pro, that spells out the ins and outs of book proposals in every way, then this book is for you!

    --Frederic Gray
    [...]
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Sam Wright
    5.0 out of 5 stars Esential Roadmap
    Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Not only does Terry share 21 secrets for a great book proposal, he connects you with many other valuable resources related to publishing your book. Perhaps the most valuable lesson is how Terry helps us writers understand the world of publishing. Such understanding prevents beginning writers from naïve presumptions and inevitable blunders.
    One person found this helpful
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